Hunting Books

Hunting ethically is personal, maybe, sanctified. As hunters, we feel, think, act, and reflect upon our blessed experiences. We are comfortable with who we are and grateful for what we do. Hunters are conservationists, humanitarians and cultural heroes. Why then, are so many hunters at a loss for words when asked, Why do you hunt? How can you justify the killing of animals? The Sacred Art of Hunting arms us with those answers, and more.

Our relevancy and identity as hunters are challenged with suspicion by the uninformed and misinformed. We are increasingly asked to validate our very existence. Swan's The Sacred Art of Hunting takes the reader on a spirited journey to the center of the hunter's soul. The adventure is an ongoing reflection and thought provoking celebration of hunters and hunting. From the introduction, Hunters: An Endangered Species? through Chapter 15, The Hunter's Moon and the Crystal Ball the reader will feel an increased sense of value and a responsibility to honor and actively support hunters and hunting, for the right reasons.

The Sacred Art of Hunting is a must read for hunters and non-hunters. The information is powerful and energizing. The photos are historic and keep you in awe. You see a bull elk shedding antlers with the horns having left the head and are part way to the ground. You see a (circa 1880s)photograph of Theodore Roosevelt holding a shotgun on two poachers. You see a blessing of guns, hounds, hunters and the hunt inside a Catholic Church in Canada. The guns are held high forming and archway as the hunters pass through and become the community heroes. Try that in your community!

This reader came away with a double-barreled ability to first, improve my aim at better understanding my personal thoughts and experiences, thus enabling me to relate my hunting experiences with reverant meaning. Second, I now have the knock down power to become more formidable stopping the ongoing attack of anti-hunters charging forth with misinformation.

Dr. Swan has skillfully assembled and organized a history of hunting that all hunters should know and understand. So many of us, even the most well-educated, love and cherish hunting and yet cannot trace our heritage past our parents or grandparents. Swan helps to fill this void by creatively telling the story of our much taller family tree.

However, I don't think non-hunters reading this book are going to be as intrigued as we would hope. Some of the charming traditions described, such as the annual blessing of the hounds and guns in a Canadian church, will seem downright peculiar to non-hunters. Most non-hunters are still going to have difficulty linking themselves and those hunters they personally know to our common universal ancestors, all of whom existed solely as hunter gatherers. As an avid hunter, I suppose I want this book to do the impossible: validate my passion and secure my future among a voting non-hunting public.

I did come away from this book with an even clearer understanding of my mandate, as a hunter, to support in every way possible the local and national groups protecting my passion. In the end, what hunting needs is a brilliant, costly perpetual public relations campaign that emphasizes and protects who we are and what we do. It must be distinct from the other very important, closely related campaign to protect gun rights. It must, in the end, reclaim for hunters the rightful title of First Conservationists.

Almost weekly, I read in a newspapar or periodical about some conservation effort or another, perhaps highlighting a creek cleanup or a local environmental law enactment, and the reporting journalist nearly always titles the piece something like this: "Conservationists and Hunters Join to Protect......".
Clearly, in the media's eye, hunting and conservation are seen as distinct entities. Unless we change that perception, we shall sooner or later find ourselves entirely isolated at the polls.

The cultural, sociological and economic basis of the modern act of hunting is a significant and interesting matter of personal choice and public policy in an age of radical environmentalism and "animal rights."

This book is a nicely presented and worthwhile collection of data which adds a very significant source of fresh data to the more general philosophical and literary treatments of these points, by the likes of Ortega y. Gasset, etc. and etc., where the writing is strong on logic and reasoning -- but sparse on data of the actual cultural foundations of hunting.

This book is focused on the narrow question of the connection between individual spirituality and the act of hunting. It addresses the most personal question of why we choose to preserve and hunt game in a time when it is an optional aspect of life, rather than a foundation to our survival.

The answer to the foundation question has two parts. The first part is that there is no easy way to separate or untangle the elements of spiritual and ritual human psychology from the historical and present matrix of our world culture. The second part is to establish that the act of hunting is inextricably linked to the basis and evolution of our spiritual and religious being. Ergo, it is postulated that hunting sustains these ancient cultural elements which affords us with three useful results of great value. They are:

1. To maintain, in living form, a connection with our pre-civilized forebears;
2. To sustain an understanding and appreciation for our common spirituality and psychological makeup in support of our culture; and
3. To maintain a class of individuals (with natural ins and outs) who maintain a heightened reverence for nature in general as well as delicate game, with a natural balance in particular.

Based on this reasoning, I think it is completely consistent to believe that radically motivated political attacks on hunters, if successful, would have untold negative impacts on world culture, would limit ancient traditions consistent with individual freedom, responsibility and democracy, and would be devastatingly bad for precious game species and their habitat.

The hunting philosophy literature, of which this book is a valuable part, makes clear the case that hunting is a living artifact of prehistoric man. It is a source of more information about the Paleolithic Age and the progressive development of world religion and moral codes than any surviving fossil or relic.

While this book is somewhat American centric, it does give world coverage of the ancient history and the evolution of religion in today's life. In some ways, it makes a case that religion has adapted and provides modern ways to satisfy the generic cultural demands of the spiritual and ritual man, which descents in biological code from the Paleolithic days.

The thesis is both logical and supported by data.

More to follow on land use, conservation and environmentalism.

The Sacred Art Of Hunting: Myths, Legends And The Modern Mythos is a thought-provoking survey of the rich heritage, customs, and histories of the hunt drawn from worldwide cultures and presenting a penetrating insight into the soul of the hunter. Author James Swan reveals a universal, common core experience which provides a cultural context of understanding for "modern" hunters and non-hunters alike. Swan creates a modern mythos of hunting as "an act of love for nature guided by the strongest spiritual forces" when practiced from an ethical perspective. The Sacred Art Of Hunting is a richly, wonderfully illustrated work which will provide inspire to hunters and enlightening for non-hunters as it offers a persuasive and thoughtful perspective on the nature of human beings, our presence in the natural scheme of things, and our evolving place in a changing world. The Sacred Art Of Hunting is highly informative, engaging, uniquely inspiring reading.

This book showed me the possibility that my own cocker spaniel has a bit of another type of spaniel in him. This book is extremely precise and detailed for each of the spaniel breeds. I personally found it to be of enourmous help.

One of the things I love about this dog book is the clear personality and temperament profiles of the different Spaniels. For example, the author tells the reader about the Welsh Springer Spaniel: "Totally loyal to their person, Welshies will follow their owners from room to room, overseeing household chores or listening halfheartedly to telephone conversations." The author continues: "Many are inclined to accompany their owners into the bathroom, often leaning protectively on the shower door or poking their heads past the shower curtain."
The author also describes the different Spaniels' energy levels and she gives amusing anecdotes of their playful antics.
I wish the photographs were bigger, since I enjoy them so much.
For dog lovers there are never enough good photographs and heart-warming anecdotes in these dog books, the more, the merrier!

As a child, I had an English Springer Spaniel. Ms. Spiotta DiMare described the breed's lively personality to a "T." I loved the photos in this book, as well as the completeness of the information for each breed. It's a wonderful resource for anyone who loves spaniels!

Wow, this book was a Godsend! With my kids clamoring for a puppy and my total lack of knowledge about breeds, this book gave me much useful information leading towards our decision to go with a field spaniel with its laidback, easy-going nature. I found the breed comparison charts really helpful -- they brought up useful considerations I wouldn't have factored in ordinarily. My kids loved the many color pictures.

A well written book on the subject of shotgunning. I would recomend it to anyone.

This is an awesome book for inexperienced shooters that want to learn a few things about shotgunning. It is probably the most useful out of a handful of shotgun books I have bought.

Blakeley's book covers a lot of shooting theory and information along with great stories that were entertaining and helped to demonstrate to me much of the theory he describes. He also punches holes through some common myths that every shooter (hunter and sporting) could do very well without. All in all, a very good reference book.

In this excellent book Peter Blakeley presents a wealth of interesting information on shotgun shooting theory and practice. The book is geared to those who want to hit targets more consistently, and understand the how and why of it. The book has good tips on targets in sporting clays and skeet. In addition, there is much on bird hunting.

The author captures the experiences of career-changers across a broad spectrum. If you're a career-changer and looking for more information on the topic, start here! When I found the book in my library, I was feeling stalled in my career-change and felt like it was never going to happen. But, this book makes me feel comfortable in the fact that I *can* change careers and do it successfully as long as I stick to my plan and have a major support team behind me. (I was also comforted by the profiles because many of them changed careers 3-4 times! I'm not alone!)

I am profiled in this book. It was a pleasure to work with the author, Mr, Otterbourg. He did a very thorough job! I am truly honored to be among the many career changers in this book. People can make a change and achieve their goals in life!

Robert Otterbourg helped me think realistically and practically about a career change. His advice allowed me to form reasonable expectations about what it would mean to change careers and to identify what was missing in my current work, how I could find that missing element and what was the cost of the change. The testimonies of the people he's interviewed covers a wide range of careers. Anyone interested in changing their field of work will be encouraged by "Switching Careers."

Mr.Otterbourg has eloquently written a wonderful tool for all of us who contemplate a career change. It is a primer of practical advice, clearly outlining the challanges one faces in considering a particular career change, ranging from finances, time committment, impact on family and redefining established skills in a new profession. Each career move was illustrated by a profile of a person who actually succeeded in the change. These profiles offered inspiration and encouragement. My thanks to the author for writing such a valuable tool.

Too bad this book remains out of print. As many hunters realize, the lives of our dogs are unfairly short compared to our own exisitence. I've been around dogs and will until the day I die, and I can honestly say no other dog book covers so many of the same emotions found with owning a dog. The stories in this book are priceless--I still can't read "Old Tom" without a wave of sorrow for my old friends and the simple explanation of "Tippy" shows us exactly what it means to be owned by a dog. This book needs to be reprinted.

I bought this for my husband/hunter and I read it before he did, he was busy with the other one I gave him along with this one called "Just Dogs, a literary and photographic tribute to the great hunting breeds". The stories were wonderful and the illustrations were just as good. My husband often enjoys stories over a single lengthy plot, and these fit the bill perfectly. This book makes a great gift, and the above mentioned is definitely worth considering, the photos alone are fantastic.

Nothing could be more pleasing then to see someone articulate a subject so well. Often quoted (and for good reason), few authors have a more honest voice or greater capacity for storytelling then Gene Hill.

The 26 stories in this book by the late Gene Hillare exactly what the title says. You will eitherlaugh or cry over each one. Fortunately, there is more laughter than tears. If you have ever had a dog steal your heart, you need to read this book you won't be sorry

Quit wasting time on the internet, mailing out resumes, and carreer management firms. Kathleen Conners shows you the way to get a job fast. She teaches how to locate the hiring managers without being screened by HR. She shows you how to investgate information on potential employers so that you will be knowledgable when speaking with the hiring manager. I find invaluable the many example telephone scripts that are used to get into the hearts and minds of the hiring managers. I have read many other books on the subject but this one is the only one I rate a five star!

I found this book to be extremely helpful in not only researching and finding jobs but also finding sales leads and new opportunities. The idea that people hire people is not unique, just a forgotten art in this world of computers and technology. In sales, it takes footwork and making contact with the approver for the expenditure. Same premise for getting hired. Find the hiring manager and sell yourself. That is what it takes to get good positions today. This book helps job seekers do just that.

This is a must have book for all serious job hunters today. Kathy provides many new ideas and approaches tailored for today's serous job hunters. She provides scenarios and scripts that can be used for the timid in starting a job hunt. This method will help you find and get the job you want that will have a high degree of sucess of working out for both the employee and employer.

Ms. Conner's book is essential for anyone really interested in securing a career! I am a Qualified Rehabilitation Consultant and this book is the "best" I have read on the topic of job searching. It's innovative and well written. It's easy to follow and implement. If you are involved with vocational rehabilitation you need this book.

A great read and full of useful information on alternatives to pesticides and lethal traps for pests of all sizes. Very enjoyable reading and full of experiments to try with kids.

I have the old edition, too. Years ago, I checked that edition book out from the library so much that I decided I needed it. It was out of press, and I couldn't locate a copy. I wrote Adrian Wenner to explain my dilemma, and he mailed me his copy. Very cool.

Tiny game hunting was the only book that covered getting rid of gophers extensively. All other books had one sentence. I tried the tips they suggested and it worked. I felt better reading this book and knowing I am not alone.

I learned a lot about taking care of my front yard and when various pests come onto the scene. This book was suggested to me by the clerk at the library who also had good results in getting rid of a pest.

The book also has some cute drawings of the various pests. This is the book for anyone who wants to follow the healthy and environmentally safe way to keep unwanted pests from their lawns and gardens.

This could be the most useful book I own. It gets more use than my dictionary. Tiny Game Hunting offers practical and effective methods of capturing or killing common household and garden pests; everying from insects and spiders, to lizards and smakes, and mice and gophers. It focuses on environmentally safe extermination methods. Many of the traps, repellents, and pesticides can be made cheaply with common items found in the kitchen or garage. More than just pest control, the book offers some basic information on the habits and history of the critters. Have a problem with a pest? I bet it's in here. It's honestly one of the best books I'll ever own!

This book was just what I was looking for to keep my medium-sized yard and tiny garden in shape without adding to the chemical burden of my home town. I got accurate, easy advice that turned out in most cases to be more effective and less work than spraying with a chemical cocktail. Now I'm purchasing a copy for my neighbor, in the hopes that he'll see the light.

This book gave a great depiction of life in Detroit in the 20's and early 30's. Not just a baseball book!!

If you read the title of this book you might think you are getting a detailed account of the the life of Norman "Turkey" Stearnes and the Detroit Stars, like you get from other books dedicated to a player's life, but this book is different. The story is more about the general environment of the Negro Leagues and race relations in the United States from 1919 to 1933. Great interviews with former Negro Leaguers and fans abound in this book, and the reader will get an idea of what life was like for both players and owners at this time. Readers will not only see Turkey Stearnes, but other greats such as Oscar Charleston, Ted Radcliffe, Andy Cooper, James Bell, Bill Petway, and Josh Gibson. The rosters and season stats for the Detroit Stars at the back of the book will be particularly interesting for anyone researching these players, and there are plenty of great photos as well.

Mr. Bak provides the reader with an insightfull, yet entertaining historical account of a segment of Americana that is too often over looked. A must read for diehard baseball fans, or anyone sincerely interested in either the history of Detroit in general or of baseball in Detroit.

I am Turkey Stearnes' oldest daughter and I think that the book clearly shows that these guys were very great and my dad was the greatest of all time and deserves to be in the Hall of Fame. This book helps to give him the recognition that he so justly deserves. I'm sorry that he is not here to see all that is happening with the Negro League players. This has been a long time coming. Thank You Mr. Bak.

John has written a great book here that will be an easy read. If you are starting a deer farm, or just want more knowledge. It's not too long of a book and gets to the point. I myself am excited to try some suggestions offered in this book. You will find places suggested to purchase certain seed, etc. For the money - it was a great value! Add this to your shelf for reference at minimum!
Thanks for a great book John!

Book is a great place to start when considering habitat improvement. Goes beyond just the simple foodplot info, presents general info on habitat improvement. Comparable to other starter books on this topic. Easy to read.

I think I really hit on something when I bought my husband two of these Outdoorsman's Edge books. He really found the book to be informative and well written. He said he learned ways to "correct" his food plots. He said it was very specific on the products to use and how to get them. "Excellent" in his opinion.

If you are looking for a practical book on deer, turkey, upland birds and other wildlife food plot management, this is the best of all the books I have read. The book is based on the use of affordable equipment, Biologic seed products and sound agricultural practice. I have increased deer activity and estimated that the turkey population has tripled in 1.5 years.
This is an excellent book at a low price.

I bought this for one of my classes that was all about job hunting. I would definitly suggest buying it if your ready to seriously start career searching. It was more of a gateway introduction with a good amount of details about cover letters, resumes, and common-sense interview pointers. Its a smaller book so its easy to skim through and read. The only downside to this is that since its a smaller book, it wont go into great details about all the various topics. But after reading this book and ultimately finishing the class with it, I feel like I have a more in depth knowledge about finding the career I want. Having been through more than a dozen interviews in my own life, I was able to learn more than I thought.

This book was a required text for my Careers class in college, but I've found it to be a useful reference tool even now that I've graduated. It's really easy to read and give lots of great tips like how to write your resume, draft cover letters, succeed at interviews, even how to negotiate your salary. Plus, I love all the examples in the book. It's very helpful to see actual resumes and cover letters. I would highly recommend this book to anyone who is entering the job market, whether he/she is a student just graduating or someone looking for a career change.

I found this book to be an essential tool when job hunting. It is clear and concise. It has essential guidelines for every aspect of looking for the right job. I highly recommend it to everyone.

This book was required in one of my college career classes. I'm really glad it was. I learned more from this book than I would have from experience alone. This book is filled with all sorts of advice and facts about what employers are looking for and how to nail a job interview.

If you are looking for a job, or think you might be in the near future, this book is a must have. Any edge you can get on the other applicants is extremely important and this book will teach you how.