Tracks is a pilgrimage into the wild, beautiful, and lonely places around us. Donald C. Jackson, a professor in the Department of Wildlife and Fisheries at Mississippi State University, invites the reader to share the trail with him and discover connections to different vistas not only in the South but also in distant lands and on exotic waters. Through the many stories of this avid hunter, fisher, and trapper, Tracks travels into the swamps and wetlands, hills and tundra, forests and jungles, and on rivers, ponds, tropical lagoons, and the sea. Frog gigging adventures reveal the magic of summer nights in the Deep South. Running a trap line for racoons leads to a tiny Mississippi farm on a crystal clear winter night. Duck hunts evoke the mystery of whistling wings at sunrise, a sound that becomes almost sacramental. Big game hunts in Alaska blend with squirrel hunts along the Mississippi River and late afternoon deer hunts on the outskirts of a college town.

In the Gulf of Mexico, Jackson explores science and beauty of life at sea on a fisheries research ship. Filled with experiences from decades of teaching, conservation activities, hunting, fishing, and wilderness adventures, Tracks brings into focus the natural thrill of participating fully as part of the chain of life in wild places. Donald C. Jackson is a professor in the Department of Wildlife and Fisheries at Mississippi State University. He is the author of Trails: Reflections of a Pilgrimage .