Customer Reviews

Don't Shoot the Decoys: Original Stories of Waterfowling Obsession

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

After reading this book, I realized all the joys of hunting. Doug is a fabulous author, and I can't wait for a sequel.
I love his vivid descriptions and sense of humor, but the serious stories are great too. My favorite chapters are Wet Cement and 147, but they are all superb. If you like to hunt, fish, or even hike, this is a fantastic book for you. So let Doug take you hunting, I promise it will be unforgettable!

I always thought a person had to be out of his/her mind to wander outdoors in sub-zero temperatures, no matter what the attraction awaiting them! Doug Larsen makes a very strong case for the ones who do, and I admit that there might be a powerful reason for this activity. I still would rather spend my time indoors, but reading about his antics and his reflections made me laugh, cry and identify with many of his well-thought statements. Loved the book and hope it is not Doug's last!

Read the book even though I didn't know a thing about duck hunting and didn't quite understand the obsession. It taught me so much in such an entertaining way. Can't wait to be a chapter in Doug Larsen's next book!

The book is well written with a variety of stories. A good blend of philosophy and duck hunters stories. It really takes someone who has anxiously stayed awake all night packing the car, then rowed a skiff into the cold winter darkness to appreciate this book. A good summer read, when you can't hunt ducks in North America. Author likes Argentina!

I hate hunting! Hunters have guns - animals don't. Never has seemed like "sport" to me. I'd never have purchased this book if it hadn't been for the fact that the author's family and mine have been friends for a long time. I started reading the book at Chapter 3, "Concrete" as it's hilarity was mentioned on the book cover. I laughed, I cried, and I continued to read the book cover to cover in one delicious read. I admit to cringing more than once as Doug Larsen described the actual shooting of beautiful ducks, but I came to understand his passion, his appreciation for nature, and his belief that he and other responsible hunters play an important role in maintaining healthy environmental systems. I have several hunters on my Christmas list who will love this book as well as many others who enjoy well crafted tales filled with humor and heart. I hope Doug Larsen is busy writing another book and doesn't keep us waiting too long for another great read. Congratulations, Doug! Very well done!

Even when he's being wry and funny, Doug Larsen is being himself, a straight shooter that tells us what he really thinks and feels about the sport of waterfowling. These stories are authentic and very engaging. I especially enjoyed the one called "Wet Cement," about Doug taking his dad duck hunting, and the one about Doug taking his young daughter hunting for the first time. Sometimes we get cynical and think that the young writers are dogs compared to the old lions of the past, but hey, this young dog can hunt! Buy this book and you'll see that good writing still has the power to entertain and inform us, even in this new and troubling century.

If you're a waterfowl hunter, you understand yourself. You understand why you make the decision to go duck hunting when you really should tend to the home front. You understand why you'll take risks to get to a spot that you think may present a great hunting experience. You understand how spectacular it is at sunrise to hear the whistling wings fly over as you work them into your decoy spread on a crisp Fall morning. You understand how good it feels when you're freezing cold and you've got a flock with their landing gear down and you're picking out the drake that you want to take. But, if you're like many waterfowl hunters, your spouse doesn't necessarily understand. Doug Larsen does an outstanding job of presenting the entire spectrum of the waterfowler in a very entertaining way. His stories are our stories. His passion is our passion. If you're a waterfowl hunter, I assure you that you'll enjoy reading this book. And, better yet, if you want your spouse to understand you better, have your spouse read the book too!

This book is great. The author laid out some great, and humorous adventures of his duck hunting.