The Line Book

A story of a hunter, a breed, and their bond.

"The Line" by William A. Urseth

The Line is no more a book about dogs than Seabiscuit was a story about horses. Rather, it’s about the special bond between man and man’s best friend.

Written by Bill Urseth – co-owner of the Minnesota Horse and Hunt Club, former co-star of television’s Quest for the One, director of Women of the Wild Outdoors and the winningest tournament hunter in history – The Line tells the tales of his lifetime with animals. The happy times as well as the sad, triumphs and the tribulations. The wins as well as the losses.

If you or a friend have ever loved an animal, this is the book for you. Order one for yourself and for each of your friends. They’ll thank you!

The book that makes you laugh, makes you cry and makes you think of your relationships with the animals you’ve loved.

Clarice Johnson

I never thought a hunting book could be so compelling. Then I realized this isn’t about hunting at all … this is about a bond between man and man’s best friend.

Emily Koch

If I were to buy an outdoorsman ​just one gift, it would be The Line.

Woody Mueller

About The Author

​William Urseth is a lifelong outdoorsman who just “loves to hunt and fish.” In the arena of Tournament Hunting, he is recognized as being the winningest player in tournament hunting history, including over 29 U.S. Open victories.

Bill has been a recurring host on Trevor Gowdy’s television programs In the Hunt and Days of a Sportsman. Was a Producer for Women of the Wild Outdoors program and was a co-host of Quest for the One for over 12 years.

A former U.S. Marine, Bill starts each day exercising, and hunts and fishes whenever he can. He lives in Minnesota.

William Urseth

“Sometimes there will be points that will take your breath away, retrieves that will amaze you, effort that will inspire pride, persistence that will make you smile, situations that will make you laugh out loud. You can expect some chewed-up stuff, a little devilry and some stubbornness, a lot of cooperation, selflessness, determination and effort. You will see beauty whether your dog is beautiful or not. Eventually there will be some gray in the muzzle, a slowing of speed and some creaky joints and then maybe some marks on the carpet from the occasional accident. At that point you’ll also see the way they are and the way they were, sometimes within the same day. They’ll appear to change before your eyes.” When William Urseth decides to breed German Shorthair Pointers, his search for the best of this breed in the world brings him to Jäger and Cent. From these two dogs, who fall in love at first sight, he would create The Line, generations of dogs that would not only win countless tournaments, but also create joys and heartbreaks as they spend their lives as part of the homes and hunts of Bill, his ex-wife and his friends. As you read his story you’ll feel what he does for these dogs: the pride when they make a perfect retrieve to hand, the laughter when they show their stubbornness, and his sadness when one of them is sick, goes missing or dies.