Cover by John Hafner

Our summer issues are always exciting to assemble, mainly because we’re between hunting seasons and have occasion to take a breath and reflect on past hunts. The pause also reminds us how much we look forward to the upcoming season.

In this issue of Covey Rise, we’ve assembled some ideas that might help you envision a new and exciting fall—a dream scenario, if you will, including a place called Dream Ranch. Nestled in the hills of northern Alabama and defining Southern hospitality at every turn, Dream Ranch lives into the name. For something a little farther afield, we wet a hook with Rudi Heger in the German Alps, where the villages are small, and the fish are big. Really big.

Maybe you’re facing the approaching season with a hankering for new hardware. Our story on Fausti should whet your appetite for the future of gunmaking, even if you’re not currently in the market. It’s all about revitalizing old processes with the help of technology and craftsmanship. And that reminds me of Gusto—the passion project of Thomas Harris, who has made old piney woods new again to support a robust quail habitat in LA (Lower Alabama).

New perspectives also tease us into the excitement of bird season, and we’ve revamped the back of the book to include more essays, specifically from Reid Bryant and Bob Williams, who bring an upland sensibility into the cracks and crevices of everyday life. For a change of perspective, we asked celebrated artist Kathryn Mapes Turner to paint a picture of her process in words and images, and the result is a deeper understanding of the connection between art and life.

We hope your summer is going swimmingly and that this issue affords you the opportunity to find a bit of shade and kick your feet up. Thanks for sharing your time with us.

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Women and Dogs: Sweet dreams in Alabama

Rudi Heger’s Germany: A river runs through it.

Fausti: The art and science of gunmaking

From Wilderness to Table: Honoring the hunt

The Confluence of Intimacy and Freedom: Self-reflection on the artistic process

The Gusto of Alabama’s Black Belt: Thomas Harris and visionary stewardship