Best hunting books

[two-feet]

Any good titles or authors to recommend in the genre of hunting, conservation, animals?

Here are 3 of my favorites:

The wilderness of the upper Yukon- Charles Sheldon
The Tiger- John Vaillant
The cry of the Kalahari- Mark and Delia Owens

[NorBC]

I hear " the land of the red goat " is good, and " a beast the colour of winter ".

[HarryToolips]

Anything written by Jack O Connor I found pretty good...

[two-feet]

I hear " the land of the red goat " is good, and " a beast the colour of winter ".

Both good books

[NorBC]

Also KitimatKiller is lending me " gone hunting " by Pat Ferguson , I'm looking forward to the read.

[bcmulie]

Horns in the High Country, by Andy Russell

[panhead]

Three against the wilderness ... Eric Collier ... Chilcotin favorite.

[Westslope]

Nahanni and Wings of the North by Dick Turner, Wild and Free ( Autobiography of Franke Cooke) by Boudreau, anything by Jack O'Connor, anything about hunting by Robert Ruark (not that weird fiction stuff he wrote) anything by Peter Hathaway Capstick. The Hobson books ( Grass beyond the Mountains etc) about the Blackwater/Chilcotin are good entertainment. I also like the books written by Chris Kind (HBC Member). There are a so many others that I can't remember off the top of my head.

[iwing]

Peter Hathaway Capstick is my favorite hunting author. His books are about hunting in Africa. Hunter by John Hunter is another good one

[Foxtail]

Hunting With the Bow and Arrow by Saxton Pope. This book is amazing and free on most e-readers.

[quaint bucket]

just picked up and started reading Art of Hunting by Norman Strung. Good book so far. Not a lot of details on mule deers but lots on the other animals.

[pit bull]

Of grizzlies and white guys Clayton Mack (Bella Coola area)
Unfriendly neighbors Chilco Choate (gang ranch)
Wilderness seasons Ian and sally Wilson (Stikine area- hottah lake)

[BigSlapper]

"A Far From Ordinary Life" Fred Duckworth .... a terrific read.

[whitetailsheds]

Great Rams and Great Ram Hunters I, II, and III. Robert Anderson.

[guest]

Campfires in the Rockies ........... 1904

Adventures of Fred Bear by ...... duh

[Seeker]

Ah Man! Too little time! Great topic. I have read "Beast of the colour winter", found it a decent book. From what I remember, it is written from a biologist's perspective and offers a lot of general goat info. It looks like I have to change my wish list, it just keeps growing!

[too_desi]

Peter Hathaway Capstick is my favorite hunting author. His books are about hunting in Africa. Hunter by John Hunter is another good one

I second that. Capstick is one of the best i have read (mostly african hunting). I would recommend 'Death in the long grass' as one of his best works (very funny too).

Kenneth Anderson and Jim Corbett have some good books on hunting (maneaters and in general). You can normally find these online for free.

[stinkyduck]

Gone hunting, by Pat ferguson has my vote!

[Bear Chaser]

The Maneating Leopard of Rudraprayag by Jim Corbett.
Any of Andy Russell's books.
Horseshoe in My Hip Pocket by Bob Kjos was quite enjoyable and gave a glimpse into his time as a guide and outfitter.
I've been reading a bit when I get the chance from the People & Peaks books about the Willmore Wilderness and Panther River areas of western Alberta. Some great Alberta rams and history of the families that lived and explored in those areas.
Reaching the Dream by Garry Vince is also another book that gives a bit of history of guiding in Northern BC.

In most cases I really prefer reading local historical content from authors I know or know of.

[high and to the right]

Two good ones on Bears are:
Bear Attack - Stephen Herrero
Alaska Bear Tales - Larry Kaniut
Read them before you go hunting spring bear and you'll stay awake all night in your tent!

[Ovis17]

Great Rams and Great Ram Hunters I, II, and III. Robert Anderson.

If you like photos of big rams (who doesn't), Great Rams is a must read.

[Brez]

My favorites are anything by Peter Hathaway Capstick or Andy Russel. I could read them over again

["No Choke"Lord Walsingham]

"Also KitimatKiller is lending me ' gone hunting ' by Pat Ferguson , I'm looking forward to the read."

This is a good one! I have a copy and enjoy it.

Lots of books to look into here... I'll be sure to check this thread again prior to my next visit to a book store or library! Some I've heard of/read yet many more would be a new literary experience for myself.

Thanks all, great advice!

[white moose]

Gone hunting by Pat Ferguson great book. Wife got me gone hunting again. Haven't read it yet, but i'm sure it'll be great

[Andrewh]

Mule Deer Country by Dr. V. Geist (Ph.D in the study of animal behaviour) and Sheep Country also by Geist.

