Favorite hunting stories.

[super-7]

So who are some of your favaorite authors, and what hunting stories have you read over and over. I have an ol limited edition of my dads, it's a 70's era Outdoorlife hard cover with articles from the late 1800's, up to about the 60's. It's got stories from Teddy Roosevelt, Jack O'Connor, Charles Elliot, Zane Grey, and quite a few others aswell. But my favorite story is Towsends Whelens " RED LETTER DAYS" It is a turn of the century horseback foray into the then untamed wilds of B.C. he was collecting speicimens for the smithsonian . The whole story about how he and his companion, lived off the land hunted , fished, explored, it just takes you back. In this day and age it hard to beleive , there was no mad rush you litterly just went whichever way the wind blew, no pressures of finance, mortages, customers. You just had to live well you and your horse.LOL. Basics food water fire and 150 days of roaming, the goal stay alive long enough to tell about it. I sit down and read it once a year, ussually right before hunting season, things were maybe harder back then, maybe not.

So lets here some of your prefered reading.

 

[super-7]

Hey I found an online link with the story for any one interseted.http://books.google.ca/books?id=_wZuosB ... &q&f=false

 

[Guy Miner]

That sounds like a good one.

I'm partial to Ruark. A few of his stories come to mind. From "The Old Man and The Boy" I like the story of quail hunting, that the quail is a gentleman, and that a hunter shouldn't hit any particular covey too hard - so that there will be more quail to hunt next time. Another is his story of his first deer, camped in some swamp. Great story about how the older men made sure he got the first buck, even though he didn't. Good stuff there about bringing along a new hunter.

After that, I still go into stitches reading the account of his safari to Africa, "Horn of the Hunter." Much like Whelen's adventure in British Columbia, it was a long hunting trip, three months I believe. The book pretty well made established young Harry Selby as a top notch professional hunter. Ruark's dry wit shines through in his stories of plunging into adventure after adventure with young Selby at his side.

Good stuff! I enjoy others, but Ruark has been a favorite of mine since I was a boy.

Guy

 

[mcseal2]

It's not really a story book, but there are many stories of sucessful muley hunts in it. Public Land Muley's by David Long is one of the best hunting books I've ever read. It's well written, straight forward, and informative without being dull.

 

[YoteSmoker]

Pat McManus is my favorite story teller. His stories crack me up!

 

[SJB358]

So far, the best hunting stories are the ones I have read of Teddy Roosevelts. I just really enjoy about hearing him hunting Pronghorns, elk, moose and bear a bunch. They were long hunts, in the mountains and just very nicely written. I enjoy them a bunch. Scotty

 

[DrMike]

I've enjoyed Pat McManus especially. I have almost all his books in my library. Reading his work, I don't have to think, just live the experiences.

 

[efw]

I've enjoyed Pat McManus especially.

When we read at the end of the night my wife knows I'm reading McManus when I'm laughing as she brushes her teeth...

I love on of Havilah Babcock's stories in particular... can't remember the title, but it is about a hillbilly he and his friend run into while they're out hunting one day. The guy is a crackshot and they're afraid he is going to destroy all their covies so they mess with his head and end up screwing up his shooting. Hilarious because it reminds me of how amazingly mental all good shooting is and how, especially when dealing w/ shotgunning, overthinking is tantamount to suicide.

I still do it though...

 

[russ808]

I really like A Hunters Wanderings in Africa by Fredrick C. Selous and Scouting on Two Continents by Fredrick R. Burnham. Read them both a few times. Must have been interesting to have lived in those times, saw and did all the things that they did.
Russ

 

[Greg Nolan]

I've become a big Rorke fan and read McManus for humor a lot of of life. Frederick Sealous' Wanderings lead to Corbett and Taylor towards the Green Hills of Africa but hands down for just plain entertainment and just a bit of humor the books by Peter Hathaway Capstick just hits me right. I guess Africa has taken the top place in my reading just like a fine Weatherby has taken top place in my rifle safe. If I can only dream I may as well dream BIG. :wink:
Greg

 

[Bruce Mc]

It ain't a book but I always seem to find time to watch Jeremiah Johnson right before heading out west for a hunt. My favorite story. I'm also partial to Big Game in the Desert by Jack O'Connor.

 

[SJB358]

It ain't a book but I always seem to find time to watch Jeremiah Johnson right before heading out west for a hunt.

Same here Bruce, it is family tradition to sit down and watch it before the big hunt! Scotty

 

[1Shot]

There has been no book written so far but I might have to do it. My favorite hunting stories have been told to me by family and friends that I hunt with. I can also tell some mighty good hunting stories also. I really like the one that my Grandfather told me about his Grandfather. Around the 1840s he shot a deer on the banks of the Watagua river in east TN. It jumped or fell off into the river and he jumped into the river to save it and broke his hip landing on a rock. He managed to still float and swim and catch up with the floating deer and push it to the bank. He held onto it and kept blowing his dog horn (a cow horn made into a type of trumpet that sounded like a higher pitched fog horn that the hunting dogs could hear a long way off in the mountains and come to the one calling) until someone heard it and noticed it kept sounding and came and found him. Meat in those days was hard to come by and was a very needed supplement to keep a large family going. If you did not raise it shoot or catch it you did not eat.

 

[atmoshpere]

Some of my favorites are family stories too 1Shot. I particularly enjoy the stories that my Grandpa has told me over the last few years. He is not so lucid anymore, but luckily my brothers and I had the chance to hunt with him for a few years before for wasn't able to go anymore. He and his family grew up in the Blue Mountains outside of Athena, Oregon. Great stories of hunting those big wiley mountain mulies, riding the 5 miles into school on horseback, things like that. His uncle used to give him one .22 bullet for every squirrel skin he brought when he was a kid, so if he wanted to keep shooting, he had to get good fast.

Jeremiah Johnson is a CLASSIC! Robert Redford is a stud 8) Thanks for sharing your favs guys, I'm gonna ahve to check 'em out.

atm

 

[filmjunkie4ever]

I too thoroughly enjoy the stories passed down of my Grandfather's hunting and outdoors experiences. One day when I get my $#@$ together I will write them all down for us to enjoy. I enjoyed Sixguns by Elmer Keith, a very in-depth book on the one of the best Pistoleros/Hunters of the last century. I love The Hunting Rifle by Jack O'Connor and Deer Rifles and Cartridges by Wayne Van Zwoll. Love anything by Barsness or Boddington as well.

 

[1Shot]

One of the best books I have ever read was by Elmer Keith "Hell I was there." Funny, informative and inspiring. Six Guns was also pretty good but Hell I was there is much better.

I used to read everything that I could get my hands on by Bob Milek who wrote for Guns & Ammo about handgun hunting. I still have and re-read Handgun Hunting by Bob Milek that came out in 1983. I bought my first specialty pistol, a T/C Contender in 30-30 Win. shortly after getting my copy in 1983.

 

[Guy Miner]

I think Milek sold a lot of T/C handguns in those days through his writing. Seems there was always some photo of him standing there with a Contender in one hand and holding onto some dead game animal with the other.

 

[Bruce Mc]

Milek also sold a lot of .243s, .257 Roberts, and 25-06s through his articles. I first looked at a Bob because of one of his articles. Glad I read that one.

 

[SJB358]

Milek also sold a lot of .243s, .257 Roberts, and 25-06s through his articles. I first looked at a Bob because of one of his articles. Glad I read that one.

Heck, he is part of the reason I bought a 25-06 about a year ago. His memory still lives on with some of my buys. He is one of the MAIN reasons I bought the 35 Whelen. Scotty