bird hunting literature

ruffbritt4 · Post by **ruffbritt4** » Fri Aug 28, 2015 7:37 pm

What is your favorite book on upland bird hunting and who is your favorite author?

Post by **Sharon** » Fri Aug 28, 2015 8:14 pm

"Algonquin " by D Henderson... 1953

http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1649058.Algonquin

mask · Post by **mask** » Fri Aug 28, 2015 11:20 pm

The Old Man and the Boy. Robert Rourk

Mountaineer · Post by **Mountaineer** » Sat Aug 29, 2015 6:07 am

A question made difficult by the wide variety of possibilities and how each can be a favorite at certain times of the year or season.
I'll list three in no particular order.

For many reasons besides the words, Grouse Along The Tramroad....GBE

For just fitting the word special, Where Spaniels Spring...Ken Roebuck

For best said and iconic upland literature , The Road To Tinkhamtown...Corey Ford

There, done.......but favorite, again and related to either question, has many, many neighbors.

ckirsch · Post by **ckirsch** » Sat Aug 29, 2015 7:22 am

Horace Lytle was very good. His "Gun Dogs Afield" from 1947 is especially entertaining. I've also enjoyed reading Babcock, Ford, Hill, and Robert Wehle, but Ruark's "The Old Man and the Boy" remains my favorite.

SCT · Post by **SCT** » Sat Aug 29, 2015 8:13 am

Sharon wrote:"Algonquin " by D Henderson... 1953

http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1649058.Algonquin

Thanks for the recommendation;-) I just ordered it, had not heard about it before!

Steve

Neil · Post by **Neil** » Sat Aug 29, 2015 8:19 am

Always check abebooks.com for reasonable prices on old books. Or pristine first editions at big dollars.

If you enjoy Ruark ( and who doesn't?) check out the lessor known Bob Brister.

DonF · Post by **DonF** » Sat Aug 29, 2015 9:24 am

There's three right on the top. Old Man and the Boy x Robert Ruark, Dumbell - can't remember the author and The Best of Nash Buckingham x George Bird Evans. pretty much put them in a=any order you want, works for me! There's another good one, Hunter x John Hunter (first name probably wrong!)

Meller · Post by **Meller** » Sat Aug 29, 2015 4:05 pm

I'm surprised no won mentioned Jenny Willow, by Robert Mathis.

ruffbritt4 · Post by **ruffbritt4** » Sat Aug 29, 2015 5:05 pm

Meller wrote:I'm surprised no won mentioned Jenny Willow, by Robert Mathis.

I believe it is by Mike Gaddis. It is my personal favorite.

Meller · Post by **Meller** » Sat Aug 29, 2015 10:06 pm

ruffbritt4 wrote:
Meller wrote:I'm surprised no won mentioned Jenny Willow, by Robert Mathis.
I believe it is by Mike Gaddis. It is my personal favorite.

You are correct, Thank You!

Brazosvalleyvizslas · Post by **Brazosvalleyvizslas** » Sun Aug 30, 2015 12:30 am

Neil wrote:Always check abebooks.com for reasonable prices on old books. Or pristine first editions at big dollars.

If you enjoy Ruark ( and who doesn't?) check out the lessor known Bob Brister.

Neil, are you talking about the Bob Brister from Texas? I shot with a name by that same name in Sporting Clays for several years but he didn't seem interested in Dogs. If it is him I would love to have that book.

Jeff

Neil · Post by **Neil** » Sun Aug 30, 2015 6:27 am

Yes, that Bob Brister of shotgun fame also wrote about hunting and fishing. I always wanted to meet and talk with his brave wife, she drove the car as he blazed away at the trailer.

http://www.amazon.com/Mallards-Mules-Hu ... B000ICT4J8

Not sure how he felt about dogs, I met him years before sporting clays at live pigeon shoots. He was all Texan, the good and not so good aspects.

oldbeek · Post by **oldbeek** » Sun Aug 30, 2015 11:58 am

Chuckarhunting.net It is not literature but enjoyable viewing. This guys wife who does the camera work as they hunt hells canyon Idaho really needs recognition.

shags · Post by **shags** » Sun Aug 30, 2015 3:14 pm

"Diomed; The Life, Travels, and Observations of a Dog" by John S. Wise pub. 1899

It's a first-person biographical narrative from the perspective of an old setter. Besides the wonderful "dogness" of the story, the rich history and tradition of bird dogs is brought to life.

First editions can be pricey, but reprints aren't too bad; the Kindle edition is only 3 bucks but lots of typos etc. A great read no matter

Robin Freeman · Post by **Robin Freeman** » Mon Aug 31, 2015 8:13 pm

Havlah Babcock is a favorite of mine. I enjoy the hunting stories and the references to the Ol
South as well.

33Scout · Post by **33Scout** » Tue Sep 01, 2015 7:32 pm

Picking your shots, Steve Smith. Great book with many interesting stories that will make you laugh out loud.

