Wow. Christchurch-based Grant Shanks, writing as Andrew Grant, has produced another page-turning thriller where not only the rifles smoke as the action carries on outside working hours.
Gray, a mystery man returning home from the jungle of Vietnam, finds work as a helicopter shooter in the early days of venison recovery where drama is a constant companion.
While it is a work of fiction, many events may seem familiar as they are based on true events during the desperate years of the venison wars.
It's a story about tough, hard-working, hard-drinking men gutsing it out in Southern New Zealand where fortunes were made, lives were lost and female company makes a welcome, if complicated, distraction.
There's nothing queerer than folks. One of this country's first hunting guides (turned outdoor shop owner), Vern Wilson recounts his experiences as a guide here and a client hunting in North America and Africa.
Vern describes his 1980s hunting expeditions where he sought trophies for caribou, moose and Dall's sheep in the Yukon, Canada; Wyoming for pronghorn antelope and mule deer; Montana for white-tailed deer; Idaho for mule deer; British Columbia for mountain caribou and elk (wapiti); and Alaska for barren ground caribou.
In Africa he hunted in Zimbabwe for Cape buffalo, sable and impala and in Namibia for gemsbok and kudu.
He surprised overseas outfitters with his ethical, good old-fashioned Kiwi hard yards approach to hunting.
His descriptive recounting of these past hunts is spell-binding; you can almost hear his heart beating or the rattle of rocks as an unsighted quarry moves nearby.
Halcyon has reprinted Dave Ratcliffe's sold-out 2007 book for the enjoyment of a new generation of hunters.
He describes his time both as a foot hunter and as a harvester of native logs, revelling in being accountable for his own actions before bureaucrats moved in with their rules.
Having to help his stepfather who was an undertaker deal with bodies mangled in accidents was a compelling reason to leave home and head bush.
A good shot with a strong back, Dave foot hunted for deer in both islands, finally having a crack at live capture with helicopters arriving on the scene.
The bookshelves were awash a few years back with this ''Crump'' style of book, but if you are of a younger generation and haven't read one, this is a great place to start.
• Stephen Jaquiery is ODT illustrations editor and a keen hunter.
