Review
WILD COUNTRY: THE BEST OF ANDY RUSSELL
edited by R. Bruce Morrison
McClelland & Stewart, 355 pp.
Those of us who spend most of our time in the city tend to think of the mountains and the prairie as something "out there" beyond the concrete skyline.
Even when we go for a summer hike or a winter drive to the ski resorts, many of us treat the countryside as a temporary destination or backdrop.
The stories and books of venerable Alberta outdoorsman Andy Russell do more than remind us how limited such vision can be. They also convey the author’s unending sense of exploration, putting the reader into the experience of living along remote riverbanks or up the sides of mountains. He doesn’t lecture the reader, but rather invites you to learn along with him.
Wild Country: The Best of Andy Russell is a collection of 24 stories selected by retired anthropology professor R. Bruce Morrison. They’re a good representation of Russell, the accomplished storyteller, trail guide, photographer and all-round authority on the southwestern Alberta terrain.
Born in 1915, Russell grew up on the edge of the Rockies and became a hunter at an early age. Whatever one might think of that practice, there’s no denying it hones the senses and instils a high level of respect for the creatures that roam the wilderness. Russell started sharing his knowledge and observations with magazine readers in 1945. Later on, he decided to aim telephoto lenses at wild game, a shift that proved an eye-opener.
"A good rifle is accurate up to ranges of several hundred yards, allowing a proficient shot to collect a trophy way out there, but at similar ranges my camera recorded nothing but unrecognizable specks," he wrote in Horns in the High Country, about his filming of grizzlies. "To get a close-up picture meant stalking to within 15 or 20 feet, and my early failures to get this close showed me just how little I knew about the game."
The book’s other stories include details of his grandfather’s trek to Alberta by Red River cart before the railway had arrived; young Andy’s childhood near the St. Mary’s River; his early experiences with hunting and fishing; and his observations of wildlife through a lens. All are compelling reading and are quite likely to inspire the reader to explore Russell’s other work – a voyage well worth taking.
|
Copyright ©2005 FFWD. All rights reserved.