Upland Autumn: Birds, Dogs, and Shotgun Shells

by William G. Tapply

William Tapply was a devoted and passionate grouse hunter, who took his twenty-gauge Parker, his gundog, and a friend or two and roamed the hills and valleys of New England every autumn, seeking an elusive bird not much larger than your hand. In this collection of twenty stories, all previously published in such magazines as Field & Stream and Shooting Sportsman, Tapply takes us along as he explores new coverts, tromps through old ones, makes great shots and memorable misses, and reminisces with old friends about hunting in the good old days. Through these pages, you'll meet Tapply's father, a Field & Stream contributor who took young Bill along on hunts and taught him not only how to shoot, but also how to appreciate the woods, the waters, and an elusive little bird that has such a devoted following. You'll also get to meet the friends of Bill's father, men such as Frank Woolner and Burton Spiller, men who helped establish the traditions associated with upland bird hunting. And, of course, you'll get to hunt with Tapply's dogs, including Burt, his faithful Brittany. Tapply's knack for evoking the subtle, telling details of people, places, and things will hit home with every reader. If you yearn for crisp autumn days, blazing foliage, the tinkle of a dog's bell in thick cover, and the explosive whir as a grouse blasts into the air; if the smell of woodsmoke, apple orchards, and gunpowder stirs something in your soul; then Upland Autumn is the book for you.

Genres: Outdoors, Nonfiction

192 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2009

About the author

William G. Tapply (1940–2009) was an American author best known for writing legal thrillers. A lifelong New Englander, he graduated from Amherst and Harvard before going on to teach social studies at Lexington High School. He published his first novel, Death at Charity’s Point, in 1984. A story of death and betrayal among Boston Brahmins, it introduced crusading lawyer Brady Coyne, a fishing enthusiast whom Tapply would follow through twenty-five more novels, including Follow the Sharks, The Vulgar Boatman, and the posthumously published Outwitting Trolls.

Besides writing regular columns for Field and Stream, Gray’s Sporting Journal, and American Angler, Tapply wrote numerous books on fishing, hunting, and life in the outdoors. He was also the author of The Elements of Mystery Fiction, a writer’s guide. He died in 2009, at his home in Hancock, New Hampshire.

Reviews

[Robert Cox · Rating 2 out of 5]

William Tapply reminisces about the good ole days the way only a self important blue blood New Englander can. Tapply’s tone misses the self effacing attitude that makes the writing of Ruark or Heavey some much more endearing and palatable. All this paired with the fact the book deals almost exclusively with woodcock and grouse hunting, which the author treats as superior to all other animals, makes this book unattractive and disappointing.

Read “A Rough-Shooting Dog” instead, east coast upland without the pomposity.

[Michael Powers · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book. If you have a love for the outdoors, but especially dogs and hunting, you will love this book. I appreciated Tapply's humor, but especially his knowledge of dogs and the outdoors. It could only have been written from the perspective of one who has spent countless hours in the great outdoors.

[Joseph Jackson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bill Tapply spins yarns of bird hunting with both grace and wisdom. He transports the reader not just to a grouse cover ripe with the smells of rotting apples and laddered with molten sunlight, but to the headspace of a hunter who loves what they do. As a hunter myself, I often contemplate why I do what I do. Why hunt? Tapply considers the question at length, and like any true master of the written word, he vividly describes many emotions that I and hundreds, thousands of others have felt but couldn't quite articulate. An excellent book to read by the fireside or keep in the truck for lunch breaks in grouse country. The last chapter, in particular, is beautiful.

[Biggest Little Book Talker · Rating 3 out of 5]

Book about the author reflecting back on his time hunting with friends, family, and his dog.
As we are in the hunting season I thought this was a relaxing read. I found him talking about the same lessons I learned when hunting with my dad and found myself getting even more excited for my next pheasant hunt.
There is lots of description of the hunt, times together and counting spots. If you don’t have a curiosity or fondness for hunting I think you’ll enjoy it.

[Eileen · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.25 stars

[Scott Pow · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great stories you can smell the fall woods and feel as though you are there

[Nate · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.6 stars

He ended up repeating some of the same stories which is frustrating in a curated collection. But I want to go out and hunt birds now. Quick read.

[Brent · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book is depressing.

Every grouse hunter knows that development is ruining what's left of the nation's natural cover, that kids aren't interested in wing shooting because their parents insist on tennis lessons and soccer camps and that preserve hunts aren't the real thing.

We all agree- but reading about these grim realities over and over gets old quickly.

The best part of the book is the bit about how the author came to own a mentor's Parker 20 gauge. That part is excellent, but the rest depressed me.

[Fanugee · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was the first book I have read by this author and I will be looking for more. The stories are short and punctuated with humor.

[Thomas Nevins · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great reminiscent read about days spent upland hunting in new england with good friends, sometimes good dogs and a lot of missed grouse...