"The natural world is a lot like a game of musical chairs," observes Pete Dunne. "Everywhere you turn, everywhere you go, there are places where living things sit down, niches that support their specific needs. But just as in musical chairs, there aren't enough places to go around. Our species keeps removing them--forcing other creatures to leave the game."

In these twenty-nine essays, one of America's top nature writers trains his sights on the beauties and the vulnerabilities of the natural world. Writing to infuse others with a sense of the richness and diversity that nature holds, Pete Dunne ranges over topics from the wonder of the year's first snowfall to the lost art of stargazing to the mysterious forces that impel people to hunt--and not to hunt. Running like a thread through all the essays is Dunne's desire to preserve all that is "natural" in nature, to stop our unthinking destruction of wild places and wild creatures before we humans find ourselves with "the last chair, in an empty room" on an impoverished earth.

First full study devoted to the archery and crossbow guilds which grew up in Flanders in the middle ages. The notion of "guilds" in civic society might conjure images of craft guilds, the organisations of butchers, bakers or brewers set up to regulate working practises. In the towns of medieval Flanders, however, a plethora of guildsexisted which had little or nothing to do with the organisation of labour, including chambers of rhetoric, urban jousters and archery and crossbow guilds. This is the first full-length study of the archery and crossbow guilds, encompassing not only the great urban centres of Ghent, Bruges and Lille but also numerous smaller towns, whose participation in guild culture was nonetheless significant. It examines guild membership, structure and organisation, revealing the diversity of guild brothers - and sisters - and bringing to life the elaborate social occasions when princes and plumbers would dine together. The most spectacular of these were the elaborate regional shooting competitions, whose entrances alone included play wagons, light shows and even an elephant! It also considers their social and cultural activities, and their important role in strengthening and rebuilding regional networks. Overall, it provides a new perspective on the strength of community within Flemish towns and the values that underlay medieval urban ideology. LAURA CROMBIE gained her PhD from the university of Glasgow.

Now in its 10th edition, The ABCs of Reloading has taught countless firearms owners safe, reliable methods of creating their own ammunition. This long overdue new edition brings detailed reloading instruction to shooters who want to improve accuracy, save money and ensure themselves a constant supply of ammo regardless of supply and demand on retail shelves.

Reloading expert and frequent Gun Digest contributor Phil Massaro lays out the basics of reloading and then digs further into the details in a fresh approach that introduces beginners to this valuable hobby while helping those already familiar with reloading take their skills and knowledge to the next level.

As a bonus, long-range shooters searching for tips on making ultra-consistent ammo using high B.C. bullets and fine-tuning for precision accuracy will greatly benefit from Massaro’s insight into that topic as well.

Massaro’s coverage of the vast array of reloading gear and components that have been introduced during the past decade alone makes this edition invaluable for the enthusiast who might be overwhelmed with questions. From the very basic questions of “How does a cartridge work?” and “What components do I need to get started?” to more advanced information on understanding cartridge pressure, headspace and using a chronograph to check your work, this is THE book to help shooters sort it all out.

The popularity of rifles designed to take big game has never been greater. Terry Wieland, a widely recognized firearms expert, explores in detail the rifles and calibers that are drawing attention. This second edition covers what has changed in the field since the first edition was published-new calibers, new cartridges, new guns, new actions-and includes new material on action and barrel manufacture, tracing the production of a fine, custom-made, big-bore rifle.

Your Quick Guide to Ocean and Gulf Fishing Whether you're an expert freshwater angler or are new to casting a line with rod and reel, saltwater fishing is a unique experience. Coastal waters along the Atlantic Ocean, Pacific Ocean, and Gulf of Mexico are filled with fish-many of which are reachable without a boat. Fishing from piers, jetties, or in the surf is wonderful fun and can be very productive. However, it's different than fishing in a lake or river. Acclaimed author and expert angler Dave Bosanko provides the information you need to get started catching saltwater fish. Applicable to all coastal waters, this handy guide covers such topics as where to fish, what tackle to use, how to rig your line, and which types of bait are best. The pocket-sized booklet is organized and color-coded by fishing location for ease of use. Depending upon where you are, turn to the pier, jetty, or surf section to find the details most applicable to you. Surf & Pier Fishing also includes safety tips, plenty of full-color images, and an instructional illustration for reading the surf. Dave further provides his favorite tips-so you'll be fishing like a pro along the coast in no time. With this guide in hand, you can quickly and economically learn what you need to know. It's conveniently sized to keep in your tackle box, backpack, or back pocket, so it's always there when you need it. Whether you're visiting the coast or are a coastal resident, this guide can get you started catching saltwater fish.

