Don Lerch was born and raised in Schuyler County, Illinois. He began coon hunting as a young boy and continued until he was no longer able to go. As a young boy, coon hunting was a necessity for meals, as there were nine other siblings, and the hides were as important because they would provide money for cloths, shoes, groceries or whatever might be needed for the family. Don and his wife Char retired in 2005 to spend more time together. He lost her in 2006 shortly after retirement. Although she was not a coon hunter, she was a rock of support throughout their marriage. The have two children and seven grandchildren. Don published his first book in 2012 and the response was so great for another one, be began gathering stories and went to work again. These stories generate from six different counties, Adams, Brown, Cass, Fulton, McDonough and Schuyler and span from the 1930's till present day. You will read about heartbreaking losses, mule riding, trying to cross the river without a plug in the boat, forgetting the gun, getting lost and some hunts you wish you had been along for the ride. The thrill of the hunt is priceless. Although Don is no longer able to hunt, the "fever" is still there, and as long as their are coon hunters, there will be stories, and he will listen.

It was most fortuitous that on his first visit to Charleston, John James Audubon would meet John Bachman, a Lutheran clergyman and naturalist. Their chance encounter in 1831 and immediate friendship profoundly affected the careers and social ties of these two men. In this elegantly written book, Jay Shuler offers the first in-depth portrayal of the Bachman-Audubon relationship and its significance in the creation of Audubon's works. In the numerous writings celebrating Audubon, Bachman has been largely ignored, writes Shuler, ""though Bachman made substantive contributions to Audubon's Ornithological Biographies, was his partner in The Viviparous Quadrupeds of North America, and gave pivotal advice and assistance to Audubon during the troubled last decade of his career."" Drawing on their voluminous correspondence, replete with accounts of their ornithological adventures and details of their personal and professional lives, Had I the Wings provides new insights into Audubon's life and work and rescues from obscurity John Bachman's contributions to American ornithology and mammalogy. Audubon's career can be divided into phases. From 1820 to 1831 he painted and published the first hundred prints of The Birds of America. The second phase began when he met John Bachman and they worked to complete The Birds of America and launch The Quadrupeds. Over the next decade Bachman's home became, in effect, Audubon's home in America. Early on the Bachman-Audubon friendship was enriched and complicated by an intricate social web. Both men were fond of Bachman's sister-in-law and competed for her attention. Audubon's sons, John and Victor, married Bachman's older daughters, Maria and Eliza. Through the fifteen years of their relationship the friends exchanged long letters when separated and jointly wrote to their colleagues when together. In the early 1840s they collaborated on the first volume of The Quadrupeds. Volumes two and three were published after Audubon's death in 1851. Filled with exciting birding adventures and hunting expeditions, Had I the Wings illuminates the fascinating relationship between two major nineteenth-century naturalists.

"Cindy Traisi has done it again. She has brought me joy with her storytelling abilities and brought this self-perceived, tattooed tough guy to tears with her accounts of the injured wild animals passing through the Fund for Animals Wildlife Center in Southern California.

"Cindy's first book, Because They Matter, was a constant nightstand companion when my children were younger. My daughters demanded "just one more" of the heart-touching stories of the remarkable job of treating wild animals while they are trying to get by as best they can in a world dominated by human hazards. Some animals in her stories make it, too many don't, but every one of Cindy's accounts of the work done by her husband, Chuck, and their dedicated staff allows readers to appreciate the personalities and endearing qualities of nature's wonders.

"Because They Matter, Too is filled with new heart-lifting and heartbreaking stories of the wild animals that live all around us in Southern California. If you love nature, or just love expert story-telling, Because They Matter, Too is a must read. As my daughters put it: just one more Cindy Better yet... keep them coming, Cindy."

-Loren Nancarrow, Weathercaster and Environmental Reporter- KGTV San Diego

Human-horse relationships take the central place in this edited collection examining the horse's perspective by asking: How are human-equine relationships communicated, enacted, understood, encouraged, and restricted? The contributors apply varied disciplinary methods as they emphasize comprehending horses not solely in terms of their functional uses, but also as impactful participants in relationships, whether more-or less-equally. By exploring the "who" of horses, The Relational Horse offers a better understanding of horses' lived experiences and interests within the worlds they share with humans, and a way forward for human-equine studies that more equitably represents the horse in those shared worlds.

Cesar Millan Doesn't Live Here is a collection of stories that are snapshots into the daily life of Michelle and Jason. Stories include Aurora knocking a king size bed off its frame with her head, Porter's harrowing experience with Frosty the Snowman, the basic decorating rule of never picking out paint while angry, and other events that remind us that sometimes our horoscopes to stay in bed are good advice.

Wildlife Research in Australia: Practical and Applied Methods is a guide to conducting wildlife research in Australia. It provides advice on working through applications to animal ethics committees, presents general operating procedures for a range of wildlife research methods, and details animal welfare considerations for all Australian taxa. Compiled by over 200 researchers with extensive experience in field-based wildlife research, teaching and animal ethics administration, this comprehensive book supports best practice research methods and helps readers navigate the institutional animal care approval process. Wildlife Research in Australia will help foster a national approach to wildlife research methods, and is an invaluable tool for researchers, teachers, students, animal ethics committee members and organisations participating in wildlife research and other activities with wildlife. Features A comprehensive reference for navigating the practical and applied aspects of conducting Australian wildlife research. Provides guidelines on understanding and applying ethical requirements around wildlife research. Includes general operating procedures covering diverse research methods. Details animal welfare considerations for working with native and exotic Australian taxa. Designed for a range of wildlife researchers, from practitioners, to consultants, academics and animal ethics committee members.

Lee Stuart learned from an early age to respect all creatures through his heritage as a Native American; he also learned what it was like to be an unwanted citizen in this country. Throughout his life, he demonstrated an uncanny knack for understanding and communicating with animals, particularly those that were unwanted. From Teddy the Bantam rooster to Sparky the pigeon, as well as a wide variety of other pets, Stuart loved them all deeply and fought to protect them from ill treatment.  The deep bond that developed between himself and the unwanted black Labrador retriever his daughter named Boomer confirms that there is much to the master/dog relationship, which is poignantly demonstrated when Boomer saves Stuart's life in 1996  

Secrets of an Ageless Journey (1997) the journey begins once again when a sixteen year old girl, Sarah, ventures into the mysteries surrounding her grandfather and the family ancestral ranch. While visiting her cousins on the ranch she discovers an old journal written over eighty years before. The journal becomes the focus of her quest for discovering a mysterious influence that is about the family; and in some way guiding her. (1915) the journal takes Sarah back to one summer in the life of her great grandfather, Joseph, and his twin sister, Ida Belle as they experience a similar ancestral stirring in their lives. A great grandmother comes to visit the twins, involving them in a mystery that has haunted her and the clan. It is through the grandmother that the premise of an invisible force and invisible world exist and was essential to the culture and heritage of an American Indian nation.