September/October 2017

We seldom add editors to our masthead.

In fact, it has been several years since we welcomed someone to the fold. The reason is that we are very selective about the voices we feature regularly in the magazine. Not only do we want them to be knowledgeable about wingshooting and fine guns, but we also want them to be able to communicate in a clear and entertaining way. Knowing, too, that they will be representing Shooting Sportsman in the field, we want to be certain of their ethics and public persona.

Which is why it gives me great pleasure to introduce our newest Editor at Large: Reid Bryant. If you have been reading SSM for any time, you surely recognize Reid’s name. He has been writing for us since 2010, contributing “read” pieces about bird hunting, mostly in New England but also abroad. I remember the first time reviewing one of his manuscripts and being blown away by the honest, evocative prose. He had a gift for conveying a sense of place, and his eye for detail and ability to turn a phrase made the new relatable and the familiar fresh. Since then, having met and hunted with Reid, I have found him to be intelligent, engaging and just as entertaining in person. The model SSM contributor.

Others have taken note of Reid’s talents, as well, and his byline has appeared in a variety of sporting publications. A few years ago Orvis smartly hired Reid as its Wingshooting Services Manager, a job in which he gets to travel extensively and work with the company’s gun program. Now Reid has parlayed those experiences into his first book: The Orvis Guide to Upland Hunting, with images from one of our favorite photographers, Brian Grossenbacher. I can’t wait to read it.

A native New Englander, Reid lives in Dorset, Vermont, with his wife, Kim (a fly-fishing guide), two daughters, and a Brittany and an English springer—about which he said, “They have issues, but I love them. The dogs, I mean.”

We’re happy to have him as part of our team.

In this issue be sure to check out Reid’s feature “Instagrouse” about a hunt with “next-gen” wingshooters who communicate via Instagram, Facebook and other social media. It’s an excellent piece that harkens back to the past but also looks forward. It gives one hope that wingshooting’s future is in good hands.

Ralph P. Stuart