Virgin Mary

“Travis Dewitz’s  Blaze Orange  gives the reader a glimpse into a culture not often seen by those who do not hunt. He takes us from the grainy darkness of predawn on opening day, to the gritty meat lockers that fill up after the season has closed. The book is fascinating and begs the viewer to travel along on the journey of the hunt. One can almost imagine that if the hunters took off the blaze orange color, that is emanating like neon from every photo, they would easily be camouflaged by the Wisconsin countryside and slip off as swiftly as whitetail deer. Quickly we see that the hunting culture is not a solo endeavor; families, dogs, women, men, children, are all participating in some aspect of the hunt. We travel from small town gas stations, to hunting camps, to local taverns. We see the proud faces of those who have succeeded and the hopeful faces of those yet to have success. While it would have been easy to slip into stereotypes and generalizations  Blaze Orange does not make a mockery of any thing or any one, instead Dewitz treats all aspects of the hunt with reverence and respect. As the book closes with a snowy winter scene the reader ends their journey, hopefully, with a new found appreciation of the hunting culture, and certainly with an appreciation for the skill with which Dewitz has captured the hunt through images.” Sharon