On the Wild Edge: In Search of a Natural Life

I enjoyed reading this book and recommend it for all ages that enjoy the out of doors.

This has got to be one of my favorite books of all time. Dave Petersen seems to have figured out early on how to get his priorities in order. That money and 'things' are fleeting and empty acquisitions. That what really matters are great relationships with those you love, be it your spouse, friends or even your dog, and that being debt free is a power all it's own. Dave freely admits that he doesn't have a lot of money, but, he is most definitely the captain of his own ship, truly able to call his time and what he does with it his own. How many of us can say that? It is a great wake up call and definitely motivates you to get your own priorities in order. Dave finds more value in the treasures of nature, the wild animals that call it home and the ability to know how to appreciate it than in 'filthy money' as he so rightly puts it. I happen to love his political rants about the state of our world, he is dead on most of the time, and thank goodness doesn't sugarcoat it one iota!! This is a must read if you love the mountains, snow, wildlife, and unlike so many Americans who seem to only be able to follow the herd, have the ability to think for yourself.

I read Dave's book, along with several other good reads, during the dead of winter this season. Time well spent. I found myself consuming the book each evening, and it was finsihed in short order. Following Dave from season to season, reading about his everyday experiences and thoughts, mulling over his political views, sharing his pains, exultations, celebrations of life, and observations of his natural world, I finished the book feeling quite satisfied. This should be required reading for any environmentally-aware hunter-naturalist, or anyone else who loves the outdoors, for that matter. I like it.

33 years ago, John Denver first sang a warning about Colorado developers trying "to tear the mountains down to bring in a couple more: more people, more scars upon the land." Dave Petersen issues a similar lament in the final chapters of ON THE WILD EDGE. But that's after we have spent a great deal of time in the woods with this likeable and contemporary disciple of Edward Abbey and Aldo Leopold, listening intently and eagerly grabbing every observation he tosses in our direction. In standard natural history narrative style, Petersen shares a sample year with us. He and his wife Caroline live as simply as possible in a mountain cabin near the city of Durango, Colorado. They raise or find their own food, with Dave the hunter providing meat from a single elk each year. While this lifestyle has immeasurable benefits -- like witnessing a screen-door nose-touch between a bear cub on the porch and the family dog standing inside -- it is not without its pitfalls. Ranking high on that list are the lack of medical insurance and the near-constant verification of the stupidity of mankind. It's not as easy to "simplify" today as it was in Thoreau's time. Page after page, Petersen teaches us much about the natural world of the Rockies. As far as plants, insects and stars are concerned -- well, their numbers are so many that he admits he doesn't know much about the individuals among them. Give him mammals -- the bigger, the better -- and he can rattle off every one of their habits and preferences. Deer, elk, and bears are among his favorite fellow creatures. And though he hunts, he's conscientious when it comes to aiming his arrow. His behavior and choices mirror that of any other wild predator. Reading and thinking about this lifestyle provides great environmental joy, but it's also a double-edged sword. This is the kind of book we read and say, "YES! That's the life I've always wanted to lead." But if we all lived it, it would no longer be unique, and the wilderness -- the very thing we'd want to get close to -- would be destroyed in the process. The intelligent tactic for us, then, is to let folks like Dave and Caroline Petersen be the forest dwellers. Let them be the reporters, and we will wistfully read their stories and live vicariously through their experiences. It's a difficult but environmentally-conscious choice.