A Hunter's Heart: Honest Essays on Blood Sport [Hardcover]

David Petersen (Editor)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 1996

Without apology, the voices here speak of the verities of the hunt, our connections to the land, and the ethics of blood sport, with essays by the best writers in the field: Edward Abbey, Rick Bass, Tom Beck, Jimmy Carter, Jim Fergus, Barry Lopez, Peter Matthiessen, Tom McGuane, Richard K. Nelson, David Peterson, and Terry Tempest Williams.

--This text refers to the Paperback edition.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

The collection of essays about hunting catches the eye at first for noted authors who turn up among its many contributors: from Peter Matthiesson is a beautifully written account of whaling in Greenland; Thomas McGuane offers vignettes about hunting in Montana; and novelist Jim Harrison writes a moving piece about poachers. But beyond the contributions by big names are many other thoughtful essays, including a controversial piece on bear hunting techniques that led the resignation of the two top editors at Outdoor Life magazine when the magazine's publisher spiked the article.

From Library Journal

These 41 essays, some written especially for this collection, are all by people who hunt or have hunted, and each considers the ethics involved "in a spirit more of soul-searching explication than defensive rebuttal." The editor's intent is to encourage understanding among nonhunters and to raise the consciousness of hunters as well. There are big names here?Edward Abbey, A.B. Guthrie Jr., Jimmy Carter, Thomas McGuane, Jim Fergus, and Ted Kerasote among them. Most write of the West and about deer; some talk about a nearly spiritual experience; some berate slob hunters who hurt the cause; many are environmentally knowledgeable; some, such as Stephen Bordio and Barry Lopez, are eloquent and lyrical; and some have turned away from hunting. If folks who don't hunt or those who are against hunting are willing to dip into this, they might take a step toward much-needed dialog and understanding. Public libraries everywhere could use this book to encourage such beginnings.?Roland C. Person, Southern Illinois Univ. Lib., Carbondale
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 331 pages
• Publisher: Henry Holt & Co; 1st edition (September 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 080504423X
• ISBN-13: 978-0805044232
• Product Dimensions: 9.5 x 6.3 x 1.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #405,413 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

15 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Light and Dark Sides, and Everything in Between, July 16, 2003

By 

Neil Beltran (Mission Viejo, CA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: A Hunter's Heart: Honest Essays on Blood Sport (Paperback)

As a hunter I've always marveled at how joy and sadness can dwell in the same moment, that moment when you reach out - with gun or bow or spear - and take the life of a wild creature. But there are many hunters who don't notice or care, and who treat this most awesome and mysterious thing as a sport like golf or car racing. The best part of "A Hunter's Heart" was spending time, so to speak, with others who see more and deeper things in hunting, and who can express it more vividly and truthfully than I have been able to. Each story is beautiful and eloquent and impactful in its own way. I reread the book often, enjoying it more each time, which is the best compliment I can give.

14 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Pray, read this book., October 17, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: A Hunter's Heart: Honest Essays on Blood Sport (Paperback)

I could not think of a title for my review. I don't write many and find Amazon's 5 star system constraining. This book is extraordinarily good. The title will, unfortunately, be off-putting to some. If one could choose another title, I would suggest: A compendium of almost four-dozen essays written by men and women about their love and passion for wildlife and conservation. It is so much more than a book about hunting, that one cannot describe it simply. Further, what is equally astounding is the fact that the "collector," David Petersen, was able to obtain such a wonderful robust collection.

If one expects this to be a book merely about hunting, that expectation is wrong. If one expects this to be essays written only by undereducated, good old boys-"slob hunters"-who relish ambushing Bambi from a truck that is wrong. If your expectation is that all the essays will be unambiguously pro-hunting or gun sport, you are "off the mark." Fairly, Nelson, in his introduction says," In the United States, hunters are probably the largest, most diverse, and most important potential advocates for preservation of natural habitats and protection of wild animal populations." That remark comes close.

I believe that many city folk have so lost touch with wild life that they now believe that hunting is something akin to a video game using live ammunition. That a hunter would relish spending an entire day tracking game, and not succeed seems antithetical to their purpose for some. After reading these essays, one understands why the writers deem the day a success, something very special; e.g., "I began to realize that what I like best about hunting was the companionship of a few good old trusted buddies in the out-of-doors."

If hunters can feel so deeply-even those who later abandon it-one hopes for a return to earlier days when more Americans shared the pastime. Pete Dunne writes about "the Great Moment: How the universe held its breath, waiting-waiting for the sound of an echo that never came; the echo of a shot that was never fired" while sighting a deer-and not shooting-after his many years of hunting. You can feel the heart of this "ex"-hunter who still declares that "anti-hunters who believe that hunting is synonymous with killing and that anyone who hunts is unfeeling and cruel" ... "aren't dishonest. They are merely wrong."

I could go further, providing so many wonderful examples of the humanity of these writers. I suggest, however, that you make the time to read this book. Perhaps the greatest compliment I can pay to these writers is that they are knowledgeable, articulate, caring people. If their hunting experience has helped them become that way, hunting is very important to our culture and our society.

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Must Read For All Hunters, February 28, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: A Hunter's Heart: Honest Essays on Blood Sport (Paperback)

What a teffific book. Each chapter is written by different authors expressing their opinions on hunting practices, ethics, and why we hunt. Very thought provoking and insightful.From high-tech equipment to baiting,this book gives the reader many different viewpoints of hunting to look at and ponder.I have read many chapters numerous times and given copies of this book to several friends. Dan Teets- Mission Viejo, Ca.