From catching rainbows, browns, and brookies in the streams and rivers of the Berkshires to hauling in cod, haddock, and tuna in the salt waters of Stellwagen Bank, this book is your ultimate guide to fishing in Massachusetts. Manny Luftglass, a veteran fisherman and journalist, has written a definitive and entertaining guide to fishing the salt, fresh, and brackish waters of the Bay State. Providing easy-to-follow directions, boat launch information, and detailed advice on live and dead baits, artificial lures, fishing methods, equipment, depths, weather, best times of the day and the year, and even specific areas to fish at most locations, this is truly the only fishing guide to Massachusetts you'll ever need. For ease of use, the book has been organized according to the areas recognized by the Massachusetts Department of Fisheries and Wildlife, with an accompanying map for each section. Good-humored and packed to the gills with useful information, it's like having the author as your personal fishing guide.

A step-by-step guide to modern shooting etiquette stuffed full of amusing quotes and anecdotes, which will instruct the Gun on how to be the perfect guest out shooting - and hence, how to be asked again. Inspired by the fact that so many more people are taking up shooting as adults and may have missed out on the vital apprenticeship in the field as a child, it encapsulates everything you need to know but no one will ever tell you out shooting as 'you are expected to know'. The book covers in a logical way what happens, or should happen: from the moment you receive a shooting invitation to arriving at the shoot, shooting safely and courteously, how to hold your own, how to mark up your birds, what never to say and how to tip the keeper. Much of this information comes from almost a hundred interviews with beaters, keepers, flankers, pickers up, shoot organisers, shoot owners, and grouse moor owning earls and dukes. Hilarious cartoons by Oliver Preston make this a very entertaining book on shooting, the perfect gift for any shooting man or woman, either novice shot or experienced Gun.

The Greatest Fishing Stories Ever Told is sure to ignite recollections of your own angling experiences as well as send your imagination adrift. In this compilation of tales you will read about two kinds of places, the ones you have been to before and love to remember, and the places you have only dreamed of going, and would love to visit. Whether you prefer to fish rivers, estuaries, or beaches, this book will take you to all kinds of water, where you'll experience catching every kind of fish. Read on as some of the sport's most talented writers recount their personal memories of catching bass, trout, bluefish marlin, tuna, and more. You'll read about all kinds of fish, and all kinds of fishermen in these pages. Explore the Pacific with Zane Grey, as he fights a 1,000-pound blue marlin, or listen as A.J. McClane explains just what it really means to be an angler. Take a step back in time when you read Ernie Schwiebert's tale of fishing a remote lake in Michigan, when he was still only a young boy. Each of these stories, selected because of its intrinsic literary worth, reinforces the unique personal connection that fishing creates between man and nature.

For fly-fishermen everywhere, the news of an upcoming book from Tom Sutcliffe is as exciting as a ten-pound wild rainbow on a 4X tippet… Yet More Sweet Days certainly lives up to the weight of expectation from his many fans, locally and internationally.

It races upstream in leaps and bounds, taking you to places you’ve always wanted to fish: you’ll wade the high mountain rivers of the Eastern Cape, clamber along the boulder-strewn crystal streams of the Western Cape, throw a dainty dry on hallowed English chalkstreams, and fight fresh-run salmon in rugged Iceland with a volcano belching ash behind your casting shoulder.

You’ll pick up tips and ideas (almost without realising it) from a master trout fisherman who has done more for the beautiful sport in South Africa than anyone, ever. Along the way you’ll soak yourself warmly in a philosophy that embraces fish and birds, people and animals – a philosophy honed by thousands of kilometres of stalking up streams and countless cups of coffee brewed on a stove perched on the tailgate of his fishing truck.

Complemented by many original artworks from the author, this beautiful book is at once a rumination, a reflection and a profound escape for fly fishermen everywhere; when you’re not actually casting at trout, this is the next best thing. [credit: Paul Curtis]

If you fly fish, you need flies. Which ones to choose for taking trout? Here are the 50 proven, go-to patterns that every trout fly fisher should carry to catch trout almost all the time, anywhere in the world of trout streams and still waters. From the hundreds of trout patterns available to today's fly fisher, Hughes-in quintessential minimalist style-cuts through the complicated choices and gives a basic selection of essential trout flies that fit in a fly box or two and cover the broad spectrum of trout fishing conditions. This new edition-with 1/3 new material, 20 additional patterns, and 300 variations-addresses the changes in fly preference over the last 15 years with some old patterns dropped for new styles tied with new materials and tying techniques.

