Beating Around the Bush: A Life in the Northern Forest

When Wilf Taylor defied his parents' wishes that he give up "beating around the bush" and get a real job, he embarked upon a career that could best be described as "professional survivor." Add to this a sound understanding of the storyteller's art - a skill Taylor undoubtedy learned and honed in the same precarious environment - and you have Beating Around the Bush, a fascinating and revealing collection of stories about real-life survival.

In this irreverent look at backwoods life and politics, Wilf Taylor recounts his dealings with testy bears, inept supervisors, and overzealous hunters. But he also reveals the spirit of the true backwoods survivors, those who make do with very little and, when necessary, bend the rules to make things work. Told with humour and compassion, Taylor's stories reveal the human side of a rugged and unforgiving land.

Wilf Taylor's stories are brought to life under the skillful hand of writer Alan Fry. An outdoors expert himself, Fry has used the wilderness as a backdrop for several novels, including How a People Die, Come a Long Journey, and The Revenge of Annie Charlie. He has also written a comprehensive guide to backwoods lore, Survival in the Wilderness. Alan Fry brings his love and knowledge of the backwoods and its people to this entertaining book.

Alan Fry was born in Lac La Hache in 1931, and spent fifteen years as an Indian agent in rural BC. His other published works include The Revenge of Annie Charlie, Come a Long Journey, The Burden of Adrian Knowle, Ranch on the Cariboo, and with Wilf Taylor, Beating Around the Bush. He lives in Whitehorse.