Wild and Free

Monika Rohlmann is an environmental consultant in Victoria, B.C.

Jack Boudreau is a retired forestry worker and the author of a number of
B.C. wilderness memoirs. His personal experience of northern B.C.’s
backcountry is one reason people have entrusted him with their stories.

Frank Cooke is the storyteller in this volume, and through him we learn
a lot about another man: Skook Davidson. Davidson is a legendary cranky
old man who ran a hunting and guiding outfit from a remote ranch in
northern B.C. He was Frank’s mentor and after many years sold Frank a
piece of his territory so he could start his own outfit. Frank and his
first wife, Hattie Fellers, raised three boys and three girls during
some rather difficult years of sparse work. Things turned for the better
when the guiding area was secured and the hunting season booked with
clients who could readily pay their bills. Frank’s success as a guide
and outfitter is built on a history of hard work for little and
sometimes no pay.

For those who enjoy the hunting life, this collection of stories makes
a fascinating read. Otherwise, the mug shots of men with dead animals
and the related stories of drinking and fighting are tiresome. Silently
absent are the details of a partnership with wife Hattie, whose tireless
cooking, cleaning, and caring allowed the family business to survive and
prosper. Boudreau’s earlier book, Wilderness Dreams, tells both sides
of the story. In the absence of Hattie’s stories, Boudreau finds other
people whose lives meshed with Cooke’s. The thoughts and experiences
of friends and family add colourful and informative perspectives.