Readings on the Armistice day storm?

D

D. Hinton

Active member
Guys and gals

Are there any good readings on the storm? A buddy and I were talking about it and we both shared similar interests and thought I would surprise him with it.

Was hoping specifically related to Duck Hunting portion of the storm.

Thanks in advance
 
I believe this is the quintessential read on the storm, not specifically duck hunting. I have it in my library, but if there are others I would be interested too:


Also, I did some searching here, I thought Wis Boz shared his personal experience at one point on the forum, but could not find it. Did find this:

Armistice Day Celebration Ferryville, Wi. Wis Boz

On November 10th the city of Ferryville, Wisconsin held a ceremony to commemorate the 75th anniversary of the storm. Wis Boz was one of the honored guests. A Minnesota artist, Michael Sieve, allowed the city to use one of his prints on the plaque. Wis Boz was 15 years old hunting with his dad...
duckboats.net duckboats.net

Okay, an addition, Google found this specific to duck hunting...I have not read but would be curious if any here have:

 
Chuck nailed it. All hell broke loose is a great book(wish I could remember who I borrowed it to)

Wings in the wind is a good read.
I remember reading an article in outdoor life probably in the early 80s called “the day the duck hunters died” I need to try find that one again .
 
The Day the Duck Hunters Died by Tom Davis

Search the title and the article will come up. Sporting Classics.


"Nothing escaped "the winds of hell" and the deadly, suffocating snows that swept across the Upper Midwest on that fateful day in 1940"
 
Rod VanZile said:
The Day the Duck Hunters Died by Tom Davis

Search the title and the article will come up. Sporting Classics.


"Nothing escaped "the winds of hell" and the deadly, suffocating snows that swept across the Upper Midwest on that fateful day in 1940"
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Bingo!

Also historic articles concerning that day in many other magazines over the years. I do believe that I have many of the magazines, and have read and reread in my lifetime.
 
Dave Hagerbaumer was in that storm. He and a friend barely made it off an island where they were hunting. He wrote about it in his book The Bottoms. That book is very hard to find and copies are expensive. Dave told me about that day several times. What I found interesting was he said vast flocks of mallards came in front of the storm. He said they all started drinking soon after landing, making him think they had flown from a great distance. My guess many of you will be familiar with the name Hagerbaumer. In his day he was a noted painter of waterfowl and upland birds. And the most complete waterfowler I have ever met. He got his start in waterfowling taking care on his uncle's live decoys and shot his first duck in 1929.
 
Matt Mahoney said:
I believe Gordon MacQuarrie also wrote about the storm.
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He did.

Since he was an outdoor writer for a newspaper up there, he wrote about it.

When you read the accounts, it's a horror story. Sunny, warm day, hunters going out on the river mostly unprepared...then the wind starts, and the flocks of ducks coming down like crazy...then the temps start to drop, the snow and sleet starts, and the wind makes getting across the river impossible in the chop when the hunters realize just what has happened.

With all the emphasis on how everything has to be "extreme" these days, a lot of people forget just how dangerous duck hunting can be if the elements are against you.
 
Worth Mathewson said:
Dave Hagerbaumer was in that storm. He and a friend barely made it off an island where they were hunting. He wrote about it in his book The Bottoms. That book is very hard to find and copies are expensive. Dave told me about that day several times. What I found interesting was he said vast flocks of mallards came in front of the storm. He said they all started drinking soon after landing, making him think they had flown from a great distance. My guess many of you will be familiar with the name Hagerbaumer. In his day he was a noted painter of waterfowl and upland birds. And the most complete waterfowler I have ever met. He got his start in waterfowling taking care on his uncle's live decoys and shot his first duck in 1929.
Click to expand...

Worth, I didn't know that DH was in that storm...that's amazing.

There's a decoy collector that has some decoys (carved by Heck Whittington, maybe?) that were actually out on the water and survivors of the Armistice Day storm. I am pretty sure they are Whittington's decoys because they are his earlier style before he started corresponding with Shang Wheeler and his carving style changed from classic Illinois River to more Wheeler.
 
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