I first met Michael almost 40 years ago in Missouri. I was still a student at Mizzou, and he was barely older. We fished for trout. Many years later we hunted and shot together.
McIntosh's writing was influenced by that of John Madson, who may be the finest writer of outdoor tales we've ever had. Simple, declarative sentences. Michael excelled at spare verbiage. Just a few words. Always the right ones.
Michael was an incomparable companion on a trout stream, hunting lodge, or the line on a driven shoot. He was a master teacher. Only a few words for the student -- the right words.
After learning of his death, I opened "Shotguns and Shooting," and spent some time with Michael.
Fortunately, we can all do that. Just pull one of his books from the shelf, and there he is. What a wonderful gift.
