JOHN COWAN

John Cowan is headkeeper on a large Scottish estate, and has worked as a gamekeeper all his life. In this new book, he passes on everything he knows about the profession he loves. The book is crammed with fascinating practical advice but it is also a very entertaining read for anyone interested in the day-to-day challenges and joys of running a busy sporting estate. It can be read for its countless tips and gamekeeping wisdom, or simply for pleasure, for the unique insight into the hard-working but rewarding life of the modern gamekeeper. With informative drawings of traps and snares by Roger Penwill and classic wildlife illustrations from C.F. Tunnicliffe.

John Cowan is an experienced gamekeeper working in Scotland and here he shares a life-times expertise in using and training working dogs.He covers each category of gamekeepers dog: Retriever, Terrier, Hunter Pointer Retriever, Pointers and Setters, Guard Dogs, Spaniels, Lurchers and Cross-breeds and discusses in fascinating detail the role that each group of dog plays in the working life on a sporting Estate, once trained.He discusses the strengths and weaknesses of individual breeds and illustrates his points with some fascinating first-hand experiences with specific working dogs.The Gamekeepers Dog also includes John Cowans account of how a gamekeeper trains his specific dogs, how he selects them and his relationship with them. Unique specialist advice on how to train a dog to bay and to find and sit by fallen game is also included.