Campfire Lies of a Canadian Hunting Guide

Canadian hunting guide Webb (Home From the Hill) claims the""lies"" of the title are""90 percent true, with the balance being a bit of exaggeration."" Though certainly rough (one episode revolves around an elderly lady's use of an expletive Webb changes to""flipping""), Webb's stories (originally published in a $50 limited edition) do have the feel of truth to them, in part because he meanders his way through the book as one might wander and digress during a long conversation. This lack of focus is clear from the variety in chapter titles.""Inside Info on Picking an Outfitter"" and""The Unmentionable Topic of Tips"" (hint: suggesting that big game trophies will result in big tips is rude) coexist with""LeRoy and the Perverted Bear"" and a story about a client who thought he could track animals by examining their excrement--leading Webb and co. to refer to him as""a true crap detective."" Some chapters of the book seem to come out of the blue (""Political Correctness Has Its Rewards"" turns out to be the minutes for a fictitious meeting between a naturalist and an outfitter that serves as a morality play on the economics of guiding), but overall this is a pleasant read, made cozier by Tom Hennessey's pencil drawings and an insert of photographs of the author in action, hunting and camping with family, friends and clients.