Hey Ranger 2: More True Tales of Humor & Misadventure from the Great Outdoors

by Jim Burnett

Overview

In this sequel to the wildly successful Hey Ranger: True Tales of Humor and Misadventure from America's National Parks, former ranger Jim Burnett casts his net globally in search of the most outrageous and humorous stories of man in his eternal quest to experience the natural world. Burnett tells of campers being belted by mysterious objects falling from the sky, like potatoes and ice cream; wildlife photos that went awry, including a ground squirrel that outwits a photographer; dumb crooks in parks, such as the drunk driver who mistakenly knocked on a judge's door to report an accident; and drivers who went over the hill and into the woods instead of to Grandma's house.
Burnett also assembles contenders for the strangest questions ever asked of a park ranger, lessons on how not to pick a campsite, life lessons you can learn from a canoe trip, as well as some classic bear stories. As always, Burnett's stories are meant to inform as well as entertain, and serve as cautionary tales on how not to become "a victim of your vacation." Told in Burnett's classic, conversational style, Hey Ranger 2 will not disappoint.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781589793293
Publisher:	Taylor Trade Publishing
Publication date:	04/26/2007
Pages:	270
Product dimensions:	5.98(w) x 9.10(h) x 0.83(d)

About the Author

A veteran of thirty years as a National Park Service ranger, Jim Burnett worked at eight parks across the US, including Grand Canyon, Glacier, Lake Mead, and Buffalo River before retiring as Chief Ranger at Colonial National Historic Park. He lives near Athens, Texas.

Table of Contents

Introduction     1
It Seemed Like a Good Idea at the Time     4
Ignorance Is Not Bliss     13
Does the River Run Downstream?     22
Stalking the Wild Beast     30
Stetsons in the City     40
Marina Mania     46
Monumental Mix-ups     56
The Bear Facts-and a Little Fun     68
And the Winner Is...     78
Sadder but Wiser?     88
Assumption Junction     96
You've Got Mail     104
Let Sleeping Bears Lie     111
Six Feet High and Rising     120
"A River of Gasoline"     129
Doing the Wave     140
Skip These Tips     148
This Ambulance Was Hot Stuff     155
When in Doubt...Don't     166
Don't Believe Everything You Read     175
A Nice Place to Visit, But...     182
When All Else Fails, Read the Directions     192
Old MacDonald Had a Farm-But Not a Park     198
Over the Hill and into the Woods...     205
There's a Lot at Stake     213
In the Eye of the Beholder     223
"There You Are, Boys..."     232
Way Beyond the Call ofDuty     237
Upon Further Review...     247
Sources of Additional Information     255
Books and Videos     255
Organizations and Government Agencies     256
Acknowledgments     259
Sources Quoted     261
How to Contact the Author     263

Editorial Reviews

This book is a sequel to author Jim Burnett's first book of stories culled from incidents in national parks, at which he worked as a ranger for 30 years. Regularly interacting with the public, the encounters gave Burnett plenty of fodder to share in this second book, which he broadens to include global experiences. Combining his outdoor knowledge and true stories (he changes names occasionally to protect, as he writes, "the guilty and the innocent"), Burnett choose some interesting, hilarious and perplexing incidents. At times you'll wonder what in the h-e-double-toothpicks the person was thinking. But one man's foolishness is another man's amusement. This book is a fun trip away from the usual writings about outdoor experiences.

Inside/Outside Magazine - Amy Maestas

It has been my experience that the truth is much stranger than fiction-and thus simply more interesting. Jim Burnett's true tales of adventure as a 30-year park ranger are most often funny, sometimes poignant-and always entertaining. It's the perfect bedside book for lovers of the out-of-doors.

Outdoors Editor, Record Searchlight - Thom Gabrukiewicz

Jim Burnett has struck gold again with Hey Ranger 2 thanks to the uncanny ability of some national park visitors to show how little they actually know about the out-of-doors. Along with providing a nicely delivered dose of humor, Jim's collection of anecdotes should serve as a reminder for the rest of us to prepare properly for our forays into nature.

Kurt Repanshek

All National Park rangers have a treasure trove of stories about the silly and the serious side of visitor adventures. Jim Burnett not only shares his own tales, but manages to pry other amusing spins from his cohorts in this second book of the Hey Ranger! series. The accounts are not only entertaining, but informative as Burnett provides answers to questions all visitors have longed to ask, but were too embarrassed to discuss.

The Salt Lake Tribune - Brett Prettyman

This book is a sequel to author Jim Burnett's first book of stories culled from incidents in national parks, at which he worked as a ranger for 30 years. Regularly interacting with the public, the encounters gave Burnett plenty of fodder to share in this second book, which he broadens to include global experiences. Combining his outdoor knowledge and true stories (he changes names occasionally to protect, as he writes, "the guilty and the innocent"), Burnett choose some interesting, hilarious and perplexing incidents. At times you'll wonder what in the h-e-double-toothpicks the person was thinking. But one man's foolishness is another man's amusement. This book is a fun trip away from the usual writings about outdoor experiences.
— Amy Maestas

Inside/Outside Magazine

All National Park rangers have a treasure trove of stories about the silly and the serious side of visitor adventures. Jim Burnett not only shares his own tales, but manages to pry other amusing spins from his cohorts in this second book of the Hey Ranger! series. The accounts are not only entertaining, but informative as Burnett provides answers to questions all visitors have longed to ask, but were too embarrassed to discuss.
— Brett Prettyman

The Salt Lake Tribune