A proper acknowledgment page might just say “Thanks to everyone I know,” since I do a poor job of shielding my friends, family, and colleagues from the particular brand of turmoil that goes hand-in-hand with completing a book. But my obligations are deep enough to require some specificity, so here goes: Thanks to Joe Caterini, Chris Collins, and Lydia Tenaglia at Zero Point Zero Productions for taking me in. Thanks also to their beautifully reckless and die-hard producers and crew, especially Jared Andrukanis, Nick Brigden, Helen Cho, Dan Doty, and Morgan Fallon. I’m proud to have traveled with you guys, and I look forward to more.
Thanks to Bobby Hottensen and Tom Tiberio for their help with various research questions that I encountered while writing this book. Other valuable pieces of information, insight, and recollection came from Adam Bump and Russ Mason of the Michigan Department of Natural Resources, Dan Flores of the University of Montana, and Matt Carlson, Don Clifford, Parker Dozhier, Katie Finch, Rosemary Johnson, Daniel Rinella, Matthew Rinella, the late Frank Rinella, and Julie Stewart.
For the best hunting and fishing memories that a guy could ask for, I have to thank Craig Christensen, Al Cole, Ronny Boehme, Matt Drost, Eugene Groters, Eric Kern, Matt Moisan, Andrew (Pooder) Radzialowski, and Danny and Matt Rinella (once again). Plus Matt’s pack llamas, especially Timmy and Haggy.
Thanks to Jim Harrison, a man I’ve never actually met but who changed my life for the better. Thanks to my agent (and buddy) Marc Gerald, who’s provided me with unwavering encouragement and guidance and promptly answered emails for the past eight years. Thanks to my editor and publisher, Cindy Spiegel at Spiegel & Grau, one of my favorite people in the world and one of very few publishers with the wherewithal to bag a western cottontail rabbit with a .22 rifle. Thanks also to Julie Grau, Hana Landes, and the other great folks at both Spiegel & Grau and Random House.
Finally, I’d like to thank my beautiful wife for generally tolerating a freezer full of game meat in our closet, shotguns and rifles in our bedroom, and various bloody animal parts in our refrigerator. Even when she does bitch about it, she has the generosity and grace to do it in a way that’s funny.