The Last River Rat: Kenny Salwey's Life in the Wild

by Kenny Salwey, J. Scott Bestul

Overview

Kenny Salwey is a modern-day American hermit who has lived most of his life in the Mississippi river bottoms, coming to know the river ecosystem with an intimacy unavailable to most. Now, Kenny shares his love of, and knowledge about, the mighty river. The Last River Rat is a seasonal look at Kenny’s unique life.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781938486555
Publisher:	Fulcrum Publishing
Publication date:	04/01/2015
Edition description:	Reprint
Pages:	256
Product dimensions:	5.00(w) x 8.00(h) x 0.80(d)

About the Author

Kenny Salwey is the last of a breed of men whose lifestyle has all but disappeared in this fast-paced, high-tech digital world. For thirty years, this weathered woodsman eked out a living on the Mississippi River, running a trapline, hiring out as a river guide, digging and selling roots and herbs, and eating the food he hunted and fished. Today, Salwey is a master storyteller, environmental educator, keynote speaker, nature writer, and advocate for the Upper Mississippi River. He has presented his true-life adventures and words of natural world wisdom to both adult and young audiences across the Upper Midwest. By sharing his hard-learned experiences, his respect for the Mississippi River, and his love of the natural world, Salwey hopes to inspire his audiences to protect this precious and fragile ecosystem. J. Scott Bestul is a regional editor for Field & Stream Magazine and a contributing editor for Sporting Classics magazines. He was born in Madison, WI, where he grew up loving the outdoors, hunting, and fishing. After graduating from Winona State University, he taught English in secondary schools for four years before he decided to pursue his dream of writing. He is now a full time writer for a variety of magazines.

Table of Contents

Introduction: Of River Rats and the Big River 7

April: River Rat Almanac 21

The New Year Begins in the Three Camps 22

Rat Tale: Big Boy and Beauty 35

May: River Rat Almanac 41

Trout Fishing and Morel Picking 42

Rat Tale: That Black, Boot-Sucking, Mississippi Mud 55

June: River Rat Almanac 63

The Snake Hunters 64

Rat Tale: Frog Tears and Rabbit Coffee 76

July: River Rat Almanac 85

To Catch a Cat 86

Rat Tale: Passing the Flame: The Marsh Shack 98

August: River Rat Almanac 105

Walking Sticks and Woodslore 106

Rat Tale: Tent Camp and the Bad Bees 117

September: River Rat Almanac 125

Ginseng Digging 126

Rat Tale: Where Am I? 138

October: River Rat Almanac 145

Duck Hunting and Duck-Hunting Dogs 146

Rat Tale: Old Spook and the Last Duck Hunt 157

November: River Rat Almanac 165

Hunting the "Wet-Tail" Deer 166

Rat Tale: Monarch of the Swamp 179

December: River Rat Almanac 187

Making Meat 188

Rat Tale: Making Wood 199

January: River Rat Almanac 209

Winter Trapping 210

Rat Tale: The Grandmother Tree 219

February: River Rat Almanac 225

Fur Processing 226

Rat Tale: Beaver Lodge Fracas 238

March: River Rat Almanac 243

An Affinity for Turtles 244

Rat Tale: Life Along the Big River 258

About the Authors 261