Leo Tolstoy and The Bear Hunt
I felt something warm above my head and realized the bear was drawing my whole face into its mouth; my nose, already in it and feeling the heat of it... Have you had summer in Moscow and St. Petersburg this year? "the bundled-up June tourist asked at the train depot...
The Declination of a Bowhunter
For any hunter, fancies flip and flop and morph. Change seems a common entity. As a bowhunter, my lifelong hunting journey was no exception. A green vine, thumb-sized and flexible, served well for the bow – in those tender years of boyhood. A three-day life maximum...
A Goose on the Loose
I was sentenced to Chester Elementary School for six long years along with about 180 other unfortunate inmates. I wasn’t exactly sure what terrible offense I had committed against my parents to warrant such a harsh punishment, but I tried to serve my time with quiet...
The Dilemma
The rifle was all they talked about. A slick new Winchester Model 94 resting in the glass showcase at Harden’s Hardware. Jack coveted it. All the boys did. An inveterate hunter all of his long life, Mr. Harden smiled at the boys’ enthusiasm. Recalling his excitement...
A Hunter’s Coat
Whenever he wears the old canvas coat, he feels the heart, a hunter’s heart, of the man who wore it.
Royal Hunter
On a trip to Nepal several years ago, I was making my way apprehensively along a maze of trails to a remote tent camp in the Chitwan area. Adding to my anxiety, I had passed several fresh pugmarks of tigers, and as the light began to fade I imagined a big cat watching...
A Thousand Distant Gobbles
The following is an excerpt from Duncan Dobie’s newest book A Thousand Distant Gobbles: Turkey Tales from the Heart. This 236-page collection, featuring eight short stories and eight turkey vignettes, will warm your heart and take you on an unforgettable adventure...
Woodie Wheaton: Maine’s Grandest Guide
To his ‘sports’ and to his fellow guides, Woodie Wheaton was revered for his outdoor skills.
Drunk on Life
Be drunk,” the poet said. It might have been Ben Jonson; I don’t remember. Whomever, though, he was right. I suspect I’ve been drunk on just about everything that can be brewed, fermented or distilled. The aftermath hasn’t always been pretty, but getting there was fun...
Jane Mason: Hemingway’s Femme Fatale
Among the most accomplished outdoorswomen of her day, gorgeous Jane Mason inspired Hemingway’s nastiest femmes fatales.