Best Waterfowling Books

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dward

Active member
When I can't hunt hunt I like to read about hunting , so for everyones reference I'd like to compile a list of the best waterfowling books ever written.
Here's a few of my favorites to get started:

Hagerbaumers...Waterfowling these past 50 years.Especially Brant.
Mathewson-Big Decemeber Canvasbacks.
Mathewson-Best Days
Taylor-Sucessful waterfowling

What are your's?
 
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I'm reading Heilner's " A Book On Duck Shooting" for about the third or forth time.... It's kind of neat how everytime I read it, the book takes on a new meaning and how I notice things that I hadn't picked up on during previous reads.

In addition to Hagerbaumer and Mathewson. Therse's a book called "Wispering Wings and Wooden Blocks" that is a good read. Can't remember the author though.
 
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The obvious ones have been mentioned so here are a couple more I like. Getting The Most Out Of Modern Waterfowling by John Cartier isn't bad. A Saga Of Duck & Goose Hunting by Walter Bush is nice for all the Les Kouba illustrations if nothing else. How relevant any of the older how to waterfowling books are is debatable, I enjoy them because it is like listening to an older hunter telling you how it was back in the day.

Tim
 
Thank you Jode. I bought that book at a decoy show in the Twin Cities where Mr. Koch was there selling his books and I was able to have him sign my copy. He was a real hoot to talk to and real throw back for sure.
 
Thank you Jode. I bought that book at a decoy show in the Twin Cities where Mr. Koch was there selling his books and I was able to have him sign my copy. He was a real hoot to talk to and real throw back for sure.
Click to expand...

That's for sure, Ron is one of a kind. He writes a column for each issue of "Hunting and Fishing Collectibles magazine " It's good for some laughs every time you read it.
 
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My favorite part of that book is where he talks about his "Decoy Room" with a tone and assumption that EVERYBODY has one.... ha ha
 
I'll second a couple of the previous votes:

"The Outlaw Gunner" and the Gordon Macquarrie stories.

Also, Joel Barber's book, "Duck Decoys" I think is the title. This is a great book for anyone who's into decoys.
 
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I agree with many of the titles others have mentioned, especially the Hagerbaumer and Mathewson titles. I'll add my suggestion; anything by Nash Buckingham.
 
I just finished reading "The Decoy Artist, America's Last Hunter-Carver" by David Giannetto, written about his father. I picked it up at the Tuckerton Seaport after seeing the exhibit of Vincent Giannetto III's decoys. Our friend Jode was represented there as well! It is a wonderful read and really spoke to me and my journey as a waterfowler, family man, being second generation in a family business... It helps that I've driven the roads and hunted the waters in the book, just brings it to life. There are plenty of great photos of his decoys as well.

Gene
 
The Gordon Macquarrie stories are my favorites. Have re-read them many times over the years. When my son was little, they were his favorite bedtime stories.
 
Some of my favorites are already here-A Book on duck shooting(Heilner), Wildfowling along the atlantic tidewater(connet-editor), there is kind of a companion piece to that one, Duck shooting in the Mississippi Flyway(Connet-editor), Shotgunning in the Lowlands(Holland), American Duck Shooting(Grinnel).
 
AS MENTIONED PREVIOUSLY, I REGULARLY ENJOY "DUCK SHOOTING ALONG THE ATLANTIC TIDEWATER" BY EUGENE CONNETT. I WAS FORTUNATE ENOUGH TO PICK UP AN ORIGINAL HARDCOPY A FEW YEARS AGO AT THE WHITESTONE WATERFOWL FESTIVAL, IN WHITESTONE, VIRGINIA. ITS A GREAT HISTORY BOOK, FROM THE EARLY DAYS OF HUNTING. I CANNOT IMAGINE THE THRILL OF BEING IN, OR DEPLOYING ONE OF THOSE SINK BOXES ALONG THE BAY. I ESPECIALLY ENJOY THE OLD PHOTOGRAPHS FROM THE TEENS AND TWENTYS.
 
I think the below deserve mentioning. I'll have to check my book shelf tonight for a few more.


Early American Waterfowling, 1700's-1930 by Stephen M Miller
Duck Boats: Blinds: Decoys Raymond R. Camp
Flyways: Pioneering Waterfowl Mgmt in N.A. Dept. of Interior 1984
Waterfowl Tomorrow Dept. of Interior 1964
 
I have all of the books named above except for a couple Eric names; all are wonderful, but one that has not been mentioned is "Florida and the Game Water Birds" by Robert Barnwell Roosevelt (Teddy's uncle). The title of this book is deceptive as only the first two chapters are about Florida and his sailing adventures there. But the remainder of the book documents his duck, goose and shore bird hunts all up and down the Atlantic coast and at the exclusive duck clubs that somehow he never manages to name. He has a dry "blue blood" sense of humor that you pick up on quickly. It’s a very witty and insightful book. He had a very unique personality and was one of the founding conservationists in America. I especially enjoyed the chapter on rail shooting...it's a rare and precious look at the sport of wing-shooting in the post anti-bellum period when breech loaders were just becoming popular among the wealthy bird hunters.

Hitch
 
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