Always Game: A Maine Woman's Life of Outdoor Adventure

Christi Elliott's passion for hunting and fishing, her curiosity and enthusiasm at tackling new experiences, and her dynamic personality have made her a powerful force in the Maine outdoors world. Judy Camuso, commissioner of the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife, has called Elliott "a movement, a phenomenon, a powerhouse" and credited her with driving the increase in women obtaining hunting licenses.

In Always Game, Elliott recounts her youth in Downeast Maine, highlights early adventures like hiking the Appalachian Trail, and takes readers along as she learns, sometimes through heartbreak, how to hunt and fish--including the training of her beloved dog, Argos. Elliott describes herself as an experience hunter who jumps at chances to try new things. Whether she is trapping beaver in Southern Maine, hunting moose in Washington County, fly fishing in Baxter State Park, or chasing tuna in rough seas an hour or so off the coast of Maine, her characteristic optimism shines through.

Along the way, Christi has battled self-doubts and experienced the challenges of breaking into sports long dominated by men. Those challenges prompted her to create the Maine Women Hunters group as a welcoming place for like-minded women to learn and join in the fun. More than classic hunting and fishing tales, Always Game introduces a fresh voice in outdoor recreation and highlights the joy, pain, and wonder inherent in the sport.

Christi Elliott, born and raised in Machias, Maine, is a Registered Maine Guide, Appalachian Trail through-hiker, engineer, columnist, and author. In 2017, she founded Maine Women Hunters, one of America's largest female hunting groups, where she organizes group hunts, fishing trips, and educational and social events for every ability level. She graduated from the University of Maine at Orono. When she isn't working as a design engineer in Portland, she writes outdoors columns for The Maine Sportsman magazine and Bangor Daily News. Her writing has also appeared in numerous publications including Ducks Unlimited, Shooting Sportsman, Kayak Angler, and Bear Hunting Magazine. Christi works with several companies including L.L. Bean, Swarovski Optiks, Old Town Canoes, Maine Cabin Masters, and AFTCO to promote women in the outdoors. She lives in Southern Maine with her husband and son, Oscar. Always Game is her first book. Follow Christi's adventures on Instagram @christiholmes.