A Grouse Hunter's Almanac: The Other Kind of Hunting

by Mark Parman

Overview

Like that earlier grouse hunter Aldo Leopold, Mark Parman takes to the woods when the aspens are smoky gold. Here, in an evocative almanac that chronicles the early season of the grouse hunt through its end in the snows of January, Parman follows his dog through the changing trees and foliage, thrills to the sudden flush of beating wings, and holds a bird in hand, thankful for the meal it will provide. Distilling twenty seasons of grouse hunting into these essays, he writes of old dogs and gun lust, cover and clear cutting, climate change, companions male and female, wildlife art, and stumps. A Grouse Hunter's Almanac delves into the mind of a hunter, exploring the Northwoods with an eye for more than just game.

"Notable and quotable. Parman stakes out original territory and provides a vivid snapshot of the Northwoods."—John Motoviloff, author of Wisconsin Wildfoods: 100 Recipes for Badger State Bounties

"Extremely rich and detailed. Parman puts forth original and genuine experiences."—Richard Yatzeck, author of Hunting the Edges

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780299249243
Publisher:	University of Wisconsin Press
Publication date:	09/12/2017
Edition description:	Reprint
Pages:	248
Sales rank:	350,596
Product dimensions:	5.50(w) x 7.20(h) x 0.80(d)

About the Author

Mark Parman is a member of the Ruffed Grouse Society and the Loyal Order of Dedicated Grouse Hunters. He is coauthor of Fat Tire Wisconsin: A Mountain Bike Trail Guide and teaches English and journalism at the University of Wisconsin–Marathon County. He has written for Sports Afield, Pointing Dog Journal, and other outdoor magazines.

Read an Excerpt

While hunting I keep my dogs in focus and in mind, albeit rather obliquely much of the time, their noses substituting for my nose, thier noses "seeing" the landscape and the birds therein. They are the text I read when I hunt, the translators of the woods, the link between ther bird and me.

Table of Contents

INTRODUCTION - The Other Kind of HuntingEARLY SEASON1) Some August Day2) Grouse Opener3) The Bird4) Dogless5) In Praise of Old Dogs6) Scalopax Minor7) Ox8) The Cycle9) How to Hunt GrouseMIDSEASON10) Flushing Wild11) Small Presents12) Hunting with Diana, Grousing Around with Susan13) Like Trees, Walking14) Costumes15) Paul's16) On Wildlife Art17) Empty Hulls18) New Wood19) Sauntering Along20) The Mythical Bird21) Soul Food22) Acres of Goods23) Cover(t)24) Gun Lust25) Shooting Flying26) Ruffed Grouse Capital of the World27) Nine Mile Stump28) Knowing Our Limits29) Getting Lost, Staying Lost LATE SEASON30) Confessions of a Grouse Hunter31) Grouse Weather32) A Fall of Woodcock33) Things Unseen34) Black Friday35) Narratives in the Snow36) Snow37) The Beauty of Clear Cuts38) Snow Walker39) Last Day of the Season40) Gunnar's Last Hunt41) Bibliography

Editorial Reviews

"Parman's writing is insightful, fresh, and informative. Regardless of whether you hunt grouse, or not, with or without a dog, carry a 28-gauge or double shotgun, there's something in this hunter's almanac for all who enjoy autumns in the north."—Jerry Davis, syndicated outdoors columnist

"Notable and quotable. Parman stakes out original territory and provides a vivid snapshot of the Northwoods."—John Motoviloff, author of Wisconsin Wildfoods: 100 Recipes for Badger State Bounties

"Extremely rich and detailed. Parman puts forth original and genuine experiences."—Richard Yatzeck, author of Hunting the Edges

"Parman celebrates the intricacies of grouse hunting and, through his experiences, the reader learns valuable information from dogs to habitat to gear, while being challenged by issues that need to be answered for the sake of grouse hunting's future." —Ruffed Grouse Society blog

"Pays close and wise attention to woods and habitat, to the behavior and lives of his English setters, to the ways of woodcock and grouse, and to his own thoughtful evolution as a hunter. ... A worthy addition to the grouse-hunting bookshelf." —Gray's Sporting Journal

From the Publisher