Tuesday, October 27, 2015

New Coursing Book

To See Them Run: Great Plains Coyote Coursing, with text by Utah folklorist Eric Elaison, splendid photos by Scott Squire, and a long introductory essay by me, is finally out from the University Press of Mississipi... and about time! Our efforts have seen us, for about five years (more?) right through a couple of academic presses and out the other side, as Plains coyote coursing was seen as too retrograde for modern audiences, or, even sillier, presses demanded material on non- existent "Native American Coursing". (A quote: "I was leading my greyhound and whippet. As I passed two Native Americans, my wife, who was following, saw them pointing at the dogs and saying 'there goes dinner'."
It is a really beautiful "Coffee Table Book" AND a thoughtful text-- a great gift for hunters and students of dogs and the Old Ways, for Christmas or birthdays. I can truthfully say we are all proud of it as well as relieved that it is finally a book. I will add more photos later but wanted to get this post out. One complaint: Amazon will not let me list it under my name, on my page, although those who have introduced my books routinely list them on their Amazon pages. Perhaps a word to the publisher?

7 comments:

Anonymous said...

Yeah, I want a copy, fer shore. Checked it out on Amazon--sheesh! Expensive! I expected that though, and such a rarity of a book destined to become a collector's item, it will only get way more expensive with time, instead of cheaper used copies being available one day(sigh). I saw a coursing book involving mostly coursing coyotes out West many years ago--can't remember the title. It was trusted in my care briefly by a lady that had whippets(I LOVED her whippets!!) and ran a pet store in Asheville, N. C., circa late 1980's/early 1990's. She was suprised at my interest and understanding of sighthounds, and flabbergasted I had an Azawakh and a Part-Turkish bred Saluki at the time(among numerous other canines in that past pack), which is probably the only reason she dared show me and lent me that book, as she feared repercussions even then from radical A. R.'s finding out she even kept such "contraband" in her store! I do remember there was a good bit about a particular Borzoi in the book(along with the usual "coyote hound" sighthound types and just what an effective coyote getter he turned out to be, taking them down singlehandedly!! Wished I could remember the title........L.B.

Steve Bodio said...

I am blanking the name but it is by Leon Almirall. Dutch knows it.

Admin said...

Great Steve! I'm astounded that a university press would tackle such a potentially controversial book subject. Having worked 12 years at our own flagship university, I'd advise everyone to get their copies ASAP...

Anonymous said...

Steve; I do have Almirall's "Canines And Coyotes" which I ordered from Dutch umpteen years ago! Before I'd ever even been on a computer or discovered "Querencia"! And I tried to look up Almirall's other coursing book, but it is "unavailable" presently. The book I am referring to is NOT either of these--it is a much more modern book--I'd say probably published sometime in the 1970's? Maybe it was a limited, privately published effort, why it isn't showing up anywhere I look? That's gonna irk me now until I find out(if I ever can)......L.B.

Steve Bodio said...

Steve Copold? Got that too...

Anonymous said...

Copold! That's it!!! I think.....It is available still(via Amazon), but rather STEEP. I shoulda known YOU'D have it already! I am irked no more.....L.B.

Steve Copold said...


Hello Steve...Very much enjoyed seeing your blog post on "To See Them Run." I haven't slipped a hound or had a bird on a leash in many years but I am still alive and well kicking around in South Texas. It's wonderful to see that coursing is also still alive and well...Steve Copold