Call of the Mild
Learning to Hunt My Own Dinner
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5.0 • 8 Ratings
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- $12.99
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- $12.99
Publisher Description
From an outsider perspective learning about a sometimes misunderstood cultural pastime, a beautifully written and contrarian narrative about what it means to hunt in America today.
When Lily Raff McCaulou traded in an indie film production career in New York for a reporting job in central Oregon, she never imagined that she'd find herself picking up a gun and learning to hunt. She'd been raised as a gun-fearing environmentalist and an animal lover, and though a meat-eater, she'd always abided by the principle that harming animals is wrong. But Raff McCaulou's perspective shifted when she began spending weekends fly-fishing and weekdays interviewing hunters for her articles, realizing that many of them were more thoughtful about animals and the environment than she was.
So she embarked upon the project of learning to hunt from square one. From attending a Hunter Safety course designed for children to field dressing an elk and serving it for dinner, she explores the sport of hunting and all it entails, and tackles the big questions surrounding one of the most misunderstood American practices and pastimes. Not just a personal memoir, this book also explores the role of the hunter in the twenty-first century, the tension (at times artificial) between hunters and environmentalists, and new models of sustainable and ethical food procurement.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Despite what the title may imply, McCaulou and her writing are anything but mild. Her fortitude is obvious from the onset, when she takes a chance on herself by giving up her East Coast city life for a job writing for a small newspaper in Bend, Ore. Once there, she slowly embraces the outdoor lifestyle of her new home, first by skiing and fly-fishing, and later by exploring the hunting subculture that comes to fascinate her. Afraid of guns and wary of guts, her forays into hunting may be slow and sometimes timid, but the way she continually faces her fears is inspiring. With each new challenge from purchasing a license and firearms safety to pulling the trigger or pulling out an elk's intestines she makes in-depth explorations into the cultural, economic, ecological, nutritional, and political aspects of hunting. But where McCaulou's writing truly shines is when she analyzes her personal connection to how she kills to how she lives her life. Unafraid to lay bare her evolving "cycle of life" feelings about shooting her first bird on the day her niece was born or confronting how the recent deaths of close family members affects her emotions about hunting, McCaulou forces herself to face the best and worst of both life and death. Definitely at the top of the heap of the recent array of books that explore our connection to land and food, McCaulou confronts everything you think you know about hunting and in doing so brings a welcome touch of humanity to a pursuit thought by many to be lacking exactly that.
Customer Reviews
Personal Tale of Love, Loss, & Hunting
'Call of the Mild' is a quick read, and at almost 300 pages I mean that as complimentary as possible. The author's style is fluid and effortless, her succinct description of what it is to move to a mountain (ski) town is spot on. Her descriptions of learning to hunt are humorous (particularly the hunter safety class), insightful, and educational.
A memoir written in one's early 30s can often be suspect, Lily Raff McCaulou debunks that notion in the first few pages, and the rest is simply a joy to read.
I look forward to more of her work, and wish her the best in life, regardless of if she is looking through a scope or not.
Great insights
This is a must read for all young ladies (especially young lady hunters). One of the best books of the season. Great gift. Great summer reading choice.
Call of the Mild
Well done. This book was an excellent read and reminded me of my first hunt. I was fortunate to have my wife hunt with me last year and I'm hoping that she will enjoy this book as much as I did.
Whether you are a novice or a professional hunter, you will enjoy this book!