AMAZING photos and very informative read.

[slim]

gone hunting and gone hunting again by pat fergusson are both really good reads, (I am re reading the first one right now for the 10th or 12th time at least) peter capstick is a good read and funny too. I also really recommend anything by Pat McManus. he writes short stories for outdoor life and has a bunch of books out. he has an extremely hilarious/self deprecating/naïve outlook on things.

[two-feet]

Mule Deer Country by Dr. V. Geist (Ph.D in the study of animal behaviour) and Sheep Country also by Geist.

AMAZING photos and very informative read.

Geist is simply awesome to read, every new hunter should be reading his books about the species they are chasing. His book on pronghorns is great as well

[hookedonblacktails]

The Wilderness of Denali by Charles Sheldon, I'm going to read more by this guy, very easy to lose yourself in his easy reading but detailed and descriptive writing. And the Hunting Rifle by O'Connor

[hookedonblacktails]

Oh and anything written on hunting blacktails of course

[1/2 slam]

Memories of Africa ..Werner Brach and The Adventures of Shadrek by Ron Thomson. Couldn't put them down.

[Marlin375]

Mule Deer Country by Dr. V. Geist (Ph.D in the study of animal behaviour) and Sheep Country also by Geist.

AMAZING photos and very informative read.


^^^X3 and include Elk Country by Geist/Francis.....if Elk and Mulies are on your hit list these are both must reads.

[bighornbob]

Any of these are a great read.

http://www.huntingbc.ca/photos/data/500/medium/books_1.jpg

BHB

[weatherby_man]

I really enjoyed Benoit Bucks, about the Benoit brothers from back east, white tail hunting legends. Talks about the brothers different hunting techniques. Richard Smiths Black Bear Hunting was also a good informative read.

[widger]

For bird and duck hunting stories I have a few: Bill Tapply's "Those Hours Spent Outdoors" as well as Willie J. Parker's " Halt: I'm a Federal Game Warden", and The Best of Field and Stream's collection has some pretty good stories as well. As well as the Gordon McQuarrie trillogy of books :" The Old Duck Hunters Association Inc." which is a must read for most aredent duck hunters.

[panhead]

Descent into madness ... a little different read ... it's about hunting a man, but a good BC read.

[quaint bucket]

Any of these are a great read.

http://www.huntingbc.ca/photos/data/500/medium/books_1.jpg

BHB

I'm going to take a leap of faith here and say that you are possibly very interested and/or possibly involved with hunting sheep.

[BCHunterFSJ]

The books of Russell Annabel about hunting in Alaska are very entertaining.
If you like to read about African hunting, you have to read The Wheel of Life by Bunny Allen!
Garry Vince's Reaching the Dream is a good book too.

[donnareid]

is anyone able to post links to download some of the books in e-format please? any of them?

[too_desi]

is anyone able to post links to download some of the books in e-format please? any of them?

There are some old books on archive dot org
Just search by author name. Some are photocopied books in pdf but good enough to read. Thats where i got most of jim corbett and kenneth anderson books (if you are interested in general hunting stories)

e.g.
https://archive.org/details/TheTempleTigerAndMoreMan-eatersOfKumaon1954
https://archive.org/details/NineMan-eatersAndOneRogue1954
https://archive.org/details/BlackPantherOfSivanipalli1959
https://archive.org/details/ManEatersAndJungleKillers

[bighornbob]

I'm going to take a leap of faith here and say that you are possibly very interested and/or possibly involved with hunting sheep.

Good guess:) Also have a lot of the Valerius Geist books as well as some others written by Duncan Gilchrist besides his sheep books.

Another by Tony Russ "Why 10% of the hunters take 90% of the Game" is also another great book.

Most of these are to become a better a hunter and not so much story books. Great story books are the Pat Ferguson books, Gone hunting and Gone Hunting Again.

BHB

[Cordillera]

White hunters, the golden age of African safaris. Unreal stories about lions, rhinos, elephants, and the really crazed men and women who hunted them at a time when Africa was truly a sort of paradise.

[stroh72]

Bull of the Woods. Gordon Gibson. Good West coast read. Hunting, logging and pioneering.

[dana]

From The Peace to The Fraser by Prentiss Gray is one of my favorites. Amazing adventures as they explored the country between Hudson Hope and McBride trying to see if Stone and Rockys had overlapping habitat. Clasic gun writer Elmer Keith was on a couple of the expeditions as a horse packer.

One book I haven't read but want to is Elmer Keith's Hell I've Been There. I've seen it at the Kamloops Gun Show a few times but the price always is way too steep for me.

I'm A big fan of Valerius Geist. I have Mule Deer Country, Wild Sheep Country, Elk Country and Moose: Behavior, Ecology, Conservation. Another great read by Geist and McTaggart-Cowan is Wildlife Conservation Policy.

