Poaching. It’s a disease, an addiction. So says author Joseph Heywood. Killing deer, not for food or sport, but just for the thrill of the kill. One of the conservation officers with whom Heywood rides along every summer in Michigan's Upper Peninsula called that kind of killing “buckular dystrophy,” and Heywood’s ear perked up. It was the perfect title for his tenth Woods Cop mystery (Lyons Press, 2016).
Heywood lives in Portage, Michigan, and spends his winters as a "troll." That’s the term residents of Michigan’s Upper Peninsula use to describe Michiganders who live below the bridge — the Mackinaw Bridge. During the rest of the year, though, Heywood is in the U.P., writing and riding along with state conservation officers, gathering ideas for his mystery series. The Woods Cop series is based on the adventures and misadventures of Grady Service, a tough but fair-minded DNR conservation officer.
Heywood says he approaches his ride-alongs with the same sense of humor that often comes through in his writing.
“When we go in, I’m usually dressed in green,” Heywood says. “I don’t wear a uniform, I don’t have a gun or a badge, but I look basically like I belong. Sometimes when we get a tip from someone about illegal activity going on and we go into the place, I take out my teeth. All my teeth are knocked out — just like Grady Service’s — because I lost my teeth on a patrol. At any rate, my partner goes to the house and I get out of the truck and start wandering the property. If the property owner sees me and asks, 'Hey, what’s that guy doing?," My partner will say, "Oh Grand Dad, get back in the truck!,' and tells the property owner I’ve got Alzheimer’s. Otherwise I keep wandering, gathering evidence.”
Heywood laughs at the ruse but the act is effective. More than a few times he's uncovered gut piles left over from poached deer. Arrests and fines follow, along with another storyline for his books. Similar approaches to solving crime are used by one of his most colorful characters, Limpy Allerdyce, who was once a poacher but now is an unexpected partner to the conservation officer.
Heywood’s love for his work, and all that it involves, is clear. He's prolific writer, not only of the Woods Cop mystery series, but also the newer Lute Bapcat series, and a long string of other novels and nonfiction books. He also writes poetry, draws cartoons and comics, and paints — usually about wilderness themes.
Covered Waters: Tempests of a Nomadic Trouter, a collection of essays about Heywood’s life, has been recently reissued (Lyons Press, September 2015) with the addition of several new stories. Heywood reminisces about his career with a large pharmaceutical company, his time in the military, coping with health problems, lessons to pass along to upcoming generations, and tales of fishing and hunting adventures.
Listen to WMUK's Between the Lines every Tuesday at 7:50 a.m., 11:55 a.m., and 4:20 p.m.
You can stay in touch with WMUK news on Facebook , Twitter, and by signing up for our eNewsletter.
