Teacher, author and lifelong sportsman Scott Irwin has compiled a collection of his outdoor writings into a book titled, An Outdoor Sporting Life. Irwin writes, “My motivation has been simple and direct: to share with readers – young and old, outdoor novice and veteran—stories, essays and confessions from a rural hometown life of small-water fishing, small-game hunting and wing-shooting adventures that are still unfolding across a patchwork landscape of tallgrass prairie, shortgrass plains, row-crop uplands, and life-changing friendships.”
For anyone who has journeyed into the sporting life, this sentiment will ring true, expressed instantly with the subtitle, “A Celebration of Heartland Hunting, Fishing, Friendship, and Landscape.” Its stories take the reader through life in a rural town, hunting and fishing with friends and family, and in essence, learning by and from nature.
Irwin’s upbringing readied him for a life in the outdoors, growing up in a big family on the Kansas prairie. A strong sense of adventure and work ethic took root — principles that have defined his adventures, both professionally and outdoors. His childhood experiences with hunting and fishing developed into a decades-long appreciation for nature and sports, acting as the flint that brought An Outdoor Sporting Life to the page. Here’s a preview of the first few pages,
“It’s my hope that by sharing my personal stories – the laughs, the mistakes, the successes –readers will recall their own memories, and I’ll help spark the pursuit of a new adventure in nature,” Irwin said.
A columnist for the Emporia Gazette and a university professor in Kansas for more than 40 years, Irwin has set out across Nebraska, Missouri, Arkansas, South Dakota and West Texas to pursue his passion for being outside.
Lifelong Sportsman, Scott Irwin
Through his travels, Irwin began to understand the need for respect and conservation of the land for future generations. He encourages others to be stewards for the environment so that the joy of nature can be passed down.
While the book shares Irwin’s personal accounts, the underlying lessons packed in each tale have the breadth to extend to anyone interested in hunting, fishing and outdoor sports.
An Outdoor Sporting Life is formatted to give readers the ability to find specific topics, ranging from seasonal information to specialized approaches.
An Outdoor Sporting Life joins the SGB Editor’s shelf.