Some of my other favorite books are Hunting High Country Mule Deer by Mike Eastman, A Hunter's Heart by David Peterson and Majestic Mule Deer by Voyageur Press.

[BRrooster]

Mule deer country by Geist was good. I liked Mule deer strategies by Walter Prothero . Capstick is always a good read. Jack O Connor has a lot of great
stories. The Man Eaters of Kumaon by Patterson I think and his Man Eaters of Tsavo. My all time favorite would probably be Robert Ruarks "Horn of the
Hunter". So many books so little time.

[too_desi]

Mule deer country by Geist was good. I liked Mule deer strategies by Walter Prothero . Capstick is always a good read. Jack O Connor has a lot of great
stories. The Man Eaters of Kumaon by Patterson I think and his Man Eaters of Tsavo. My all time favorite would probably be Robert Ruarks "Horn of the
Hunter". So many books so little time.

Just finished Robert Ruark's 'Horn of the hunter' and 'use enough gun'. Good books, mostly about his safari's into Africa. I think reading Capstick before Ruark kinda ruined it, Capstick set the bar high (for me atleast).

P.s. Maneaters of Kumaon is by Jim corbett

[onpoint]

Another great recent book is American Bison by Steven Rinella, the guy behind the Meat Eater TV show. An amazing book on the history of the bison in North America written in parallel with his present day bison hunt in Alaska. One of the most enthralling books I've read on hunting, North American history and conservation.

He really breaks-down some of the myths of the "perfect balance" between man and nature before the spread of civilization across the continent. Great book!

[adventurernick]

Cameron Hanes, backcountry bowhunting. Great book.

[Cordillera]

I have to agree:

-Jim Corbett
-Pat Russell

and add

-"Trail to the Interior" or "Finlays River" by RM Patterson. if you ever hunt the Finlay or Stikine country
-no one has mentioned Hemingway's "Green Hills of Africa" and
-my wife bought me "The Fragrance of Grass" by Guy de la Valdene. He loves birds, dogs, wine and women and writes really beautifully. i love my wife!

[Marlin375]

Cordillera, Cordillera by Stan Walchuk is a great read.

[saskbooknut]

How about the thinking man's whitetail hunting book ? -
Gene Wensel - Come November

[Kudu]

"Taller Than Trees", by John Gordon Davis - (who also wrote "Hold My Hand I'm Dying.")

For those that want to know more about Africa than what they see on television, or on the ride from the airport to the hunting lodge...try reading "THE WINDS OF HAVOC" as told by Adelino Serras Pires to Fiona Claire Capstick

For the aspiring African hunter - two of my favourites and a newby!

"KAMBAKU" by Harry Manners

"Shadows in an African twilight" - Kevin Thomas here (http://www.ktspublishers.co.za/)

"Kudu" - hunting the spiral horns... Here (http://www.safaripress.com/Hunting-the-Spiral-Horns-Kudu/productinfo/FLACK95Y/)

[boxhitch]

The Wilderness of Denali by Charles Sheldon, I'm going to read more by this guy, very easy to lose yourself in his easy reading but detailed and descriptive writing. And the Hunting Rifle by O'Connor

If you like Sheldon , Wilderness of the Upper Yukon has been re printed.

[cassiarkid]

You have to read about Jim Corbett's adventures back in the early 1900's in India. He was the man responsible for trying to track down all of the man-eating Tigers and Leopards in India. We are not just talking about one cat killing a few people over a few weeks. Some of these cats single handedly killed hundreds of people before Jim tracked them down. A very good story teller and a man with 9 lives! He has many books, I highly recommend picking one up or reading about him on the net.

Cheers

[too_desi]

You have to read about Jim Corbett's adventures back in the early 1900's in India. He was the man responsible for trying to track down all of the man-eating Tigers and Leopards in India. We are not just talking about one cat killing a few people over a few weeks. Some of these cats single handedly killed hundreds of people before Jim tracked them down. A very good story teller and a man with 9 lives! He has many books, I highly recommend picking one up or reading about him on the net.

Cheers

Absolutely!

If you are interested in general hunting stories about big cats, Jim Corbett is the grand daddy of hunters/story tellers because he hunted not just tigers and leopards but man eaters, these are a few classes above regular big game as they are very cunning and coming for the hunter instead of a bait. One of the cats he dispatched had about 430 kills to its name (that were documented) before Corbett sorted it out. I must have read his books over and over and the excitement never dies.

Kenneth Anderson was another 'white' Indian hunter that was around 1940's in India helping get rid of man eaters.

[JLsteel]

Public Land Mulies - David Long

[Beachcomber]

Successful Waterfowling by Zack Taylor as a duck hunting primer.

