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The River
The predatory genes we cannot deny are never more exercised than in deer hunting. In each individual, they travel an age-related arc that begins in youthful passion and settles finally into old-age relaxation. The blood lust with all of its attendant furies and dictates can be an awesome thing when it consumes the deer hunter in the velvet of his life.
Crossing the wild water was crazy, I knew, but I had a desperate need to bag the buck.
Crossing the wild water was crazy, I knew, but I had a desperate need to bag the buck.
19 pages, Kindle Edition
Published February 27, 2017
1 person want to read
About the author
Bill Stokes
33 books9 followersBorn in Barron, Wisconsin, on September 11, 1931, Bill Stokes grew up on a small dairy farm between Barron and Rice Lake. He began his official writing career as an outdoor writer and general reporter for the Stevens Point Daily Journal, where he served as columnist, reporter and outdoor writer. In 1961 he moved to the Wisconsin State Journal, in Madison, where he wrote outdoor and personal columns, some of which were collected in a book "Ship The Kids On Ahead." (added by Bill Stokes). In 1969, the Milwaukee Journal became his venue and as a feature writer and columnist, and he found new ground to cover in 1982 at the Chicago Tribune. After 11 years there, Bill retired to pursue free-lance projects.
During his long journalism career, Bill won many conservation awards, including the Ernie Pyle Memorial Award from Scripps-Howard News Service in 1972. His work has appeared in many national publications, among them Readers Digest, Outdoor Life and Sports Afield. He has compiled three anthologies of his newspaper writing and authored two children's books.
Bill has lived on Madison's west side since 1959, a home he shares with his wife, Betty. They have a 45-acre "back 40" on a trout stream near Westfield, where Bill engages in his hobbies of trout fishing, photography, bicycling and grandfathering. They have five grown children and 12 grandchildren. Bill and Betty also enjoy traveling.
During his long journalism career, Bill won many conservation awards, including the Ernie Pyle Memorial Award from Scripps-Howard News Service in 1972. His work has appeared in many national publications, among them Readers Digest, Outdoor Life and Sports Afield. He has compiled three anthologies of his newspaper writing and authored two children's books.
Bill has lived on Madison's west side since 1959, a home he shares with his wife, Betty. They have a 45-acre "back 40" on a trout stream near Westfield, where Bill engages in his hobbies of trout fishing, photography, bicycling and grandfathering. They have five grown children and 12 grandchildren. Bill and Betty also enjoy traveling.
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
March 30, 2017
I recieved a free copy of this audiobook in exchange for an honest review.
This is another great short story by Bill Stokes which is nominally about deer hunting, but really about coming of age. As is common with teenagers and young adults, simple mistakes are made in the attempt to catch his first deer, giving the lesson to take your time and think things through. Also, Johnny Mack, much like many of Bill Stokes's short stories, is a brilliant narrator.
This is another great short story by Bill Stokes which is nominally about deer hunting, but really about coming of age. As is common with teenagers and young adults, simple mistakes are made in the attempt to catch his first deer, giving the lesson to take your time and think things through. Also, Johnny Mack, much like many of Bill Stokes's short stories, is a brilliant narrator.
March 21, 2017
Another great short story by Bill Stokes! This is a story about deer hunting but more of a coming of age story about Bill as well. He goes on a hunting trip to get his first deer. Like most teenagers, Bill was a bit reckless. Act before you think! lol The fastest way to learn important life lessons. Great narration by Johnny Mack.
March 26, 2017
This is a tale of young man’s first deer hunt. The author starts us off with a personal note of how deer hunting has been a part of his life even if he no longer directly participates.
Set in Wisconsin in 1947, a teen boy on the cusp of manhood is invited on his first deer hunt. On the first night of the hunt, there’s stories and manly cooking at the hunting cabin as Uncle Duffy and his friends deal out the cards. Our hero soaks it all up. He desperately wants to be considered one of them. He feels a driving need to prove himself on this week-long deer hunt and he fears he won’t measure up.
First, I was a bit surprised that he was allowed to wander the woods alone on his first hunt as we typically make sure to go by twos on any kind of hike that is over an hour long. It’s a little unclear if the area was well known to our young hunter or not. Anyway, he navigates his way back to the cabin day after day.
There’s a rising urgency as the hunt progresses. The men shares stories of hunts past. I liked how the story built up and up. I could really feel the young man’s need to prove himself worthy. When finally the moment comes, there’s a big snag in his triumph, followed by a triumph of another kind. I was surprised by how things ended but was also well satisfied with it. Years later when this kid is a seasoned hunter, he will look back on this incident with wry humor.
I received a free copy of this book.
Narration: Johnny Mack continues to do justice to this author’s short stories. He does a good job of sounding like a young man and also of sounding like an older Uncle Duffy.
Set in Wisconsin in 1947, a teen boy on the cusp of manhood is invited on his first deer hunt. On the first night of the hunt, there’s stories and manly cooking at the hunting cabin as Uncle Duffy and his friends deal out the cards. Our hero soaks it all up. He desperately wants to be considered one of them. He feels a driving need to prove himself on this week-long deer hunt and he fears he won’t measure up.
First, I was a bit surprised that he was allowed to wander the woods alone on his first hunt as we typically make sure to go by twos on any kind of hike that is over an hour long. It’s a little unclear if the area was well known to our young hunter or not. Anyway, he navigates his way back to the cabin day after day.
There’s a rising urgency as the hunt progresses. The men shares stories of hunts past. I liked how the story built up and up. I could really feel the young man’s need to prove himself worthy. When finally the moment comes, there’s a big snag in his triumph, followed by a triumph of another kind. I was surprised by how things ended but was also well satisfied with it. Years later when this kid is a seasoned hunter, he will look back on this incident with wry humor.
I received a free copy of this book.
Narration: Johnny Mack continues to do justice to this author’s short stories. He does a good job of sounding like a young man and also of sounding like an older Uncle Duffy.
August 3, 2019
Overall 5
Performance 5
Story 5
What a great memory of a Wisconsin youth.
This was a very poignant telling of a youth going on his first deer hunt. I loved the narration. Johnny Mack made this short story very memorable. I know this narrator's work under a different name and, as always, he did a great job with The River.
A complimentary copy of this audiobook was provided to me but my review was voluntary and not influenced by the author and/or narrator.
Performance 5
Story 5
What a great memory of a Wisconsin youth.
This was a very poignant telling of a youth going on his first deer hunt. I loved the narration. Johnny Mack made this short story very memorable. I know this narrator's work under a different name and, as always, he did a great job with The River.
A complimentary copy of this audiobook was provided to me but my review was voluntary and not influenced by the author and/or narrator.
August 9, 2019
I feel like I listened to a story about deer hunting, but there was soooo much more to it. Life lessons, parallels to society in general. It was quite a trip for such a short story, but it packed a punch.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews