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Outdoor Books You Need to Read List

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Outdoor Books You Need to Read List

Postby WapitiTalk1 » 04 17, 2018 •  [Post 1]

Let’s start an “A” list of outdoor themed books a person should read. Please provide the title, author, and a bit about the book.
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Re: Outdoor Books You Need to Read List

Postby Navesgane » 04 17, 2018 •  [Post 2]

Robinson Crusoe by Daniel Defoe. Survival, human interaction and psychology.
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Re: Outdoor Books You Need to Read List

Postby Lefty » 04 18, 2018 •  [Post 3]

Post up guys I may have time to read a book

While not really hunting related I was given "On Combat" by a student by Dr. David Grossman.
I was teaching in an Alternative school, incredible book that explainer a lot of my students behaviors and how to address those behaviors.


Overview
On Combat: The Psychology and Physiology of Deadly Conflict in War and in Peace by Dave Grossman, Loren W. Christensen, Author

ON COMBAT looks at what happens to the human body under the stresses of deadly battle and the impact on the nervous system, heart, breathing, visual and auditory perception, memory - then discusses new research findings as to what measure warriors can take to prevent such debilitations so they can stay in the fight, survive, and win. A brief, but insightful look at history shows the evolution of combat, the development of the physical and psychological leverage that enables humans to kill other humans, followed by an objective examination of domestic violence in America. The authors reveal the nature of the warrior, brave men and women who train their minds and bodies to go to that place from which others flee.

After examining the incredible impact of a few true warriors in battle, ON COMBAT presents new and exciting research as to how to train the mind to become inoculated to stress, fear and even pain. Expanding on Lt. Col. Grossman's popular "bulletproof mind" presentation, the audiobook explores what really happens to the warrior after the battle, and shows how emotions, such as relief and self-bame, are natural and healthy ways to feel about having survived combat. A fresh and highly informative look at post traumatic stress syndrome (PTSD) details how to prevent it, how to survive it should it happen, how to come out of it stronger, and how to help others who are experiencing it.

ON COMBAT looks at the critical importance of the debriefing, when warriors gather after the battle to share what happened, critique, learn from each other and, for some, begin to heal from the horror. The listener will learn a highly effective breathing technique that not only steadies the warrior's minds and body before and during the battle, but can also be used afterwards as a powerful healing device to help separate the emotion from the memory. Concluding chapters discuss the Christian/Judeo view of killing in combat and offers powerful insight that Lt. Col. Grossman has imparted over the years to help thousands of warriors understand and come to terms with their actions in battle. A final chapter encourages warriors to always fight for justice, not vengeance, so that their remaining days will be healthy ones filled with pride for having performed their duty morally and ethically. This information-packed audiobook ploughs new ground in its vision, in its extensive new research and startling findings, and in its powerful, revealing quotes and anecdotes from top people in the warrior community, people who have faced the toxic environment of deadly combat and now share their wisdom to help others.

ON COMBAT is easy to understand and powerful in scope. It is a true classic that will be listened to by new and veteran warriors for years to come.
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Re: Outdoor Books You Need to Read List

Postby Tigger » 04 18, 2018 •  [Post 4]

1. Waiting for White Horses. Nathan Jorgensen. Happiness always seems to elude Grant Thorson. Witness his joys and sorrows as he learns to embrace the sometimes bitter struggle that is life.

set in northern MN. I liked it. It is not a shoot 'em up kind of book.

2. Alaska's Wolfman. The story of Frank Glaser from 1915 to 1955. By Jim Rearden. About a government wolf hunter/trapper.

3. Last of the Breed by Louis Lamour. Not a western. Set in modern day. Great book.
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Re: Outdoor Books You Need to Read List

Postby scubohuntr » 04 18, 2018 •  [Post 5]

Meditations on Hunting, by Jose Ortega y Gassett. A nonbiased treatment of hunting and fishing by a Spanish philosopher. It's not a long book, and surprisingly easy to read.

Maneaters of Kumaon, by James Corbett. A classic, by a truly amazing man. Col. Corbett killed many maneating tigers and leopards, including several of the top killers on record. In a time when the accepted practice was huge safaris, with dozens of porters, guides, gunbearers, and all the comforts of Buckingham Palace, he preferred to hunt completely alone, sleeping on the ground (in active maneater territory!) and living on what he had in his pack. His love and respect for the animals he hunted is apparent, and every hunter can learn something about tracking and stalking from him.

Death in the Silent Places, by Peter Hathaway Capstick. Most hunters have a well-read copy of Death in the Long Grass, and they absolutely should. If you don't have this one, though, find it. It's not about the author's own experiences, but biographies of several noteworthy outdoorsmen, some of whom you may not have heard of. Capstick had a tendency toward purple prose, but his writing is undeniably entertaining.
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Re: Outdoor Books You Need to Read List

Postby Swede » 04 18, 2018 •  [Post 6]

It depends on what you enjoy or want to learn, when you choose a book to read I like reading hunting stories and there are a number of them out there that have great stories and tidbits of hunting tips. I would go wit "Life At Full Draw" by Chuck Adams. Some of the stories are very memorable. There is humor, and intrigue. One of the best stories was about Chuck going after a Bighorn sheep in the Canadian Rockies in the winter.
Life In The Grizzly Maze" by Mike Lapinski is good. It is the story of the life, fallacies and death of Timothy Treadwell. The book is well researched by the author, but from reading other expert opinions, I doubt he got the event that caused Timothy's death quite right. It hardly matters, and no one was there to witness the event.
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Re: Outdoor Books You Need to Read List

Postby Tigger » 04 18, 2018 •  [Post 7]

Anything by Jim Posewitz.

There are a number of game warden autobiographies out there (one in northern MN and one in CA) that were good.

Not looking to die by Bill Sansom. Deputy Sheriff Bill Sansom was not looking to die when he responded to a pre-dawn neighborhood disturbance at a trailer court just outside of his hometown of St. Regis, Montana. Someone had slashed tires on several vehicles belonging to loggers wanting to get back to work after the Christmas holiday weekend. After Bill restrained the angry mob, he followed barefoot tracks in the snow from each disabled vehicle to a small camper trailer. The 26-year-old deputy sheriff stepped up on the three-step porch and knocked on the door. His knock was answered by a hail of bullets. The first .44 caliber 240 grain jacketed hollow point shattered Bill’s right hip joint and careened down his leg, lodging in his knee. The second shot took out Bill’s left lung and dislocated his shoulder. As the young deputy lay broken and stunned on the ground, his assailant made the mistake of stepping out onto the small porch. Bill managed to free his gun hand, pinned underneath him, and return fire as yet a third bullet ricocheted off the frozen ground between his splayed legs and ripped through his left thigh, cutting his femoral artery. It was over in a heartbeat. In the frigid December dawn, deputy sheriff Bill Sansom lay in a widening pool of his own blood. His assailant lay dead on the trailer house porch.
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Re: Outdoor Books You Need to Read List

Postby Elkduds » 04 18, 2018 •  [Post 8]

Beyond the 100th Meridian by Stegner. Story of Powell's exploration of the Colorado River/Grand Canyon, and the early development of the arid West.
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Re: Outdoor Books You Need to Read List

Postby Navesgane » 04 18, 2018 •  [Post 9]

Ghost grizzlies- the history and demise of the Colorado grizzly and the possibilities of surviving ghost populations.
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Re: Outdoor Books You Need to Read List

Postby Indian Summer » 04 19, 2018 •  [Post 10]

Where The Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak. A few here may be to old to enjoy it but many aren’t.
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Re: Outdoor Books You Need to Read List

Postby Lefty » 04 20, 2018 •  [Post 11]

Tigger wrote:3. Last of the Breed by Louis Lamour. Not a western. Set in modern day. Great book.


I read that book shortly after Lamor died,.. His best book by far
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Re: Outdoor Books You Need to Read List

Postby VT Sasquatch » 04 26, 2018 •  [Post 12]

Great thread. I am a bit of a nerd so this has me excited for suggestions. The number one book that I think all outdoorsman should read is "A Sand County Almanac" by Aldo Leopold. I stumbled upon it as a teenager and it was one of those books that has stayed with me. Seriously, it is worth a read.
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Re: Outdoor Books You Need to Read List

Postby Elkduds » 04 26, 2018 •  [Post 13]

True Grit by Charles Portis. If I have to have a favorite novel, this is the one.
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Re: Outdoor Books You Need to Read List

Postby Lsb » 05 04, 2018 •  [Post 14]

Not sure if it fits the theme but I've enjoyed the Joe Pickett series by c.j.box. there's a pile of them, first is open season. Joe Pickett is a Wyoming game warden in saddle string wy. Always gets involved with murder investigations, has off the grid friends. Really good reads and stories are set in ne wy SW Mt areas.
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Re: Outdoor Books You Need to Read List

Postby WapitiTalk1 » 05 18, 2018 •  [Post 15]

I’ve got a few of the recommendations ordered up (thanks folks). Don’t sleep on the humorous Pat McManus books, I own many of them ;). When browsing for books, check out Thriftbooks.com. Great prices.
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Re: Outdoor Books You Need to Read List

Postby Trumkin the Dwarf » 05 19, 2018 •  [Post 16]

Stories Of The Old Duck Hunters And Other Drivel by Gordon MacQuarrie. If you haven't experienced it, you need to track a copy down. It's worth the effort.
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Re: Outdoor Books You Need to Read List

Postby pointysticks » 05 25, 2018 •  [Post 17]

what got me into reading and hunting was the Jim Kjegaard books. i read them all. my mom would drop me off at the library solo..i was maybe 8. (come to think of it, that would be child endangerment today..hahah). i would check out the books one by one.

i am half tempted to read them again. i bet i could do a book a day.
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Re: Outdoor Books You Need to Read List

Postby WapitiTalk1 » 07 17, 2018 •  [Post 18]

Just finished The Journals of Lewis and Clark (newly abridged by Anthony Brandt). Certainly a must read. Before that, I read Last of the Breed, Louis L'Amour (excellent read; thanks for the heads up on that one). Reading another one now that I'm really liking... Can't tell you what it is as I haven't finished it yet and it may have a bad ending (not likely) :lol:.

Let's hear some more recommendations folks! Of course, in between "big books", I grab one of the Pat McManus books ;)
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Re: Outdoor Books You Need to Read List

Postby Tigger » 07 17, 2018 •  [Post 19]

Lights out. BY Ted Koppel
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Re: Outdoor Books You Need to Read List

Postby Jhg » 10 11, 2018 •  [Post 20]

1)Call of the wild/by jack london, 2)waab, biography of a grizzly/by earnest thompson seton, 3)desert solitaire/edward abby, 4)mojave crossing and mustang man/louis l'amour
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Re: Outdoor Books You Need to Read List

Postby Navesgane » 10 16, 2018 •  [Post 21]

Just finished this one. A really in-depth philosophical study on hunting.

A Quiet Place of Violence

https://www.amazon.com/Quiet-Place-Viol ... f+violence
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Re: Outdoor Books You Need to Read List

Postby jmez » 10 16, 2018 •  [Post 22]

Undaunted Courage by Stephen Ambrose, about Lewis and Clark expedition.

A Life Wild an Perilous by Robert Utley, about the mountain men/fur trade.

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Re: Outdoor Books You Need to Read List

Postby Newt » 10 21, 2018 •  [Post 23]

The Old Pro Turkey Hunter By Gene Nunnery is a great read.
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Re: Outdoor Books You Need to Read List

Postby WapitiTalk1 » 01 15, 2019 •  [Post 24]

A few more outdoor themed books I've read over the past while that I thought were pretty darn good.

Indian Creek Chronicles: A Winter Alone in the Wilderness - Pete Fromm (reading this now, really good).
Rocky Mountain Warden - Frank Calkins (have this on stand by to read next; looks good)
Trophy Blacktails, The Science of the Hunt - Scott Haugen (excellent source on the wily black tail).
Three Against the Wilderness - Eric Collier (again, thought this was an excellent read).

Look at Thrift Books on line as a source for books; really, really good prices on pre-owned books.
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Re: Outdoor Books You Need to Read List

Postby Swede » 01 15, 2019 •  [Post 25]

Bows on the Little Delta by Glen St Charles is an excellent hunting book. It speaks to a different time and a refreshingly different attitude toward hunting. He passed over a big bull in favor of a cow on one particular hunt. Read the book and see why. He had another book called Legends of the Longbow, which I would like to read, as I suppose It reflects the same era and same mind.
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Re: Outdoor Books You Need to Read List

Postby ABQ_Chica » 07 08, 2019 •  [Post 26]

As usual, I'm late to the party! Great thread. Thanks for the suggestions--my reading list just grew quite a bit. In the meantime, a few of my favorites...

Heartsblood by David Petersen: The subtitle says it all, "Hunting, spirituality, and wildness in America." While I don't agree with all of his opinions, I enjoy his perspectives on the beauty and darkness of hunting, our deep and soulful need to hunt.

On the Wild Edge by David Petersen: I live vicariously through his outdoor exploits, hunting, tracking, observing, and just being out in the wild.

Desert Solitaire by Edward Abbey: His writing captures the mind-bending wonder and brutal treachery of desert life.

(Not pictured, Prodigal Summer by Barbara Kingsolver: Although not technically a book about the outdoors, it transports me to forests and farmlands of Appalachia--a foreign world to a desert rat. She explores how the natural world and the wild things shape us if we let them, and how interconnected we are with the wild, whether we realize it or not.)
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Re: Outdoor Books You Need to Read List

Postby Tigger » 07 08, 2019 •  [Post 27]

I am reading The Last Stand by Michael Punke. Awesome book that covers a lot of topics. Bison, George Bird Grinnell, Indians, Yellowstone....just an eye-opening book.

And although George Bird Grinnell died long, long ago.....if he has access to Wapiti Talk in heaven.....thanks for all that you did!
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Re: Outdoor Books You Need to Read List

Postby WapitiTalk1 » 07 08, 2019 •  [Post 28]

Sweet! A few more for my reading list (thanks ABQ_Chica and Tigger).
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Re: Outdoor Books You Need to Read List

Postby ABQ_Chica » 07 08, 2019 •  [Post 29]

This thread got me thinking... When I draw an elk tag, these usually land on the top of my reading list.

Elknut’s Playbook by Paul Medel (aka Elknut): Paul was one of the first truly encouraging people I spoke with after drawing my first elk hunt eight years ago. I had been discouraged by other hunters for not having what they thought was a good enough bow setup. But Paul gave me advice for almost three hours and patiently built my confidence back up. Taught me there’s no substitute for shot placement, thoroughly knowing your strengths AND your limits (as well as those of your equipment), and understanding elk behavior and sounds. I’m forever grateful for his generosity (and the Playbook), and constantly try to pay it forward to other new hunters.

Tree Stand Hunting Rocky Mountain Elk by John Erickson (aka Swede): Another hunter who is everlastingly generous and encouraging. I read this every year I draw for elk in tree stand units.

Elkheart by David Peterson: Elk biology, predator-prey relationships, hunting strategy, and rollicking stories.

Majestic Elk (a compilation): Elk-hunting stories to rile a hunter’s heart. Good stuff to read aloud around a campfire.

Bowhunting Modern Elk by Patrick Meitin: Helpful starter book for when I was a newbie.

Backcountry Bowhunting by Cameron Hanes: This helped me conquer the fear of hunting solo, particularly the grittier mental/psychological and safety challenges.
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Re: Outdoor Books You Need to Read List

Postby Tigger » 07 08, 2019 •  [Post 30]

Hey Chica,
Do you know what you have done??? Swede 's head will expand about 6-8 sizes after reading that. We had just whittled him down to size and now we have to do it all over again!! :D

Plus, he will have to buy all new hats.

+1 on Elknut's playbook. I loaned my copy out and haven't gotten it back yet and have another guy wanting to borrow it! I always read it before elk season. But not too far before as it gets me all excited.
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