I love the old books, but it's been 15-20 years since a brand new grouse hunting book was published.

I have some of the old ones, but they were written in and for another time. Regrettably lost forever, they were the halcyon days of unbroken forests, immense prairies, and true woodsmen. We wear orange now, hunt clear-cut public land, and most of us don't smoke pipes or carry a full-size axe. Abandoned homesteads, overgrown apple orchards, and rock walls are rare where I live.

Authors Burton Spillers, Jack O'Connor, and Bill Riviere have defined the American outdoor tradition for me. Gene Hill, Sam Cook, and Patrick E McManus lighten it up.

I'm looking forward to reading this new book called "Serious Grouse Hunting", even though it may bring a little sadness to me on how much our outdoor sport has changed in only a generation.