A ROUGH-SHOOTING DOG: REFLECTIONS FROM THICK & UNCIVIL SORTS OF PLACES

A ROUGH-SHOOTING DOG: REFLECTIONS FROM THICK & UNCIVIL SORTS OF PLACES A Rough-Shooting Dog, is the compelling account of a man and his best friend--an English springer spaniel named Jenny. The author chronicles the training and first hunting season of his beloved canine friend and hunting companion, taking the reader into the field in pursuit of woodcock, pheasant, and grouse--noting that the two are a team and must work closely together in order to be successful hunters. Fergus discusses the roughshoots: cattail slough, beaver pond, alder jungle, and old orchards--all the while teaching the reader a little about life.It is a book about the dramas, joys, and frustrations of hunting with a dog--and a reflection about land, wildlife, and the ways in which these facets of the natural world can be experienced fully through upland bird hunting. A Rough-Shooting Dog won't disappoint.WHAT THE EXPERTS ARE SAYING:"Contemplative, yet joyful and celebratory, his work is reminiscent of James Kilgo's Deep Enough for Ivorybills in its view of hunting as a way of gaining knowledge. A welcome addition to any library."--Library Journal" . . . As fine a piece of writing as I've found in a long, long time. It is much more than a riveting story about a man and his dog--it's a deep and thoughtful and cheering celebration of a kind of love few of us are privileged to know."--Gene Hill" . . . A storyteller's story . . . Charming, gripping, and beautiful."--Richard Wolters, author of Water Dog."There is not much writing of this quality on dogs and birds and the other important things in life."--Datus Proper"I wish I had grouse hunting like that, a dog like that--and I wish I could write like that."--John Madson"Some incurable romantics may consider this prose poetry more a fireside delight than a keen training manual, yet it is both."--Frank Woolner"A good and different dog book . . . couched both simply and elegantly."--David Michael Duffy, author of Hunting Dog Know-How"What a knockout book! Like all labors of love, a privilege to read, a treasure of the woods!"--Rick Bass"Fergus describes the rough shoots--alder jungle, cattail slough, old orchards, beaver pond--and discusses the merits of pointing and flushing dogs. Best of all, he conveys the real pleasure and excitement of upland bird hunting--the working partnership between hunter and dog."--Publishers WeeklyABOUT THE ILLUSTRATOR:Joe Fornelli, whose superb illustrations grace this book, is one of America's leading sporting artists. He lives in Illinois.ABOUT THE AUTHOR:Charles Fergus has published sixteen books and numerous articles in magazines and newspapers. He lives in the Northeast Kingdom of Vermont with his wife, Nancy Marie Brown, who is also a professional freelance writer, along with two Icelandic horses and a pair of hunting dogs: a springer spaniel named Caillie and a wicked young English cocker named Havoc. ISBN: 1-59228-857-X publish date: 08/15/2006