About the Author

William A. "Bill" Stout was born in Alpena, Michigan in 1931. He received under-graduate and graduate degrees in business-related areas from Central Michigan and Denver Universities. He served in the United States Army with the Atomic Energy Commision's test operations in the Pacific's Marshall Islands during the 1950's.

Bill and his wife Mary enjoy the outdoors and have backpacked extensively in Alaska, the Canadian Rockies of British Columbia and Alberta, the mountains of the state of Washington, and around the Great Lakes in Ontario and Michigan. During the 1990's they were also active and successful in Conformation showing of Shetland Sheepdogs. Presently he and his wife divide their time between homes in Bloomfield near Detroit and on Long Lake in northeastern lower Michigan near Alpena.

Bill began duck hunting late in his life, hunting mostly on Saginaw Bay and the Long Lake area. He also collects decoys, primarily of Michigan and the Midwest. He became interested in writing this book as the result of contact with his friend Bob Montgomery who is featured in the book.