Gene Hill: Best gun dog writer ever!

[GAHUNTER60]

Tonight, I was trying to tell my daughter-in-law why I felt that the Late Gene Hill, Gun Dog Editor for Outdoor Life, and later Sports Afield, was the best outdoor writer of all time. Instead of simply telling her why I felt this way, I decided to show her by reading to her, out loud, one of his shortest, and very best dog stories, "Old Tom."

The problem was, I couldn't get through the first paragraph before I was blubbering like a baby! I finally gave up and handed her the book so she could read it herself. Such is the effect that Gene Hill's writings have on me.

I thought I'd share that story from Hill's book "Tears and Laughter" with you guys. Thing is, I already shared it with y'all seven years ago. I hope you guys will indulge me as I re-post it again. Like I said, it's very short, but very long on emotion if you are a dog person.

Here's how I Posted it sever years ago"


Here's one of my favorites. If you can read this and keep a dry eye, then you are definitely not a bird dog person!

Old Tom
by
Gene Hill
from "Tears and Laughter"

“The vet told him that the old setter might live another day or so and that the humane thing to do would be to put him down. The old man brushed his mustache with the back of his hand so that his fingers would cover up his eyes and said he didn’t believe he was ready to do without Old Tom right now. Maybe in a day or so, but not right now.

So the two of them shuffled out to the car and drove off together. Now the old man had a problem. It was the middle of March and bird season was long since closed. But more than he had ever wanted anything in his life, he wanted the dog to hear one more shot and feel the whirr of one more flush.

March or no, the old man took a vigil near the swamp that night and marked down two or three birds (woodcock) as they came in to roost. And promptly at six the next morning, the two gentlemen marched down together through the morning mist, as they had done countless times before… and as one of them hoped they would do countless times again in some other fields.

The play was faultless. Old Tom drew himself up on point as proud as a puppy. The old man’s shot was as true as a youngster’s – and the deed was done!

At the vet’s a half-hour later, his last bird cradled between his front feet, his nostrils filled with the scent of what he had lived for, Old Tom went to sleep.

The old man lets him rest up on a hillside facing the western sun…old folks appreciated the late afternoon warmth. And on the slate that makes the spot he scratched “Old Tom: A Faithful Friend for 12 Fine Years.” On fair days when he thinks no one is watching, the old man goes up to the slate on the hillside and sits in the sun with a glass of whiskey and talks about times past with Tom

 

[SC Hunter]

@GAHUNTER60 I've gotten to where, as I get a little older and mature in life, things like this get to me a little more. Ol' Tom was what we called one of my friends that past away 5 years ago on June 2nd. This story made me think of my ol Tom and my dog and got to me a little bit. I need to get this book and some others by this author.

 

[NCHillbilly]

I have been a huge fan of Gene Hill's writing since I was a kid with a Field and Stream subscription. He was a big influence on some of my writing.

I have never owned a bird dog, but boy, I owned a lot of hounds. Coonhounds, bear hounds, beagles. And I have went through much the same with several old warriors like Tom, who had no quit in them. And Gene captures it perfectly.

And whatever you do, don't look up the song "Haggard" by the Grascals on Youtube and listen to it closely.

 

[GAHUNTER60]

Here's another little ditty from Gene:

He's Just My Dog
By Gene Hill

He is my other eyes that can see above the clouds;
my other ears that hear above the winds.
He is the part of me that can reach out into the sea.
He has told me a thousand times over that
I am his reason for being;
by the way he rests against my leg;
by the way he thumps his tail at my smallest smile;
by the way he shows his hurt when I leave
without taking him. (I think it makes him sick with worry
when he is not along to care for me)
When I am wrong, he is delighted to forgive.
When I am angry, he clowns to make me smile.
When I am happy, he is joy unbounded. When I am a fool,
he ignores it. When I succeed, he brags. Without him,
I am only another man. With him, I am all-powerful.
He is loyalty itself. He has taught me the meaning of devotion.
With him, I know a secret comfort and a private peace.
He has brought me understanding where before was ignorance.
His head on my knee can heal my human hurts.
His presence by my side is protection against my fears
of dark and unknown things.
He has promised to wait for me......whenever
......wherever -- in case I need him.
And I expect I will -- as I always have.
He is just my dog.


(A funny thing about the above poem is it is often included in publications by Animal Rights organizations, without ever a mention that Gene Hill was first and foremost a bird hunter and hunting dog writer! If they only knew...)

 

[Nicodemus]

Hill was a good writer. So was Havilah Babcock.

 

[GLS]

I enjoyed Gene Hill over the years. A friend and former neighbor, Gordon Allen, illustrated Mostly Tailfeathers when he was 20 years ago. Hill was a neighbor and friend of his step-father who arranged a meeting with Hill. Gordon did thirty sketches in 31 days and that was his first job as an artist. Gil

 

[mudcreek]

I wrote him a letter once. I told him how much I enjoyed his writing. He answered me back. Nuff said!

 

[greg j]

I own 4 of his books. Hill Country, A Listening Walk, Mostly Tailfeathers, and
A Hunters Fireside Book. I take them out and read them each year at deer camp.
He could write and tell a story like no other. I know there's couple of other books he wrote but have not been able to find them. I wish he was still around. I always
liked his "Annual Report" stories

 

[atlashunter]

Good to see I’m not the only fan of his writing. And yes Old Tom chokes me up too.