Following his English setters into thickets in search of grouse and woodcock, Mark Parman feels the pull of older ways and lost wisdom. How rare it is, in our high-tech world, to find oneself completely off the track, bewildered in the wild, and then find the path home by sight and scent and memory.

Among the Aspen interweaves tales of companionable dogs, lucky hunts, and favorite coverts where quarry lurks with ruminations on the demise of hunting traditions, the sale of public lands and the privatization of places to hunt, the growing indifference to science, and the loss of wilderness on a planet increasingly transformed by the sprawl of humanity.

Razorback Ridge. Levis Mound. The Underdown. Washburn and Nepco Lake. Whether you’re looking for a snake-like singletrack or a steep descent, whether you want to hit the trails near urban centers or escape to the scenic northern woods and waters, Fat Tire Wisconsin will take you there.

In this updated Second Edition, authors and Wisconsin natives W. Chad McGrath and Mark Parman share the knowledge gained from countless hours of riding Wisconsin’s off-road bike trails. They’ve included twenty-one challenging new trail systems, as well as changes and expansions to older systems. Fat Tire Wisconsin includes details of terrain and levels of difficulty; trail maps, directions to the trail sites, and use fees; and information on organizations, races, and websites.

Worldwide, mountain biking is enjoying ever-increasing popularity. Wisconsin, already a popular and welcoming locale for cycling activities of all kinds, is fast becoming a leader in off-road biking. Fat Tire Wisconsin takes you straight into the heart of everything that off-road Wisconsin has to offer.

Like that earlier grouse hunter Aldo Leopold, Mark Parman takes to the woods when the aspens are smoky gold. Here, in an evocative almanac that chronicles the early season of the grouse hunt through its end in the snows of January, Parman follows his dog through the changing trees and foliage, thrills to the sudden flush of beating wings, and holds a bird in hand, thankful for the meal it will provide. Distilling twenty seasons of grouse hunting into these essays, he writes of old dogs and gun lust, cover and clear cutting, climate change, companions male and female, wildlife art, and stumps. A Grouse Hunter's Almanac delves into the mind of a hunter, exploring the Northwoods with an eye for more than just game.

"Notable and quotable. Parman stakes out original territory and provides a vivid snapshot of the Northwoods."—John Motoviloff, author of Wisconsin Wildfoods: 100 Recipes for Badger State Bounties

"Extremely rich and detailed. Parman puts forth original and genuine experiences."—Richard Yatzeck, author of Hunting the Edges