There are tons of great hunting books out there, but how many can you get for free?
In the age of the internet, information is always just a click away. You can google just about anything and get an answer. However, there is still wisdom to be found in books. One advantage of the digital age is that you don’t have to go to the library to find them; you can simply download the PDF. We’ve taken the time to gather a few of the best hunting books that we could find. These books are full of wisdom and value and we really think you’ll benefit from them.
Join us as we delve down into some truly great books of the past.
Good Hunting – Theodore Roosevelt (1907)
Imagine sitting by a roaring fire and enjoying a bourbon with Teddy Roosevelt while he tells you some of his favorite hunting stories. That’s what this book is.
“Good Hunting” is a compilation of some of Teddy Roosevelt’s favorite North American hunting stories. Each story is relatively short and action packed, making it a fairly easy read.
In this book you get a real taste of what it was like to hunt in the early twentieth century; from grizzly bear to the Wapiti.
I thoroughly enjoyed unpacking this book and getting lost in the adventure. I really like the way Teddy writes and found myself wanting to binge several stories.
(Click here to hear to me tell one of the stories from the book on our podcast)
In my opinion this book would appeal to most everyone who has a passing interested in hunting or the outdoors.
Here’s an excerpt from one of the stories…
Good Hunting
Theodore Roosevelt
I ran too, going at full speed, with the hope of cutting him off; in this I failed, but I came almost face to face with the very bull which I had been following from camp, and which had evidently followed the herd at full speed as soon as they ran.
Great was his astonishment when he saw me. He pulled up so suddenly to wheel round that he almost fell on his side; then off he went in a plunging gallop of terror; but he was near by, and stepping to one side I covered an opening between two trees, firing the minute he appeared.
The Still-Hunter – Theodore S. Van Dyke (1883)
“The Still-Hunter” is a great book for those looking to get up close and personal on the ground.
In this book Van Dyke goes in depth into all the aspects of being a successful ground hunter. From finding fruitful hunting land to closing the distance and making the shot to choosing the right hunting musket 😂. Some of the information in this book is a bit outdated but there is still some great value in it.
But, the price is right.
This is more of an academic read and is targeted towards hunters interested in improving their ground game.
I, being in the target demographic, bought the paperback and I use it as reference fairly often. This book is definitely worth having and has some historical interest as well as some quirkiness to it.
Here’s an excerpt from a chapter I found particularly interesting called “The First Sight of Game”…
The Still-Hunter
Theodore S. Van Dyke
Suddenly your eye rests upon a dim spot of dark gray on a ridge a hundred and fifty yards off. A strange feeling overwhelms you at once, for there is about it a something — an indescribable something— that never would have caught your eye before, but
now does most decidedly catch it. But then it does not look in the least like —
Ha! It moves, and in a moment slides slowly out of sight over the ridge. Why, that must have been a —
Of course. What other thing of that color would
be there at this time of day? Its head and legs were out of sight beyond the crest of the ridge, so that you could distinguish nothing that looked much like an animal.
And now what will you do about it? Seeing a deer is by no means getting a shot at it, and getting a shot is often a long way from bagging it. I will leave you to yourself and let you see how naturally you will do the wrong thing.
Hunting with the Bow and Arrow – Saxton T. Pope (1923)
This is it. We saved the best for last. The epic that is “Hunting with the Bow and Arrow.”
This is the comprehensive guide that made bowhunting mainstream in our “modern” hunting culture. Before Fred Bear, there was Saxton Pope, before Pope, there was Ishi.
In this book, Pope tells the story of Ishi the last Yana Indian whom, against all odds, he befriended and was shown the ways in which the Yana have survived for untold centuries.
(Click here to hear me read Ishi’s amazing story on our Podcast)
Pope records, in meticulous detail, not only the story of Ishi but his hunting methods and how he crafted his hunting tackle. The first half of the book is all about Ishi and his bows. Later in the book Pope begins to tell stories about hunting different game, from raccoons and wolves to deer to grizzly bears.
I seriously can’t recommend this book enough. Pope’s writing is eloquent and clear. There are many great drawings and photos that clearly illustrate his points and add to the interest.
i believe this book would be interesting to any bowhunter and it provides some incredible history of our sport. “Hunting with the Bow and Arrow” is literally jammed packed with value and is well worth any time spent with it.
An excerpt from the book…
Hunting with the Bow & Arrow
Saxton t. Pope
In the joy of hunting is intimately woven the love of the great outdoors. The beauty of woods, valleys, mountains, and skies feeds the soul of the sportsman where the quest of game only whets his appetite. After all, it is not the killing that brings satisfaction, it is the contest of skill and cunning. The true hunter counts his achievement in proportion to the effort involved and the fairness of the sport. With the rapid development of firearms, hunting tends to lose its sporting quality. The killing of game is becoming too easy; there is little triumph and less glory than in the days of yore. Game preservation demands a limitation of armament. We should do well to abandon the more powerful and accurate implements of destruction, and revert to the bow.
Wrap up
There you have it, the best hunting books we could find. I truly believe that they have brought value to my hunting and that they will for you as well. We are so blessed to be behind so many great hunters that we can learn from, good and bad. It’s up to us to take that information and inspiration and carry it forward. That’s why we are promoting these books and why we will continue to share these important stories through channels like this blog and our podcast.
