Books.... new and old

Matt Vanderpan

Matt Vanderpan

Active member
I love to read books, new and old, about waterfowl, waterfowl hunting and anything else related to the sport of chasing birds. I started buying books about 3-4 yrs ago and have a pretty good collection now. Well.... pretty good to me, I am sure there are others out there with more but I can only read so many at one time!!! I just picked up a copy of "Big December Canvasbacks" Worth Mathewson and love it. Some of my other favorites are

North American Waterfowl by Albert Day
Wildfowl Shooting by Mw Bruce Leftingwell
Jack Miner and the Birds by Jack Miner
Old wildfowilg tales 1-3 from Worth and Sand lake Press
Following the Flight by Charles Potter
Wildfowling in the Dakotas
American Duck, Goose & brant Shooting by Wm Bruette

Many many more but this is just a few.

Do any of you have suggestions of others? I am always looking for another book!!
 
"De Shootinest Gentleman" by Nash Buckingham.

"The Outlaw Gunner" by Harry Walsh

Anything you can find written by Havilah Babcock.

There are dozens of others of course, so take the time to develop more "favorites".

Best,
Harry
 
"De Shootinest Gentleman" by Nash Buckingham.

"The Outlaw Gunner" by Harry Walsh
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Ask Sutton what he thinks of these two selections...not to start anything mind you...hehehe... Hitch
 
No offence Steve Sutton but if you reply to this post I will need to get a snack, put on my pajamas and slippers and let the dog out for the night before sitting down to read "your list". That was supposed to be funny ofcourse..............Kevin
 
"When ducks were plenty" Ed Muderlak
"Recollections of fifty years of hunting and shooting" Mershon
another author with a few books is Frank Forrester

for more region specific history

"Waterfowling the Chesapeake" by John C Sullivan
"Shooting the atlantic tidewater" Connett ( he also has one on the mississippi river flyway)

While they are not books NY Times has cataloged many artcles in PDF as far back as the 1800's and you can do simple keyword searches.

One of the things I did was go through "when ducks were plenty" and "wildfowling the dakotas" is find books by the stories author and in some case magazine articles. Leffingwell will always be my favorite, he just had a way with his writing.
 
Just finished "The Outlaw Gunner".I really enjoyed the history and equipment.You know who sutton would have been..............Game warden ;^)
 
Naw Joe,

Sutton just has strong opinions as do we all. He is indeed well informed and generally very knowledeable about our wonderful sport. Liking a particular author or not is kinda sorta like whether or not you like a particular TV show. My sweet wife doesn't care for "NCIS" or "The Unit "and I don't care for "Dancing With the Stars" and that type of show or anything on "The Lifetime Channel" or "Queer Eye for the Straight Guy".

She's a great wife and at least pretrends she doesn't mind my expenditures on "Boaty" stuff.

Steve is entitled to his opinions even if they differ from mine.

Best,
Harry
 
Gunning The Chesapeake by Roy Walsh
Chesapeake Bay Decoys , The men who made and used them by Crow Haven Publishers
Gunners Paradise by Jane Townsend

Here are some good older books if you can get your hands on them. I have over 40 books, most of them are decoy reference books either factory or carvers from the different schools throught the country. I do have most of Fleckensteins books.
 
i have a book i got a long time ago at a kids fishing derby. its called "marsh tales". its a compilation of short stories by market hunters and hunters of the new regulations era. some really good stories of punt boats, duck traps, sink boxes, and of course hand carved decoys and classic doubles. its my absolute favorite.

eddie
 
A book I found interesting "Duck Shooting along the Atlantic Tidewater" Eugene V.Connett editor by Bonanza Books, New York 1946 This book goes from New Brunswick to Florida,also Louisiana marshes. Each chapter a different author. It takes you back to a earlier time. Among the authors Elmer Crowell, Charles Wheeler, Lynnn Bogue Hunt, Samuel Bonnel and others Interesting Chapter on Making and painting Decoys by DR. Edgar Burke
 
Another must read mentioned above.

Stories of the Old Duck Hunters & other drivel by Gordon MacQuarrie Stackpole Co. 1967
compiled and edited by Zack Taylor

Many good writers but MacQuarrie was one of the best.

He is the one that taught Andy Dorsal how to hunt and fish. hee hee
 
Making Decoys: The Century-Old Way
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I have 3 copies of the first edition, all fine+/fine+, and 1 new paperback edition. I had 4 copies of the first edition, but one very special friend got a nice Christmas present :)

Hitch
 
I am sure you know it already Hitch but Grayson's book is actually a great commodity investment. The minute you want to sell it, its sold. I asked him a few years ago here if there would ever be a Second printing but I guess it didn't work out.


YOU are the guy that ought to publish a book..."Waterfowl of Florida, a Photographic Essay"
 
For the record, I was going to publish one myself

Making Paper Mache Corn Decoys: The Century-Old Way

but its 94 years too soon
 
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