Grounded in the experience of building a home and reclaiming a forest on a bluff on the Missouri River in South Dakota, USA, Jerry Wilson pens a meditation on the relationship between humans and the land that they seek to subdue. He reflects on the action without wisdom that colours so much of humanity's efforts to control and direct nature, and its resources.

Wilson combines a description of acquiring land, designing and building an eco-friendly house, the cycle of seasons, the history of settlement in the area, the natural environment, and his endeavours to establish a forest reserve and attempting to restrain the encroachment of red cedars.

A consistent theme is that of neither possessing or owning land, but caring for it as a trustee for future generations. Wilson commits himself to be sensitive and vulnerable to the natural world.

I enjoyed reading this book, and reflecting on my own responses to these issues in my own environment. This is a book to read slowly and thoughtfully.

I've enjoyed slowly reading through Jerry Wilson's pensive account of his home territory. Sometimes these simultaneous inward and outward examinations founder under the weight of their own good intentions, or take too circuitous a route (or lack a destination entirely), but his prose is gentle on the ear, sober, thoughtful. He claims not to have a plan, but in fact he does; he's giving you a tour of his back 140 acres, introducing you to the animals and plants that are his community there. I was relieved to note that while he's clearly read Aldo Leopold, Thoreau, and the rest, he isn't attempting to be any of the authors within the established canon of naturalist writing.

Coyote's Call is about the life he and his family built on a plot of land that appealed to them - and to a family of coyotes. His account of life on the land follows the progress of the planning and construction (often by hand) of his home. Neighbors tell him about those who've come before, and passed through; he learns about the stones, the water, and the lay of sunshine on his property. Overall, although I found his style just a little too philosophical and idealistic for my taste, I still enjoyed his account of what must be a warm and comforting home, in a lovely place. ( )

A strong memoir, but not a classic like Dillard. Strong prose with vibrant images. Just wish I had received it as a book, not as an e-book. And the 30 day limit was annoying.

In my past I have read Annie Dillard, Thoureau and Aldo Leopold and enjoyed them, some more than others. Jerry Wilson is right in there, amidst the great ones, but this eco-memoir is not of the caliber of Dillard or Leopold but ti is very good. Perhaps because it is set smack dab in the middle of the modern world I find myself regretting the degradation of our environment and hearken back to the 'good old days' of Muir and Dillards "Pilgrim At Tinmker Creek', but this story of his 25 years spent living on the Missouri is a fine read, showing that he has a sense of pride and passion about the river and the place.... ( )

Informed by the work of Thoreau, Aldo Leopold, and other naturalists, Jerry Wilson in Waiting for Coyote’s Call: An Eco-Memoir From the Missouri River Bluff describes his acquisition of acreage where, since the early 1980’s, he has created a home for himself and his family. Wilson devotes the initial chapters to his decision to buy land and build a home. These chapters offer memories of Wilson’s childhood in rural Oklahoma and contain anecdotes of Wilson’s interactions with the rural people who often offer assistance to Wilson and his wife. Portions of the middle chapters contain the history of the region and the history of both the native people and the settlers who have lived on the bluffs overlooking the Missouri River. Wilson mixes this history with his detailed study of meteor showers and the habits of those nocturnal creatures like raccoons and deer. These chapters also contain Wilson’s knowledge of trees and his vivid observations of birds along with the extremes of weather, including an entire chapter devoted to snow. Least satisfying are those final chapters when Wilson looks beyond the bluff where he has made a home to issues regarding the growth of corporate farming methods because it seems as if those issues belong in a subsequent book. Personally, I find the book to be an enjoyable read because of Wilson’s attention to detail and the clarity of his prose. Wilson reveals what he has “watch[ed], listen[ed], and learn[ed]” about a place during the past twenty-eight years and shows his own effort to manage the land where he has replanted native grasses and where he has seen a return of those native species that had not frequented that portion of South Dakota since the days of settlement. He ultimately makes the reader approach the outdoors with wonder and enthusiasm, regardless of where one lives. On a personal note, I originally got my review copy as a PDF file from which I printed out fifty pages at a time. I have since purchased a cloth copy of the book. ( )