Tales of Quails 'n Such: A Collection of Hunting and Fishing Stories

by Havilah Babcock

According to the author, the twenty-six stories collected in Tales of Quails 'n Suc h are "lazy, losse-fingered and rambling accounts of my jaunts afoot. There is not one well organized and plotted tale among them. I suppose I ought to apologize for their formlessness, but that would be apologizing for deficiencies in my own character. A hunting or fishing trip is not by nature a closely planned and scheduled affair. You never know what is going to happen outdoors, for nature is more surprising than a woman."

The University of South Carolina Press is proud to republish these stories. The tales were first collected in 1951 and there is a timelessness about them. They are for people who revel in simple things―a bevy of quail scudding over tawny broom sedge; a staunch dog silhouetted against the setting sun; a night's untroubled sleep; the soft swish of a paddle at sunrise; a cooling drink from a sequestered spring at noon-tide.

256 pages, Hardcover

First published September 1, 1985

Reviews

[Cody Bruce · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of, if not the, best works written on bobwhite hunting in the American South. Great stories that will make you want to buy and train a bird dog as well. The fishing stories are more mediocre but the final turkey hunting story is one for the ages. Despite all this, the work still suffers from some outdated references to African Americans but not so much as to detract from the overall quality.

[Ryan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Any outdoorsman can't help but enjoy his stories.