The stories in this anthology demonstrate why the pheasant has become America's favorite game bird. Some of the finest writers in the field take their best shots at the Ringneck, covering guns, dogs, lore, history, conservation, and even some tried and true methods for preparing your pheasant for consumption.

The artistry of intricately fashioned decoys spread in beguiling patterns, the enticing music of duck calls, the electric anticipation coursing through dog and human alike as the first scouts from a flock of migrating waterfowl peel off to investigate - these are things that have drawn North Americans to autumn marshes since the Tule Indians first fashioned reed replicas of canvasback ducks nearly two thousand years ago.Here is the most important book on waterfowl hunting to be published in many years. Drawing on the sport's rich history and the promise of its future, Chris Dorsey paints an up-to-date portrait of this most absorbing of outdoor pursuits, offering advice on the newest equipment and techniques while always reminding us of tradition. We meet decoy makers, champion callers, master retriever trainers, wildlife biologists, and expert game chefs. We learn the habits and appearances of all major North American ducks and geese, beautifully photographed in full color.This book is a celebration of the waterfowler, and a tribute to the sport that has taught generations of hunters the value of marshes, picturesque dawns, and companionship afield. (7 X 91/4, 272 pages, color photos, b&w photos, maps, illustrations, diagrams)