Deer stalking is widely regarded as the fastest growing sector within shooting sports in Britain today. Those who stalk deer for sport recognise and appreciate the exciting challenge that comes from hunting a wild and wary quarry, moreover, they enjoy the opportunity to participate in a sport that can take them to some of Britain's wildest and most beautiful places, from the hushed calm of an ancient English forest at dawn, to the magnificence of the Scottish hill. Successful stalking, however, demands a high level of knowledge and skill. Much of this can only be learned through long hours of apprenticeship and experience. This book provides a basic grounding in the principles which the newcomer to the sport needs to know in order to enjoy a safe, successful and responsible stalking career. The author explains the history, background and rationale behind deer stalking in the UK, covers the choice of stalking rifles, optics, ammunition and accessories, and deals with the all-important issue of safety. The law related to firearms and deer is covered in detail, together with guidance on firearm security in the home and when travelling, while the natural history of Britain's six species of wild deer is described, with notes and illustrations to assist with recognition. Stalking tactics are discussed and explained from the perspective both of the stalking guest who is accompanied by a professional guide and of the more experienced hunter whose responsibility it is to plan and execute a woodland stalking outing on his own. Finally, the book deals with what the stalker must do should his day meet with success, from the gralloch and preparation of the carcass for the game dealer, through to butchering for the home kitchen. Here is a book to which the amateur deer stalker will want to refer time and time again.

Through gentle training methods learned from Ray Hunt--the original "horse whisperer"--Robert Milner shows retriever owners how to train the hunting retriever by using its own natural tendencies instead of force. Supplemented with the latest scientific research on how dogs learn, Milner's easy step-by-step training regimen uses positive reinforcement to create the perfect hunting and at-home companion. There is no better training method for the hunter who wants a calm, steady, and obedient retriever.
Milner, who has been training retrievers professionally for more than thirty years, reverses the trend of difficult dogs and difficult training methods and offers a system every hunter can easily understand and follow.

Fish On, Fish Off is the angling version of Bill Bryson's 'A Walk in the Woods'. Through a series of nearly 50 personal essays, the author explores what happens when the self-taught, DIY angler sets out to fish the world - and winds up stumbling into every possible pitfall and danger along the way. These include: getting chased from a river by an elephant, surviving a terrifying helicopter ride over the Straits of Magellan, and breaking his only rod on the second cast in Cuba's Bay of Pigs. Closer to home, he is swept off a jetty on Block Island by a rogue wave, winds up in an emergency room more than once with fishing lures hanging from various parts of his anatomy, and perhaps most daunting, surviving 30 years of the scrum better known as opening day of trout season in his crowded home state of New Jersey. If Upriver and Downstream showed the poetry of angling, Fish On, Fish Off shows the scars.

There are plenty of books on taxidermy, but none covers small game with the learning and depth of THE COMPLETE GUIDE TO SMALL GAME TAXIDERMY. Drawing on generations of experience, the author covers all aspects of the art. From proper field care and tanning to crafting life-size mounts, this book will help any individual to approach master status.
Chapters cover topics like basic base building, making a life-size bobcat mount, and more. The author relates a lifetime of invaluable tips on the subtle arts of the ear and mouth--when to choose open and when to choose closed--and why field care is where good taxidermy starts.
Whether the reader is pursuing taxidermy as a hobby or a profession, THE COMPLETE GUIDE TO SMALL GAME TAXIDERMY will prove an invaluable guide.

Expert fly tier Skip Morris shows how easy it is to tie classic and popular flies for all kinds of fly fishing, presenting basic information on tying effective go-to flies in a clear, organized way and giving advice for when tying goes wrong. Skip covers nymphs, streamers, soft hackles, and dry flies with 16 classic flies-Wooly Bugger, Mickey Finn, Black Ghost, Griffith's Gnat, and many more. Fly Tying Made Clear and Simple is the primer for learning how to tie flies-a time-tested classic.

“Jack Ohman takes a sport that is already intrinsically hilarious and makes it even funnier.� —Ted Leeson Pulitzer Prize–winning cartoonist (and fanatical fly fisher) Jack Ohman takes a lighthearted look at one of America’s favorite pastimes. With over 50 of his black and white cartoons—newly colorized—Ohman sets his hooks into topics such as: Gear. “Getting into cold waders in the morning is like trying to forcibly dress a seal in a spandex leotard.� The Compleat Angler, Revised. “The Troute knew not my Brande Names and Boron Rod and power Butt and engraved reele, and scarce I could place blame on him.� Selecting the Proper Fly. “While we dodder about on the hard ground, muttering nonsense about line weights and drag ratios, trout are swimming contentedly, just waiting to make us look even dumber than we already are. Trout fishermen are always paranoid about secret trout plots." With topics ranging from the differences between Western and Eastern anglers and selecting the proper fly to fly fishing history, this reprint of a modern fly fishing classic, first published in 1988, will continue to entertain a new generation of anglers bitten by the fly fishing bug.

This second edition of Joan Wulff's New Fly-Casting Techniques brings even more to the table for sport-fishing and hobbyists. A stem-to-stern revision of one of the true classics of fly-fishing, this is more than a second edition. This is a true revamping of content, complete with new illustrations, photographs that will illuminate Joan Wulff's extraordinary life, and a complete rewrite of the text. This is a richly illustrated guide that offers precise terms for every part of the cast, with sections on line speed, improving accuracy and distance, loop control, and much more.