Hunting Books that I'd Highly Recommend - Please add to the list

Scouting on Two Continents by Frederick Burnham is one of my favorites. It's not just about hunting but there is plenty of hunting in it.
A great place to get any outdoors books is betweenseasons.com They are an Ontario mailorder business and they have a huge selection.
 
"The Man-eaters of Tsavo" By Lt. Colonel J.H. Patterson D.S.O.

Also "Safari Rifles." and "Americian Hunting Rifles" both by Craig Boddington
 
I loved The Life of the Hunt by John Barsness. It is an excellent collection of his own short stories about his lifetime of hunting with a couple fishing stories included.
 
I too love the R.M Patterson books. Dangerous River, Adventure on the Nahani is my favourite. It's such a great story, and well written, that every time I read it I want to quit my job, sell all my crap and move out into the bush to hunt a trap. Every time I lend my personal copy out the guy who returns it goes on for some time about how amazing it is. I also love to read Hemingway, but strictly from a hunting perpective he reads like a real dude.
 
I'm going to have to go back through this thread and start writing down titles. Some excellent suggestions.
I saw several of Francis E. Sell's books mentioned. I believe "The Deer Hunter's Guide" was one of his best. It was the first time I had read about "thermal" drifts and how to deal with them. (an old book, but I'm an old hunter).
I enjoy Ruark's writing, but cripes, he went on one safari and wrote a book. An excellent writer and observer, but not a terribly experienced hunter compared to others mentioned.
Whelen's "On You Own in the Wilderness" is dated, but deals with survival and camping skills from a hunter's point of view. Some 25 years ago I built his leanto from the design in the book and am still using it, especially in bear country.
Patterson's "Dangerous River" I reread once every 18 months or so.
AbeBooks has Whelen's book for $10 or less, and is a good spot to search for used books.
 
babine_lake said:
I too love the R.M Patterson books. Dangerous River, Adventure on the Nahani is my favourite. It's such a great story, and well written, that every time I read it I want to quit my job, sell all my crap and move out into the bush to hunt a trap. Every time I lend my personal copy out the guy who returns it goes on for some time about how amazing it is. I also love to read Hemingway, but strictly from a hunting perpective he reads like a real dude.
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R.M. Patterson also wrote a great book called "The Buffalo Head". It is all about early ranching (30's and 40's) in SW Alberta at the Buffalo Head Ranch just west of Longview. Very wild country in those days! If you like R.M. Patterson you will like this book for sure, a great read :cool:

And yes, there is hunting in there as well :)
 
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I have read all the Patterson books and they are all great. Dangerous river was my fav, but you will never go wrong with his stuff. I know a guy who guided the Nahani country in the '60s and he said Patterson's book was the only written guide to the area around then so they all had a copy.
 
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The only "hunting" book I've ever read. Lots of incredible close calls with grizzlies.
 
One good hound hunting book I read was "The Longwalkers" I don't remember the author but it can be found through Wolfe publishing.

I really enjoyed John Barsnesses "The Life of the hunt" excellent read.
 
Most of my collection has been mentioned by someone else already
a couple that I recommend about hunting and trapping N Sask in the 1930's:
Face the North Wind - Karras
The Wind and the Caribou - Munsterhjelm
and some favourites not already mentioned:


The Temple Tiger- Corbett
East of the Sun and West of the Moon - Roosevelt
The Fragrance of Grass - de la Valdene
A hunters heart - Peterson
Blood Ties - Kerasote
Round River - Leupold
Pheasants of the Mind- Proper
 
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I just started reading "Slash Ranch Hounds" by G.W. Dub Evans

Excellent book if you are into hounds, highly recommend.

Stories of cattle ranchers hunting cougars and bear with hound back in the early 1900's with Redbone/Foxhound mix known as Slash Ranch Hounds...plenty of experience and tips that you may or may not already know but well written - exciting - interesting.
 
Hounds in the Hills by Edward Briggs..........(short stories on the pursuit of small game with hounds)....exciting

Hunting Hounds by Duffey......(the history and training of American hounds)....the best info book on hounds that I've found

The Master of Game (First English Book on Hunting) by Edward 2nd Duke of York......very interesting hunting know how from 100's of years ago
 
Hey guys, check out Safari Press on line this is where most of my 200+ hunting books have come from. They have lots of the out of print stuff by a lot of the old boys like Bell, Ruark, Hemmingway, Taylor, Baker, etc. etc. etc......... They have all of Capstick's works, or did have, and some other exceptional books and limited editions as well. They are exclusively hunting and guns.

If you guys are sheep hunters I highly recommend Memoirs of a Sheep Hunter, by Rashid Jamsheed. He is the nephew of the former Shaw of Iran and a lot of his hunting is done with his cousin Prince Palavi, both of whom have taken every species of sheep in the world and a great many are number 1 or top 5.
These guys are dedicated and highly ethical hunters and good writers as well.
 
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