Good Reads

[E Robert Fabian]

I'm hoping fellow PGCA members will post their latest hunting, fishing, gun or dog book they liked.
I just finished a book a PGCA member recommended, Jenny Willow by Mike Gaddis, really liked it.

I like to share a couple of my old favorites, Home From The Hill by Fred Webb its about a New Brunswick guide in the 50's

The One Eyed Poacher and the Maine Warden by Edmund Were Smith, Funny book lots of Maine humor.

[Dean Romig]

I would be reading Bare November Days but . . . :crying:

. . . I seem to have misplaced it :shock:

[Dean Romig]

I have a collection of John Taintor Foote books and while his writing is a bit effusive I do enjoy the easy reading of his books. My favorites are "Dumbell of Brookfield", "Jing" and "Pocono Shot" with "Pocono Shot" topping my list. They are all about bird dogs and were written in the teens or twenties so you have to kinda put yourself in that "twenties" frame of mind. They are not so much about hunting as they are about the people and their associations with these dogs.

[Francis Morin]

My gunning library leans heavily towards the Southern based writers-although where I live quail and dove are not legal-85% of my gunning for game birds involves waterfowl, so Roland Clark's "Pot Luck" and "Gunner's Dawn" are constant favorites. I alsotreasure my copy of Martin Bovey's "The Saga Of The Waterfowl" and Edgar M. Queeny's "Prairie Wings".

My friend from the Palmetto State George Lander recently sent me a copy of "Sunrise On The Santee", and I am slowly working my way through in the same manner one might enjoy a seven course meal. A great read, and my thanks to a true Southern Gent'man for this!!:duck:

[E Robert Fabian]

Dean, got my copy of Bare November Days today, funny I ran into this guy who had a copy he was trying to sell.:rolleyes:

Francis, I havn't read any of Roland's works I'll have to buy one.

[Dean Romig]

:eek:

[Francis Morin]

[QUOTE=E Robert Fabian;5268]Dean, got my copy of Bare November Days today, funny I ran into this guy who had a copy he was trying to sell.:rolleyes:

Francis, I havn't read any of Roland's works I'll have to buy one. Bob, advise if you'd care to borrow my copy first prior to purchasing- his stuff is scarce and pricey. And Dean, I will be at a good OP book shoppe soon, if I see a good reading copy of the "Bare Nov. Days" do you want me to pick it up for you, or have you found one on Abe's Books?? Gunnerman?? Judith Bowman (she's mainly into fly fishing I believe)--I admire your restraint here on the Forum, I find it sad indeed that someone "lifted" your prized book purchased at the recent Vintagers. You gave the situation the "benefit of the doubt" and left a window open for its NQA return- I am venturing a guess here, never having yet attended the Vintagers event, that the main focus on security concerned the shotguns- and perhaps no one question a person walking around with a book under his/her arm.. A sad reflection on our times indeed..:nono:

[Dean Romig]

Thanks Francis, but that's not necessary. It'll turn up eventually, I believe. If not I'll just buy another 'new in wrapper' just like the one I bought.

Basically, security is everybody's responsibility at these events. After the place closes for the day there are plenty of security people. 'Trust' is one of the main themes at these events and I, for one, would rather it stay that way rather than have a bunch of people in vests or uniforms scrutinizing everybody - that would just leave a very bad taste and I would probably not attend again.

[E Robert Fabian]

Thanks Francis, I bought both of Roland's books that you mentioned this morning on Abe's books.
Bob

[Rich Anderson]

I just finished Something of Value by Robert Ruark. Its a fictional account of the Mau Mau uprising in Kenya. If you like Africa this is a great read.

[Marc Retallack]

Richard

If you enjoyed Ruark's "Something of Value", I'd suggest you pick up "Uhuru" when you have an opportunity. It also is fiction set several years after the Mau Mau uprisings. It is more or less a sequel to "Something of Value".

Cheers
Marcus

[E Robert Fabian]

Dean, I just finished Bare November Days, If you get a copy and hold onto it long enough I think you will rely enjoy it.

[Francis Morin]

[QUOTE=E Robert Fabian;5736]Dean, I just finished Bare November Days, If you get a copy and hold onto it long enough I think you will rely enjoy it. I am not familiar with the book Dean "mis-placed" at the recent Vintagers gathering. Is it mainly about grouse hunting, which I surmise may be our friend Dean's main passion when afield with a Parker? Who wrote it? I like the late Havilah Babcock and his stories about hunting quail and fishing for bream in a long-gone Southern era. My favorites of all his great stories are "Slim Boggins' Mistake" and "Tennesse"--I never read any of Ruark's African stories as other mentioned herein, but his classic "The Old Man and the Boy" is timeless.

[E Robert Fabian]

Francis, Bare Nov. Days was written by four authors Gene Hill, George Bird Evans, Michael McIntosh and Tom Davis. Short stories on Grouse and Mud Bat hunting and their dogs.

[Dean Romig]

"Mud Bats", "Bog Suckers" and other such nicknames for the American Woodcock are colloquial misnomers for a wonderful little gamebird many hunters know very little about. Personally, I prefer nicknames that are a little more respectful of this little migrant of the uplands and names like "Timberdoodle", "Whistledoodle", "Sky-Dancer", "Little Russet Fellers" (from Burton Spiller) are a bit more endearing.
All I know about them is that they are delectable and I eagerly await the flights to come pouring into my Vermont coverts. . . can't be much longer now.

Bob, when I get my copy of Bare November Days back I will definitely hold onto it for a long time.

[Dave Suponski]

Dean,I checked with Jim M. over the weekend Sorry no luck.

[Francis Morin]

Dean, I always wondered why there were so many "strange" names for the woodcock, but not all that many for the ruffed grouse. Last time I shot (at) timberdoodles, maybe 20 years ago, up near Baldwin hunting with now deceased friend Merle Nolph- we were hunting the "MayTag Covert" in late October and the flights had just come down- we put up many birds, some reflushes I'm sure, mainly just to watch his Brit work. Back then the limit on grouse and woodcock was five per day, I believe that has been lowered.

In my somewhat limited experience, I don't believe there is a better holding game bird for a pointing dog than the woodcock. Merle (aka- "Simmy") had a great bird dog that would actually retrieve them to hand. My Lab "Ace" who would at that time retrieve anything with feathers, refused to pick up a woodcock, so I stopped shooting them, or at them rather.

It's been that long since I was in good cover for grouse and woodcock, but hunters long in the game never forget what might be "birdy". I shot yesterday at the MI tower shoot near Marion- great open birdy country with scattered older farms and dirt roads. On the pickup hunt I went with two fellows from Midland and their GSP- back from the sorgum and milo patches, into a cover of aspens- we shot two "escapee pheasants" and a grey phased grouse flushed, a "bootstrap", but Jim dropped it- we all agreed that the patch of alders would be "birdy"-- Good luck with the VT woodcock hunting!

[E Robert Fabian]

Francis, I just finished Gunner's Dawn really enjoyed it.
I started on Pot Luck and found some words of wisdom in the first story. The character Dr Airlees philosophy on life, " Work and play. A proper balance between the two gives the best assurance of contentment and leaves little time for worry, or the harboring of regrets"
Never truer words written, especially when its hunting season.