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Joined: 17 Jan 2014 Posts: 1381 Location: Denver, Colorado

I just completed a re-read of that book last night. It was published in the early 90s and I presume that I first read it shortly thereafter (my copy is signed by the author and even has his dog Sweetzer's pawprint on the signature page). At the time of my first reading, it missed me a little in that I had some reservations about the author's perspective on several items (mostly his then somewhat-liberal perspective on ranching, property ownership, and private hunting rights). His inability to shoot very well was also troubling to me then for some reason. Fast-forward almost thirty years to now and reading it with the eye's of a nearly 65-year old gives me perhaps a little better perspective. The troubling components he was writing about then (of newly-limited access, lost & diminishing habitats, and changing attitudes towards hunting) have only worsened it seems, and what I'd found irritating then (was I perhaps suffering from cognitive dissonance?) have sadly become all too-common now. I guess I didn't want to hear about the bad news then and now it simply can't be ignored. No matter, I enjoyed the book much more this time around and would now heartily recommend it. What Mr. Fergus pulled off in his 5-month's long wingshooting trip (& driving something like 4-thousand miles) around the country in the early 90s would be a very hard thing to accomplish now (certainly the truck camping near-to the Big Apple would be darn risky). What I'd also forgotten was the nice selection of game recipes it includes with nearly each chapter. Enjoy!

Joined: 07 Sep 2011 Posts: 567 Location: wheeling, wv

In the chapter, "Looking for Mr. Grouse" was about our exploits in eastern Ohio. He parked his camper at my house for a couple of days, and got him an interview with GBE. He writes novels now, which are very good. BTW, I was shooting a 1 frame Parker 16 VH that day.

Joined: 17 Jan 2014 Posts: 1381 Location: Denver, Colorado

Isn't that cool! Surprised he didn't try Pennsylvania as well (in those days there were still a few birds to chase there too). I guess I'll have to look up some of his other work now.

Joined: 08 Feb 2009 Posts: 1311 Location: Western WA

Now look what you’ve done. I ordered a copy, then went online to scope out his other works, and got hooked. How can one not want to open a book written by an outdoorsman titled One Thousand White Women? Looks like my post-hunting season evenings will be spent reading by the fireside.

B.

Joined: 17 Jan 2014 Posts: 1381 Location: Denver, Colorado

I just ordered another of his hunting-related books. We'll have to see about the rest.

Joined: 17 Jan 2014 Posts: 1381 Location: Denver, Colorado

3birddogs: I went back and re-read that section of the book and I think I understand that "Wheeling Feeling" better now.

Lloyd3,

I had the book, it is a decent read but not in the category of a GBE or Spiller book by any means.

all the best,

Pine Creek/Dave
L.C. Smith Man

Joined: 16 Jul 2015 Posts: 2126 Location: Hudson,Wy

If you like books about a hunting journey across the country, Tom Huggler's "Quail Hunting in America" and "The Grouse of North America" are worth reading. These "road trip" books were published in 1986 and 1990 and I enjoyed both.

Joined: 17 Jan 2014 Posts: 1381 Location: Denver, Colorado

I've re-read a number of the books in my library to help me ignore the perpetual onslaught of bad-news the various media outlets continuously stream at us. It also gets me focused on the season approaching and helps me to order my activities to get ready. Planning a cast & blast as I write this (blue grouse and grayling).

Lloyd3,

Good on you buddy, I have been doing the same thing, and rereading my sports books is always a way to take my mind off the current media garbage. Right now I am reading Phils book on the modern evils of our time, turns out Phil is one very smart man. Who knew the old Duck Commander was so smart about God and life. I recommend the book highly.

all the best,

Pine Creek/Dave
L.C. Smith Man

Joined: 15 Oct 2004 Posts: 787 Location: Indiana

I have also read and re-read the Fergus book. it was entertaining but I find him hard to take seriously because he appears to be somewhat judgmental and liberal, and it seems to me that it is sacriligious for him to go on such an extended hunt, with some pretty well-known hunters and good shots, and continue throughout the course of the hunt, to shoot so poorly.
Yes, hunting is about more than racking up kills, I'll give you that, but one should bring a certain amount of pride and skill to one's hobby too.
I agree that Spiller, GBE, Frank Woolner, Bill Tapply and the like write as well or better than Fergus. But his trip was interesting to read about and I admire him for the guts it took to take that much time to complete the hunt. I could never have managed the time off during my working years....

Wolfchief,

I wondered also about all the time he took off work to travel around hunting.
I also could not take him to seriously and like you I thought he was a bit to liberal to be a serious hunter. Many people believed GBE had a liberal steak in him, believe me when I tell that simply was not the case. GBE finally learned to gun grouse at a fairly high level, after he had his gun reworked to fit him correctly, I doubt Fergus even bothered to improve his gunning, which a good upland gunning tries to due during his life. If you want a good hunting book to read pick, up a GBE, Spiller, Walrod or many of the accomplished hunters books.

all the best,

Pine Creek/Dave
L.C. Smith Man

Joined: 17 Jan 2014 Posts: 1381 Location: Denver, Colorado

In his next book, "A Sporting Road", Fergus somewhat addresses his attitudes about this country by comparing it to the outlook of an older, non-hunting associate of his. His assertion is that the children of the later 60s and 70s had a very different experience in their upbringing and careers (far-less security, economic and otherwise), leaving them less certain about the "blessings" of this Republic of ours. I'm also at a point where I have come to expect a liberal-slant from any artist or writer I encounter that wasn't part of (or associated with) the WWII generation. The better ones may also be "liberal" in their attitudes, but they're smart-enough to keep it out of their writing.

Hunting books also can be separated into two distinct venues, broken down simply into the "how too" and the "entertainment" categories. Walrod is a classic example of the "how too". Spiller and GBE are more of the latter. Part of why I didn't initially enjoy Fergus's book more the 1st time around (other than what I've already described) was that I might have been looking for more of the "where & how-too" then as well.

Lloyd3,

I thought you might be looking in that direction and posted the Walrod book to see if you might comment, as you did. There are few liberal minded authors I do like, Hemingway is at the top of that list. He did change his view point after he escaped from Cuba by the skin of his teeth. His writing has always been top shelf, I have enjoyed many different authors, Cory Ford, GBE & Spiller are top shelf also.

I like the way WyoChukar writes, if he ever decides to puts together a sporting book on his hunting adventures, you bet I will purchase it. We need some new blood in our Sports writing very badly. Good sports writers are very hard to come by these days.
Most of us are rereading the classics just to have something decent to read.
I have to admit Tom Huggler's books were a decent read, of course he is a decent hunter also, his experiences are worth reading more than once.

all the best,

Pine Creek/Dave
L.C. Smith Man

Some years back -- and for quite a few years -- I was pretty active here. But other things of life began to take more of my time. Still avid though about my 16s, still chasing my springers after pheasants and sharptails 2-3 times a week Oct. thru Jan. since my move to west river SD about 5 years ago.

Something I always appreciated about this forum was that members steered clear of politics and disparaging judgments of differing political views. This was always a place of respite from that stuff -- which seemed to permeate other gunning sites.

Today on a random visit I'm disappointed to find the exclusionary bias of political tribe comments here too. Damn.

Jay