Worn Out Saddles and Boot Leather

Will Murray made his living raising Black Angus cattle at a ranch in San Luis Obispo, California, and by guiding and outfitting people into wilderness areas in the Los Padres National Forest. From the most experienced adventurer to the novice, Murray guided hundreds of groups and individuals from all walks of life through both private land and national forest. Sharing his passion for the wilderness with these people has produced the stories in this book, presented here in the author’s own words. This book is a memoir of a difficult life, well-rewarded by the rich experience of sharing the wilderness with others.

William (Will) Murray was born and raised on a ranch in Riverside, California. He now owns a small ranch near Santa Fe, New Mexico, where he starts and trains young horses.

William (Will) Murray
Format: softcover (6 x 9)
Pages: 208
Bibliographic Info: 33 photos, index
Copyright Date: 2024
pISBN: 978-1-4766-9618-8
eISBN: 978-1-4766-5418-8
Imprint: Toplight

Dedication v
Acknowledgments vii
Foreword by Todd Tognazzini 1
Preface: Murray Outfitters, a Career Choice? A Labor of Love 5
1. The Horses: My Friends for Life 13
2. Turkeys by the Half Dozen: Spring Romance 18
3. A Lifetime of Adventure in One Day:
Snakes and Turkeys Gone Wild 22
4. The Guide Should Take His Own Advice:
No Place for a Nap 26
5. Hot Boulder, Angry Snake: Snake in My Lap 29
6. If You Hire a Guide, Listen to Him: The Shadow 31
7. Foot Powder Where? A Very Uncomfortable Story! 36
8. Trophy Blacktail on a Harvest Moon:
Bested by a Big Buck 39
9. One Big Buck, Six Mighty Hunters:
Buck on the Payroll 45
10. Two Men on a Hillside: Bluebirds Are
Always Good Luck 55
11. Rifle Shot in the Night: Lost but Not Afraid 60
12. Miracle Cantaloupe at 3:00 a.m.: Water in a
Cow’s Track (Rain?) 64
13. When Your Clients Are Family: If This Story
Gets Back to My Wife! 68
14. A Deer Hunt Too Perfect to Repeat 74
15. Are Those My Horses? Tired, Mean and Hungry 82
16. In the Dark and Lost: A Great Plan 89
17. Three Days in August: You Had to Be There 96
18. A Miracle in the Night: Sammi
and the Moonbeam 104
19. A Spot of Gray at Two Hundred Yards:
More Than a Hunch 109
20. First Came the Letter: Cat Nap 114
21. Valley Quail Rags to Riches: I Can’t
See a Thing 120
22. Fair Chase Mountain Quail: A Hard Mix 125
23. Even Guides Make Mistakes: You Put
the Snake Where? 129
24. Tired, Frozen and Ornery…. Was It Bad
Weather, Bad Luck or Bad Judgment?
A Guide’s Lonely Lament 132
25. Bone Marrow or Nothing: A Meal Fit for a King 136
26. Cold, Wet and Staggering Tired: Where
Does That Weatherman Live? 140
27. It Was a Long Day, Maybe Longer! Mistakes
and Dumb Luck 146
28. Some Hard Lessons for All: It Should Have
Been a Great Adventure 151
29. Memories of the Places I Have Been:
Special Places and Then Some 157
30. The Shortest of My Short Stories:
Are These Stories Legal? 165
31. Those Unsung Heroes: The Women
Behind My Adventures, a Special Kindness 183
32. My Version of Wilderness Hygiene:
Please Don’t Try These Methods at Home 187
33. Clients Both Good and Bad! Do the
Right Thing 191
Index 195