From the Introduction

How did you come up with the idea for ‘Hunting with Hank’?” has been a question asked repeatedly of  me over the last several years. My answer has been simple, really: I got lucky.

“Luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity,” wrote Roman dramatist and philosopher Seneca. Hank’s and my life together, in front of television cameras, was certainly a great deal of preparation and opportunity—as well as an enormous amount of luck. And this is what I’d like to share with you in the following pages.

My wife, Karenanne Swift is a believer in fate. And perhaps it was fate that brought Hank into my life and onto television screens across America.

From childhood I was in love with the outdoors. As an adult, following a number of career paths, I had never lost my enthusiasm for bird hunting and fly fishing, even though my times afield were limited. My performing career and my educational choices kept me in front of audiences (live and television) for most of my adult life.

I went through many career changes, on a path that didn’t seem connected—then: I began as a singer in the folk music era, first with a trio and then on my own. I sang in USO shows while spending time with Uncle Sam, and performed six nights a week at a tourist spot in Colorado. I entered television in a small market, also in Colorado, where I first learned about directing, editing and being on camera. Later, I produced and hosted a five-day-a-week television program while getting my college degree. I also started my own marketing agency, developing a “presentation skills” program and teaching it to corporate executives.

By the time Hank arrived, I thought I’d put television behind me, to move into the business world. I vowed never to return to television, unless I could do a show the way I wanted to do it, not the way a network affiliate insisted it be done. Then, as if to challenge me to “put up or shut up,” Hank showed up, and suddenly, I came to the realization that my seemingly disjointed career had been preparing me for the journey Hank and I were about to embark on.

I’m aware that even though you are reading this book because you were probably a fan of Hank’s, I’d also guess you probably don’t remember all 67 episodes of his series. So, I’ve selected the following stories to share with you, from each season and each show of the television series. The stories I’ve chosen are from hundreds I could relate. I have many favorite stories of family and friends joining Hank and me to chase birds across this great country, but to make this book an easy read, I’ve chosen those most vivid in my mind’s eye.

Reading our adventures, I hope you come away with a better understanding of how the television series came to be, and how much fun Hank and I had during our six seasons on The Outdoor Life Network.

Dez Young

Portland, Oregon

2004

Table of Contents

Acknowledgements

Introduction

Chapter 1

A Dog Changed My Life…

Chapter 2

Our First Season of Shows:

Old Stories, New Beginnings

Chapter 3

Float planes, Spruce Grouse &

“Never, ever spoil your bird dog”

Chapter 4

Swimming With The Salmon,

Hunting With Two Giants

Chapter 5

Dad, Mom And A Sporting Clays Contest

Chapter 6

Hank’s Portrait, A Western Stand-Off

Chapter 7

Season Four: Roy Rogers & Gene Autry,

A Reunion & A Homecoming

Chapter 8

The Diving Falcon, A Swimming

Pheasant & An Artist

Chapter 9

Prairie Chickens, Roosters,

Quail & A Final Fade-out…

Epilogue…

Outfitters, Guides & Lodges..

Index…