Days Afield: Journeys and Discoveries in Hunting and Fishing

by Thomas McIntyre

Book by Thomas McIntyre

204 pages, Hardcover

First published May 21, 1984

About the author

Tom McIntyre was born a third-generation Californian, studied under the Jesuits at Loyola High School in Los Angeles, and attended Reed College in Portland, Oregon. He has traveled to every continent except Antarctica. His first stories were published in the mid-1970s in various free-press newspapers in the Pacific Northwestr; and he has since written hundreds of articles appearing in Sports Afield, Field & Stream, Gray's Sporting Journal, Petersen's Hunting, American Hunter, Men's Journal, Outdoor Life, Bugle, Sporting Classics, Fly Rod & Reel, Wyoming Wildlife, Texas Sporting Journal, The Hunting Report, Garden & Gun, and The Field in England, as well as in a score of anthologies. He has been co-winner of Best Magazine Story for Best Sports Stories, awarded by The Sporting News. Tom is on the mastheads as a contributing editor of both Sports Afield and Field & Stream magazines, and has written scripts for more than 750 episodes of outdoor television programs, including "Buccaneers & Bones," featuring, and narrated by, Tom Brokaw, and the documentary, "Wyoming: Predators, Prey, and People" for the Wyoming Game and Fish Department. Tom is the author of the critically acclaimed books "Days Afield," "Dreaming the Lion," the award-winning "Seasons & Days," and the editor of, and contributor to, the outdoor-story anthology "Wild and Fair," featuring Pulitzer Prize winners David Mamet and Philip Caputo. Skyhorse Publishing brought out his "Shooter's Bible Guide to Optics"; and Bangtail Press, www.bangtailpress.com, has published his novel, "The Snow Leopard's Tale," called "mesmeric," "a gem," "a mystical pilgrimage," with noted author P. J. O'Rourke saying of it, "McIntyre's meld of man and beast alerts the beast in me and alarms the man." Tom writes a hunting column every-other Thursday for The Sheridan Press, www.thesheridanpress.com. Tom is at work on a novel about Henry Morton Stanley and a non-fiction account of the making of the novel, "Bambi." You can follow Tom on Twitter @mcintyrehunts. Bryan Ruark, Tom and his wife Elaine's son, attends the University of Iowa; and Tom and Elaine, one tabby cat, and a springer spaniel reside in northern Wyoming, where the deer and the antelope continue to play.

Reviews

[Jude Sumner · Rating 4 out of 5]

f you’re someone who appreciates the outdoors or has a deep connection to nature, I think you’ll really enjoy Days Afield by Thomas McIntyre. It’s a beautifully written collection of essays that isn’t just about hunting—it’s about reflecting on our relationship with nature and the quiet moments we often overlook. McIntyre’s writing feels thoughtful and personal, and he doesn’t glorify hunting as much as he explores its deeper meanings and the responsibility that comes with it.

It’s a great read if you’re looking for something introspective, but I’d say it might not be for everyone—especially if you don’t have much interest in the outdoors. Still, I think it’s a solid book for those who enjoy thoughtful, reflective writing. I’d give it 4 stars.