I was introduced to Jim Carmichael’s writing as a kid stuck at home on a sick day reading dad’s Outdoor Life, Field & Stream and Sports Afield. I was probably 10 or so, and was already a “gun kid”…and of the writers of the day, Carmichael in OL was the one that I searched for first. While his writing was accessible and enjoyable to a young me…the prose I find today still speaks to the aged, crusty me of today. Here’s a favorite sample;
“To my mind, the invention of the bird dog is all the grander because it is the result of of many generations of humanity sharing a dream no less inspiring than those of the great artists, writers, and bridge builders. Even as we marvel at ourselves for piercing the heavens, spanning great waters, and creating worldwide communications, what other invention can we lay claim to that finds a quail with breathtaking precision, brings it to our hand, faithfully trusts and tolerates us in spite of what we are, and asks only in return the pleasure of our company, a scratch on his ear, and a murmured, ‘Well done, old boy.'”
How can a guy speak so eloquently about the genius of the creation of the bird dog, yet name his cartridge creations after cats? One of the mysteries of the man…
