Tails of the Prairie: My Life as a Small-Town Veterinarian in Wyoming

by R.A. Baldwin

In Tails of the Prairie, Baldwin shares a collection of stories from his work as a veterinarian in three rural Wyoming counties from 1951 to 1964. Living in Wyoming can be a challenge as well as an adventure. Wyoming is a place of extremes and this affects the people who live there. The people are tough and tenacious and the country is full of all different types of personalities. This book lends a glimpse into the challenges of living and working in such a drastic environment and the characters who call Wyoming home. Doc narrates how much of his work consisted of house calls that involve heading out across the prairie via pickup, two-seat plane, or the horse a rancher left to ride a non-navigable road. Working in often primitive conditions, Baldwin tells how he treated animals of all varieties, from the ranch animals to domestic pets. He helped a dog that didn't win its battle with a porcupine, a cat that saved a baby from a rattlesnake attack, and a bobcat that slept on the living room piano. At a county fair, he was held prisoner by an elephant, and he learned that in Wyoming, gumbo is not something you eat with a spoon. Through it all, Baldwin maintained his humor and appreciation for the people and animals that live and die on the prairie.

Genres: Nonfiction, Animals

312 pages, Paperback

First published November 12, 2007

Reviews

[Kate · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was curious to see what it was like in Wyoming in the 1950s and to see what it was like to be a veterinarian there. The book is not sugar coated but Baldwin has a wonderful dry sense of humor. He can't rescue every animal. So many ways for cattle, sheep, pigs and more to get sick and to die! He is smart and carefully looks into each case, usually figuring out what is going on. How to get to those far distant ranches? Snow, mud, many ranchers who need him right now! So sometimes he got his friend to fly him in a tin can airplane. Quite exciting. Apparently he lived to tell his tales!

Each chapter is brief and often left me shaking my head. The dog with a mouthful of porcupine needles? And then a week later the same dog is back with more porcupine needles? Sheep, cows and horses that suddenly become listless. Is it a disease, something they have been eating, poison or what?

In summary I loved this book and was sorry to see it end. Baldwin is a fine, very human storyteller. I learned a lot.

[Miki · Rating 1 out of 5]

James Herriot set a really high bar for this kind of storytelling. Sadly, Dr. Baldwin doesn't reach that bar. Overuse of italics and exclamation points added to boring stories makes a very dull book.

[Andy Bishop · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good view of what the vet business used to be like 50 years ago. It's kind of dated but it's still a really interesting read.

[Amber · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. It gave me an great insight into being a Veterinarian back in the 1950's.

[Thalarctos · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was a fascinating revelation of what it was like to be a vet in the 40's. For some reason I mentally "heard" it read in the voice of Dr. Pol from the TV show. I really enjoyed it.