The Last Wild Road: Adventures and Essays from a Sporting Life

by T. Edward Nickens

The Last Wild Road is a raucous, gripping, sometimes terrifying, often hilarious, and deeply meditative journey through the heart of the outdoors in the modern world. Collected from more than 20 years of hunting and fishing cover stories, columns, and adventure tales written by T. Edward Nickens for Field & Stream, this book is a road trip that takes in a huge sweep of the North American landscape—blackwater rivers in the wilds of eastern North Carolina, deserts and prairies of the American West, remote tundra of northern Canada, and the wildest rivers of Alaska. Along every rutted road and rough trail, with a rod, gun, and pen, Nickens meets unforgettable characters—old French-speaking Cajuns at Louisiana squirrel camps, a one-armed fly-tyer in the ancient Appalachians, Pennsylvania brothers who lost their father in a hunting accident decades ago and return to the scene for a powerful, poignant encounter with history. He explores remote wilderness waters to chase trout and ducks, but finds rich meaning, too, in the familiar and fishing with his children, plumbing the forests of local farms, and butchering deer in his basement as a thanksgiving for the gifts of the outdoors. When it comes to hunting and fishing, writing often falls into the categories of where-to-go, the how-do-it, and the-what-to-bring. This book embarks on the question of “why.” Why does the pursuit of game and fish, and the travel to the wild places where they thrive, bring meaning and clarity to living in the modern world? Why do we laugh more, and live more deeply, far from the sidewalk? If you’ve ever felt that way, you’ll find yourself in The Last Wild Road.

288 pages, Paperback

Published May 1, 2023

Reviews

[Thomas Moore · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a fantastic read. I figured it would be filled with articles I had already read, but I was wrong. There were so many outstanding stories in here that I had never read, and I have read quite a lot of Nickens’ work. I enjoyed that each story was so diverse; in length, in style, in topic. Couldn’t recommend enough.

[Thomas Kelley · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you are fan of Field & Stream magazine then you are probably familiar with the author T. Edward Nickens who has also had many other articles published in Smithsonian and Audubon magazine. Even have not heard of him but you are a hunter, fisherman or just like the outdoors you will like this book.
I liked in the beginning of the book mention of the Northwestern school of taxidermy it was advertised in the back of the magazine I was one to buy the kit. The author came from a family that did not hunt but did camp occasionally . The author lost his father at an early age but thanks to a gentleman from the families church that stepped up to fill a void the author was exposed to the world of hunting and fishing and this covers many of those stories from around various trips around the United States. There are from a page and half to a few pages long and some that definitely stand out more then others especially the one about the quadriplegic hunter and the unfortunate accident of the lost of a father to a hunting accident. It is amazing that a lot of the authors friends and acquaintances are involved in jobs for the park service, Department of Wildlife and agencies like these both state and federal and they are very involved conservation endeavors.

[John Vancil · Rating 5 out of 5]

What an amazing book of stories of hunting, fishing and the outdoors in general. From Alaska to Labrador... Montana to Maine... Louisiana to Puerto Rico... A collection of tales which mix philosophy and family with deer, squirrel, moose, chat and grayling. A great read!

[Jessi Waugh · Rating 3 out of 5]

I like Nickens’ essays in our state magazine. I failed to realize that these were all about hunting and fishing. I don’t hunt and fish. So, other than the one about survival with his kid, not my cup of tea.

[Michael J. Walters · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great stories..

Lots of great stories in this collection... real hunting and fishing adventures! I would recommend this book to any outdoor enthusiast.