Legendary Deerslayers

From the author of the highly acclaimed Legendary Deer Camps, this complimentary volume profiles a dozen of America's greatest deer-hunting heroes. Beginning with James Fenimore Cooper's legendary "Natty Bumppo" and ending with South Carolina's poet laureate, Archibald Rutledge, this book is an image-driven affair representing a rich blend of sporting art and the cultural, natural and literacy history of our great white-tailed deer hunting heritage. Drawing from Native American culture, anthropology, fiction, art, history, literature, romance, adventure, travel accounts, natural history, conservation, deer biology and poetry, Legendary Deerslayers is the culmination of 25 years of research by the author. Without a doubt, Legendary Deerslayers promises to be one of the greatest books every compiled on deer hunting and must-read for anyone who enjoys the excitement and the heritage involved with hunting the white-tailed deer.

This second book in the Deer and Deer Hunting Classics series rekindles the deer hunting history and the role of deer camps in hunting's culture. Relive the hunts, joy, and trepidation of famous American deer hunters such as William Faulkner, Aldo Leopold, and Oliver Hazard Perry. Rare historical paintings and photographs capture the spirit of long-past deer camps. This collective biography represents the best of a great American tradition through deer camp experiences, such as freedom, solitude, camaraderie, rites of initiation, story-telling and venison cuisine. More than 12 million American deer hunters celebrate this annual tradition.

Classic Deer Camps is a trip through time, back to the core of America's deer-hunting heritage. In this unique book you will revisit 19th century deer camps through a spectacular collection of writings, historical biography of famous deer camps and nostalgic artwork, plus you'll rediscover the freedom, solitude and camaraderie of this shared rite of passage. Short of providing the faint smell of beans and backstraps cooking on the fire, this book brings you to the heart and soul of this American institution.

An exciting first-hand account of an early deer hunter's explorations of the unspoiled American wilderness Voyages from New York, through Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, and Missouri, and as far south as Louisiana. Gerstacker arrived in America from Germany in 1837, drawn by stories he had heard of the immense forests, excellent for deer hunting. He wandered from Buffalo to New Orleans, visiting frontiersmen in their backwoods cabins and living off the land, eating venison, acorns, sassafras leaves, and wild honey. He found Arkansas ideal for hunting, and encountered all sorts of wildlife, including alligators, wolves, bears, and deer, in his travels. His hunting journal gives a fascinating look at the early-nineteenth century American landscape.

For hunters who love the north woods, the past glory of the wilderness is recorded here. Paulina Brandreth, who wrote under the pseudonym Paul Brandreth, was a woman who hunted and photographed deer in the Adirondacks with noted deer hunters Roy Chapman Andrews, General 'Black Jack' Pershing, and Reuben Cary. She began writing for the acclaimed sportsmen's journal Forest and Stream in 1894 at the age of nine. Her material in the magazine was credited to Camp Good Enough, Brandreth Lake, a major deer camp on land purchased by her grandfather specifically for hunting and fishing. One of only a few women writing about hunting at that time, Brandreth chose to continue to write under a pseudonym, publishing Trails of Enchantment in 1930. She was passionate about still-hunting whitetail bucks, evident in a hunt with her guide and friend Reuben Cary: Side by side, we knelt in the snow, waiting for the buck to appear from behind the intervening trunk of a big birch. The suspense was harrowing. And then at last he loomed suddenly before us....

For four hundred years, explorers, traders, and settlers plundered North American wildlife in an escalating rampage, but in the twentieth century an incredible turnaround took place. Conservationists created wildlife sanctuaries, restored habitats, and imposed regulations on hunters and trappers. Over decades, they nursed many wild populations back to health. Then, after World War II, something happened that conservationists hadn’t foreseen: sprawl. People moved into suburbs, and then kept moving outward. All the while, well-meaning efforts to protect animals allowed wild populations to burgeon out of control, causing damage costing billions, degrading ecosystems, and touching off disputes that polarized communities. The result is a mix of people and wildlife that should be an animal-lover’s dream, but often turns into a sprawl-dweller’s nightmare. Deeply researched, eloquently written, and perceptively humorous, Nature Wars expresses the need for organic reconnection with our natural ecosystem by offering a provocative look at how Americans created an inadvertent mess.

Take your whitetail obsession to the next level with this go-to guide from two of the most knowledgeable and experienced deer-hunting writers in America. Whether you spend all year plotting and preparing for your ultimate whitetail season, or just enjoy a few hunting trips a year with your buddies, this is the book you need. Hundreds of field-tested tips from Field & Stream’s deer-hunting experts cover tips and tricks from America’s best hunting guides and their own decades of experience, including: Shoot Better: With detailed exercises and advice for bow-hunters as well as rifle and shotgun users, this book takes you out on the range and into the woods, with what you need to bring home a trophy buck instead of a lame excuse. Plan All Year: What do you do when deer season ends? Stow your gear, mount your trophies, and start planning for next year. Here’s how to plot your hunting grounds, plant the food deer love, and upgrade your equipment. Track Like a Pro: Where do deer live? What do they eat? How do they behave during the all-important rut season? You may think you know the answers to these questions, but the latest research and unusual historical wisdom will surprise you—and make you a better hunter.

Nominee for the Nobel Prize in Literature.