If You Didn't Bring Jerky, What Did I Just Eat: Misadventures in Hunting, Fishing, and the Wilds of Suburbia

Bill Heavey is an incredible writer. No, not everything he writes is laugh-out-loud funny...and it's not supposed to be. In so many of the bumbles, backfires, mishaps, and defeat turned to sudden and unexpected triumph, he lets us outdoor enthusiasts see ourselves. In an age of hunting where one-upmanship is constant and the magnificence of our quarry is often reduced to an antler score, we need a writer like Heavey. He captures the intangibles that keep us going out season after season...things we just can't put into words. Read the chapter "The Promised Land" to the end and tell me there's not a surge of emotion rushing over you once finished. I highly recommend "If You Didn't Bring Jerky..." .

It's been a long time since a book brought tears of laughter to my eyes but Bill's book did just that. He is an example of all of us, if we would be honest enough to admit it that is. When I read about his bowhunting in bedroom slippers it really hit home, I made it to the driveway once wearing mine. I would recommend this book to anyone who needs a laugh, but be prepared to read it once you begin you will not want to put it down. The only sad part about my experience was when the book came to an end; I sure hope Bill has another in the works.

I am currently editing a book of fishing stories that will be published in late 2008, I've read about 20 books on fishing in the last six months as part of my editing job. Bill Heavey's book has many things going for it. The writing is economical, clear and deftly funny, and each story is its own adventure. For example: one explores the absurdities of ice fishing, another details the Cuban version of the Bass Masters national tournament, and another the authors frustrations of getting skunked on a fishing trip in Mongolia. The stories in this book tend to be short (2-3 pages). You can usually finish one before your spouse catches on that you are reading and available to be interrupted. While I am not a fan of hunting stories, I really enjoyed the ones he presents in this book, he has a way of tying hunting and fishing back to his wife and daughter, back to important, ironic, tragic, and personal moments in life. These are the kind of stories that you read and find yourself repeating to your friends. They stuck with me and I enjoy carrying them through my days.

I was not previously familiar with Heavey. I picked it up because of similarities to my book, "Guests At The Buck Falls Club." I really loved it. This author captures the real outdoors experience; joy mixed with folly and foul-ups. I laughed out loud and said more than once, "I wish I had written that." Gregg Stockey

Three cheers for Heavey's new book "If you didn't bring Jerky, What did I just eat?" I have read his stories in Field and stream for years and love to flip to the back of the magazine to see what he's been up to. This book is a collection of his stories and it makes the book hard to put down. The way he relates to the average Joe in his trials and errors is what makes this book an instant classic that I will never part with. I think this book will appeal to more than just the Field and Stream faithful and is worth taking the chance on if you love the outdoors. Definetly worth a look.