Mostly Tail Feathers by Gene Hill - humourous stories of his experiences in the field

[RBH]

Blacktail Trophy Tactics, by Boyd Iverson, an Oregon hunter. Excellent book about hunting blactails, with very good information applicable to any hunting situation, blacktails in particular but not only. This is not a book that goes on and on about calibre and rifle type etc (which I often love to read ... again and again and again LOL) but focuses on the really important aspect of animal behaviour and hunting tactics.

Also, not exactly a hunting book but an excellent read, is Heart and Blood: Living with Deer in America, by Richard Nelson. This is a book that discusses hunting culture and deer related issues (including the huge issue of urban deer) throught North America. Author is a naturalist and hunter.

[Hitman0]

Death in the Long Grass - Peter Hathaway Capstick
Hell I was There - Elmer Kieth

[stugatz]

Mike Cramond used to be the hunting and fishing editor of the province until the mid seventies. Game bird hunting in the west and Big game hunting in the west were just two of his books.
The best thing about him was that his stories for the most part were from BC and Alberta back in the day when hunting was truly a man vs wilderness thing. He was really a great writer and
he knew how to tell a story.

[one-shot-wonder]

Raymond M Patterson has a few good reads.....
Duncan Gilchrist has many a good book, not just sheep books.
Andy Russell is a good bet too!

[Ferenc]

One Man,One Rifle,One Land by J.Y.Jones.....and another...That Some May Follow.... by Leo Rutledge

[skibum]

Jim Corbett has a tendency to name every small village in the area where a story is told (they are numerous), not a big deal, but if you are trying to read one of his short stories to your kids, it is a f'in pain trying to pronouns all those Indian/Nepalese villages and land marks.

Although not all hunting related, Hemingway's anthology of short stories has a couple really good hunting stories in it. The best I have read. I don't read Hemingway to the boys (yet)

[skibum]

I just received a bunch of old hunting/fishing magazines from the early 80's back to the 60's. Funny how a lot of the stories talk about sitting and cracking a drink while out hunting or fishing. One even talked about passing beers back and forth while driving the highway back from a hunt.

Before this, I don't think I have ever read booze mentioned in a magazine story unless it was back at a lodge.

[Joe Negri]

If your a sheep hunter The arizona desert king and i by jim babala

[Ranger95]

The WDM Bell trilogy.......



The Wanderings of an Elephant Hunter
Karamojo Safari
Bell of Africa


Horn of the Hunter - Ruark

Shadows in an African twilight - Kevin Thomas

Finn Aagaard on Hunting Rifles & Cartridges / Aagaard's African adventures

A Man Called Lion - Captstick

[huntingpartner]

One Mans Wilderness
Its about a man checking out for a year and building a cabin in Alaska and living off the grid. It is a fantastic read

[Roe]

While I love reading hunting books and some of the great hunting stories on this site. I usually carry The Modern Rifle by Jim Carmichel or The Hunter's Shooting Guide by Jack O'Connor; when my wife is driving, especially down town.

[frenchbar]

'Road Hunting for dummies 'by fisherdude n jeff

[bogtrotter]

Birdhunters would like "A Rough Shooting Dog" by Jim Fergus. He tells the tale of getting, training and hunting with a Springer spaniel. Fergus is a great writer ( a lot of hunting authors aren't IMHO ) and a great naturalist.

Steve Rinella is also a good writer. "American Bison" and "The Scavenger's Guide to Haute Cuisine" are great reads.

[1899]

Have any of you read Kai-Uwe Denker's "The Hunter's Path"? Pretty soon I'm just going to have to cave and order it.

[whognu]

not sure if this book was mentioned

I have read this book many times and would highly recommend to anyone looking at the 'spirituality' of why we hunt

it is a compilation of short stories

a hunter's heart - David Peterson

here is a far better overview than I could provide

"As a hunter I've always marveled at how joy and sadness can dwell in the same moment, that moment when you reach out - with gun or bow or spear - and take the life of a wild creature. But there are many hunters who don't notice or care, and who treat this most awesome and mysterious thing as a sport like golf or car racing. The best part of "A Hunter's Heart" was spending time, so to speak, with others who see more and deeper things in hunting, and who can express it more vividly and truthfully than I have been able to. Each story is beautiful and eloquent and impactful in its own way"

ps. this is not a call on other's idea of hunting...........live and let live (no pun intended)

[Ferenc]

'Road Hunting for dummies 'by fisherdude n jeff

Sold out ?

[frenchbar]

They were lined up for blocks in surrey for the book signing.facking road hunting superstars !fisherdude can't walk around guilford center without getting mobbed by Camo wearing lower mainlanders