Hello everyone! I'm new here and I just wanted to say "thanks" for the amount of info I've learned already. I'm not new to archery but new to the traditional side.
Anyway, I'm traveling soon and will spend quite some time flying. I'm looking for some books to bring and I want to know if there's a general consensus as to the best traditional bowhunting books of all time. What are the "must reads?"
Thanks for your time, everyone!
Welcome to the traditional side and to Tradgang.
I enjoyed the book "From the Den of the Old Bowhunter" by Stevenson. I highly recommend it for just such purpose. It will be one you keep and pick up from time to time just to thumb through the photos. Enjoy.
Witchery of Archery :thumbsup:
I just started Mike Mitten's book. So far it is highly on my recommendation list.
Hunting the hardest, by Howard Hill. Traditional bowhunters Handbook ( phenomenal book). I like the Fred asbells Instinctive shootimg books and stalking and still hunting. Hunting with the bow and arrow. By saxton pope ( free on iBooks, kindle) there are a few I have read and enjoy
Bows on the Little Delta - Glenn St. Charles So far my absolute favorite but I just picked up 4 Jay Massey books so. we'll see if one of those take the place as my favorite.
In addition to those already mentioned, just about anything by Don Thomas. The latest books by the Wensel Brothers are also good.
"Traditional Bowhunters Handbook" by T.J. Conrads
Fred Bear's Field Notes.
Whitetail Magic by Roger Rothaar.
The Traditional Journey book is one of my favorites. Has stories from Fred bear and other hunters and also some "how to" chapters. Very good book!
Fred Andersons "The Traditional Way" is about the best book going round for my money ... I love that book .
Hills' "Hunting the Hard Way " , Nott's "From the Den of the Old Bowhunter" , Schulz "Straight Shooting" , Don Carson's "Early Days with Howard Hill " , Pope's "Hunting with the Bow and Arrow" , Thompson's "Witchery of Archery " are IMHO the books that offer the best representation of archery going round
welcome. the list for me is below, I read these books hundred times and still love them.
Hunting the Hard way Howard Hill
Hittingem like howard hill John schulz
Witchery of Archery Will Thompson
Shooting straight John schulz
Hunting with the bow and arrow Saxton Pope
Primitive archery Jay massey
Sagitarius Bob Swinehart
Lions in the path White
Den of an old bowhunter Chet Stevenson
Come November Gene Wensel
all of Don L. Thompson books
all of Fred Asbell books
Elkheart, Dave Petersen
If you want to learn about deer and deer hunting Bobby Worthington's new book a Passionate Quest is hands down the best book out there. He is a compound shooter but he hunts at trad. ranges, so all his info. is applicable. The book carries a hefty price, $75 for the soft cover, but it is well worth it. If you think about how much we spend on camo, arrows and the like, it's a small price to pay for the years of knowledge gained. There is a bit on compound set up and shooting in the begining and some evangelical arguments at the end but the middle section is priceless. He also has some good hunting stories sprinkled in along the way. His result in trophy whitetails speak for themselves, and a meat hunter will have a much greater chance of filling their freezer.
All the books listed above will give you plenty of great reading. Bows on the Little Delta is by far my favorite. Another to add to your list is Toxophilus in Arcadia - works by Maurice Thompson.
I agree with alot of the above Mike Mittens "One with Wilderness" is a great book as is any of Don Thomas writings I have to have a book that will keep me interested and both these writers do that,,,
QuoteOriginally posted by Orion:
In addition to those already mentioned, just about anything by Don Thomas. The latest books by the Wensel Brothers are also good.
X2 on the Don Thomas books, i own all of his bowhunting books and i think they are all amazing :clapper:
David Peterson's "A Man Made of Elk", "Best of Traditional Bowhunter" by various authors, including today's best, "A Hunters Heart", edited by David Peterson (various essays), all of Don Thomas's books (including "How Sportsmen Saved the World", and of course the books by the Wensel brothers. Mike Mitten's "One With the Wilderness" is also a good read, as are all the classics already mentioned...
QuoteOriginally posted by Craig Schoneberg:
All the books listed above will give you plenty of great reading. Bows on the Little Delta is by far my favorite. Another to add to your list is Toxophilus in Arcadia - works by Maurice Thompson.
Reading Toxophilus in Arcadia right now, it's excellent. That, and The Witchery of Archery are amazing.
I love Fred Andersons books, he is a great and interesting writer. I would love to meet that guy.
G Fred Asbell strings words together like nobodys business. If he would have been my math and science teacher I would be a doctor now.
Don Thomas is a very knowledgable writer, all of his books are great.
I think books go hand in and with traditional archery. My wife just said at dinner today "If you aren't shooting your bow, making arrows, or hunting, you are reading about it!" She's right.
All of these are great. One that hasn't been mentioned yet is "A Thousand Campfires" by Jay Massey. It will cast you a pretty penny but is well worth it.
I forgot about that one Meathead....true story: I took Ron LaClairs copy of A Thousand Campfires out in the woods one day at ShrewHaven. I read the entire book in one morning. As I closed the book, I looked up and a doe was broadside and 10 yards away. Closed the book, and shot the doe.
I was going to say "A Thousand Campfires" as well....also any of Jay Massey's other books. "Bowhunting Alaskas Wild Rivers" is another. I also liked "Ishi and Elvis" by Jim Hamm. Good story.
Read Roger Rothaar's "Whitetail Magic"--the most enthralling and inspiring book I've ever read about bowhunting. I haven't read them all of course, but this is a very good one.
Joe
For a good cross section I'd go with:
Fred Bears Field Notes by Fred Bear
Hunting the Hard Way by Howard Hill (availible on Kindle)
Come November by Gene Wensel
Longbows in the Far North by Don Thomas (availible on Kindle)
Stalking and Still Hunting by G. Fred Asbell
Bows on the Little Delta by Glen St. Charles
These will give you a cross section of some of the most influential of past and current traditional archery in a short list. These are not 'how to' shooting books (there's lot's of those and video's out right now).
P.S.
I purposely left out Jay Massey books because they're not readily available and will cost you a pretty penny to get one. But well worth the read if you do.
One I don't see mentioned is "trailing a bear" by bob munger, Fred's buddy. Awesome read. It was my all time fave until I read Glenn St Charles "Bows on the Little Delta", and in my life I haven't found a book that compares........best by a mile to me.
Trailing a Bear is awesome, you are right. It's kind of a given, but Fred Bears Field Notes is something I can read over and over.