The Upland Equation: A Modern Bird-Hunter's Code

For Charles Fergus, hunting birds is a dramatic and integral part of the outdoor life. His personal upland equation includes three requisites - the land and the game; the dog; and the shotgun - all of which, working together, bring into balance the human element, the hunter.Fergus examines each element in turn: the haunts and habits of the birds of the eastern uplands - grouse, woodcock, pheasant, doves, and ducks; the dog, a canine companion that, Fergus writes, helps the hunter "see farther, hear more sharply, scent more keenly, feel more fully the presence of game"; and the gun, "and instrument of focus and balance, a symbol honoring the days spent afield."The Upland Equation contains pragmatic advice as well as thoughtful reflection. Its prose is crisp, its observations based on firsthand experience. The final chapter, "Balance," examines the value of hunting to modern human beings and offers a clear code and a fresh philosophy of upland bird-hunting. (53/4 X 81/2, 92 pages)