The Deer Stalker

By: Zane Grey

Narrated by: Russell Bentley

Because of the unrestrained slaughter of cougars on Buckskin Mountain, the deer population has increased so fast that they begin to starve. But when Thad Eburne, chief forest ranger, hears the government's plan to open a massive deer hunt to hundreds of indiscriminate hunters, he worries that it will only worsen man's dangerous meddling with nature. Then, when Eburne decides to save a deer herd from a cattleman bent on selling illegal deer meat for easy money, he finds himself up against the deadliest outlaw in the West.

In The Deer Stalker, listeners will find all they have come to expect from the great Western author Zane Grey - swift action, magnificent descriptions of the desert and canyon country, plus the added valiant effort of a ranger's struggle to save the doomed herd of deer on the Buckskin range. Grey makes the listener see this colorful Arizona country, feel something of the awe that is the inevitable reaction of man to the majesty of one of nature's miracles, smell the tang of mingled pine and sagebrush, and thrill to the heroic struggle of a few dedicated men as they battle to undo the harm of the willful and greedy.

Public Domain (P)2019 Blackstone Audio, Inc.

Not his best.

I didn't enjoy it. It was slow, the main character while morally sound was boring. Exhaustive details about conservation were poignant but delivered prosaic.

The introduction of females had potential. A chance meeting leads to adventures and a comforting connection. However, ultimately did not much add anything interesting.

There was implied racy past with main female lead but it is dabbled with rather than discussed. Worse, there was no resolve. Not satisfying.

I was most interested in the battles the lead character has to support the deer, but sadly it did not stick as relevant because there was no definitive resolve.

I guess that was point; at that time there were substantial conservation issues especially regarding survival and management of important deer herds. These difficulties were further compounded by big business and rustlers, and conflicts between state and Federal gov't..

It trailed off with lead character choosing a new path for his life and leaving the challenges behind.

If you seek to enter the complex and interesting world of Zane Grey this book is not the entry point. It was unsatisfying and weak. It feels as if the author was excited by the idea and then let it flounder and was a chore to finish.

ok

Story Great. Narrater distracts from the story. Pauses and drop at end of every ending. Annoying.

Boring

Not one of Zane's best works. Cumbersome background details, hardly any action, and a not so good reader made for a poor experience.