"You do such a great job of making the outdoor world relatable for everybody!"
The above comment was written in an email by a reader and shared with me by one of my editors while I was writing my weekly newspaper column. It meant a lot to hear those words because it is the exact reason I became a writer. My books mimic the writing style of my old newspaper columns, and for good reason. There is something for each of us to enjoy in the great outdoors, so it should certainly be relatable for everybody!
The books below are all in various stages of completion. Not Just A Hunt will be the first title released of the three. It will be available in late summer/early fall 2025. As I work on these books, progress will be shared with ya'll. Make sure to check back periodically for updates!
Not Just A Hunt
In early January, 2006 a United States soldier was injured in northern Iraq. Eleven days later he awoke in Germany. He couldn't walk. He couldn't talk. He couldn't write and he could barely feed himself. Morning after morning he awoke, not remembering the day before. Faced with overwhelming grief and guilt and a bleak outlook for regaining the physical abilities he long took for granted, the soldier clung to the importance of his outdoor heritage. It would be those outdoor traditions which would fuel his drive and determination to once again roam the wilds of North America, the forests, mountains and streams he had long called home.
A person does not need to pursue wild game to be a hunter. After all, a hunt does not begin when we put our finger on a trigger and it does not end when we pull it. There is more to a hunt than the harvesting of a wild animal. For many people, hunting doesn't include animals at all. The simple pursuit of things which give our lives meaning make us all hunters.
Not Just A Hunt is a poignant read which attempts to explain the importance of hunting as well as the drive and desire which makes us all hunters, even if the things we hunt are different.
Pete's Juice
Two men from Wisconsin, both in their forties, decide it is the perfect time to undertake an elk hunt in the Rocky Mountains for the first time in their lives. One man the survivor of a traumatic brain injury incurred in Iraq, the other a man who has never hunted in his life. What could go wrong? They are met with one problem after another and end up headed home with nothing for the freezer but tag soup. Despite the hardships and misadventure, it was an extremely successful hunt - the first hunt of many more to come throughout their lives.
This is the true story of a first elk hunt. A hunt which featured far more problems than elk. It is also a testament to the old saying, Where there's a will, there's a way. If these two men can prepare for and execute an elk hunt, anyone can. Not only that, but thanks to "Pete's Juice" you can learn from their mistakes - making you all the more prepared to undertake your own first elk hunt!
The Long Walk Home
I highly recommend all of these companies. I am not paid to endorse them, nor do they endorse me. They simply make some of the best outdoor equipment on the market and support some of the outdoor causes closest to my heart. Whether making sure outdoor habitat and big game are preserved for future generations or making sure we have the best equipment available when we go afield, you can't go wrong with any of these companies - in my opinion of course!