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

by Mark Parman

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 100 Recipes for Badger State Bounties

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

248 pages, Paperback

First published September 6, 2010

Reviews

[Andrew Wayment · Rating 4 out of 5]

I just finished this book for the second time. It's a well written book about the pursuit of one of my favorite game birds, the ruffed grouse. This book contains both essays and stories from the author. While I enjoyed them all, I liked the stories best. My favorite chapters are: Paul's (because it reminds me of the place I first started hunting ruffies), The Mythical Bird (because I can't count the number of times I've been surprised by such birds), and Gunnar's Last Hunt (because of the ending, which I don't want to ruin for you...let's just say, the ones we love are not far from us even after death). This book is a great addition to a bird hunter's library.

[Kathleen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Reading this book is sitting in any Wisconsin bar, listening to a hunter talk about his sport. There is plenty of gun-lust, dog love, and repetition of that one important story from just a slightly different angle. Still, these stories do have a great deal of interesting facts about the grouse, woodcock, and other local fauna. At heart, Parman is a conservationist and part of each of these tales is a walk in the north wood with an excellent guide. That said, a more attentive copy editor could have improved the prose in places.

This book is exactly what I wanted and expected it to be, well worth reading.

[Nate Thompson · Rating 5 out of 5]

An amazing book that illustrates why hunters are called sportsmen. Philosophical, deep, ethical, and seething with love for man's best friend. If Parman decides to put aside his biking hobby to pen another masterpiece like this, I'll be the weird guy camped out in front of the book store all by myself and my upland clothes.