Neil · Post by **Neil** » Tue Sep 01, 2015 7:39 pm

No one has mentioned Gene Hill or Bill Tarrant. There are so many more. Robert Milner, Tom Word, Ed Zern, etc. Wish I was young to discover them again. Didn't even see Hemingway' s short stories.

ruffbritt4 · Post by **ruffbritt4** » Tue Sep 01, 2015 7:59 pm

I really enjoyed William Tapplys book "Upland Autumn." The next book I will read will probably be "Grouse Feathers"

Neil · Post by **Neil** » Fri Sep 11, 2015 11:14 am

Not bird hunting, but thanks to American Field you can read a short story set in field trials by our best living writer. Enjoy, and while there subscribe.

http://americanfield.villagesoup.com/p/ ... ut/1409226

ckirsch · Post by **ckirsch** » Sun Sep 13, 2015 8:40 pm

Ordered a couple of books recommended in this thread and enjoyed them both. "Algonquin" was a good read, and I'm finding "Jenny Willow" to be exceptional.

Thanks for the tips....

SCT · Post by **SCT** » Sun Sep 13, 2015 9:46 pm

I just finished Algonquin and found it to be a great read, although sad like Old Yeller. Loved his description of the All Age pointer. Thanks Sharon for the recommendation!

GWPtyler · Post by **GWPtyler** » Tue Sep 15, 2015 8:16 am

I love to write. Love to read, especially about hunting.

But am I a bad person when I say that I don't care for Nash Buckingham. I'm about 1/4 of the way through Ole Miss, and it's just dragging on. I think it's because I stumble so much through the, um, "native tongue" of the African Americans. Hurts my brain to read.

Mountaineer · Post by **Mountaineer** » Tue Sep 15, 2015 9:06 am

GWPtyler wrote:I love to write. Love to read, especially about hunting.

But am I a bad person when I say that I don't care for Nash Buckingham. I'm about 1/4 of the way through Ole Miss, and it's just dragging on. I think it's because I stumble so much through the, um, "native tongue" of the African Americans. Hurts my brain to read.

X2 on Buckingham.
Apart from being a product of his time and location, his life may not always have gone according to Hoyle.
GBE put together a book of Buckingham's letter to John Bailey.....they show, to me, a change over Time.
But, were we to analyze many "writers" we would fine them all with clay feet...same with all of us.
Buckingham has a value and place of importance....it does not always match the lofty perch which many set him upon but I am glad he both wrote stories and commented upon the conservation issues of his day.
This later was important.

IF.....one is interested in dog stories then Bob Murphy wrote The Phantom Setter which is a collection of pup tales.

CDN_Cocker · Post by **CDN_Cocker** » Tue Sep 15, 2015 10:05 am

Anyone read the books on RGS? A Grouse in the Hand or A Woodcock in the Hand? I'd like to order them if they're any good.... doesn't even tell you the price though.

Pheasanttracker · Post by **Pheasanttracker** » Wed Sep 16, 2015 10:53 am

Just finished Upland Autumn and Grouse Feathers. Both very good books but I did enjoy Upland Autumn a bit more because of the relationships he describes with other people. Brought a lot of memories back of those hidden "honey holes" I hunted with my dad and grandfather when I was growing up. Sure makes me think of what kids are missing now a days. I bet they won't look back on all those days of video games as they get older. Luckily one of my sons doesn't mind autumn walks with his old man chasing pheasant and grouse. The other can't be bothered.

Post by **Sharon** » Wed Sep 16, 2015 1:50 pm

SCT wrote:I just finished Algonquin and found it to be a great read, although sad like Old Yeller. Loved his description of the All Age pointer. Thanks Sharon for the recommendation!

Glad you enjoyed it. I read that book when I was about 10 and we had many beagles. I said to myself then, "Someday, I'm going to have a bird dog."

CDN_Cocker · Post by **CDN_Cocker** » Tue Sep 22, 2015 2:11 pm

I was looking on amazon today and saw there's quite a few books about woodcock and grouse hunting. Non fiction type books I mean, strategies, habitats, dogs, etc.... Anyone recommend a good one? I love reading that stuff. I see one that's fairly cheap - The Complete Book of Woodcock Hunting by Frank Woolner. Anyone ever read that one?

Mountaineer · Post by **Mountaineer** » Tue Sep 22, 2015 4:21 pm

Woolner may not have written literature but he was a standard...his woodcock or grouse book told of more than his oddly-thought conversion of that famous Model 59 or, as I recall, he was also a saltwater columnist for a magazine.
He wrote of when Mass. and that area had upland birds of reasonable number....the photos can also be swell.

There are an abundance of grouse and woodcock books...often they are compilations of articles or a vanity publication.
Doc Norris' Eastern Upland Shooting or any of the others more often heard are worth reading for the snippets within.
Quite honestly, some can be little more than best dogs, best guns, best loads, best whatever but one takes from each what one can.

Search and sift....it's an easy chore.

Tooling · Post by **Tooling** » Sun Sep 27, 2015 8:13 am

I'm about half way through "Pheasants of the Mind" ~ Proper

So far it's a good read along with a very nice writing style. There is much to relate to considering it's rather recent publication & it sure is a good primer for this upcoming season.

Tooling · Post by **Tooling** » Mon Oct 05, 2015 8:25 am

Follow up ~ Pheasants of the Mind..pretty good book to start with, second half is just so-so

Got a copy of *Jenny Willow* on Sat afternoon - couldn't put it down and finished it up last evening.

Thank you to whoever recommended it, it's now a favorite.

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