The Best Hunting Stories Ever Told (Best Stories Ever Told)

Jay Cassell (Editor), Thomas McIntyre (Introduction)

Top hunters and writers contribute to this exciting new adventure series!

Follow the trails of hunters—the original storytellers—as they interpret signs, examine tracks, and chase and catch their prey (or fail to). Readers can curl up with the best authentic hunting fiction and non-fiction, bringing the great Mount Kenya and the prairies of the American Bison into your living room. From Theodore Roosevelt and Gene Hill to Rick Bass and Charles Dickens, remember classic hunting tales and discover new stories of hunters’ luck, camaraderie, and use of smarts on the trail. The thrill of the chase and the passion for outdoor living are elegantly brought together in this exquisite volume, certain to delight both hunters and short-story aficionados.

With work by more than one hundred of the world’s most eminent authors and hunters, including:

Theodore Roosevelt

Zane Grey

Ted Nugent

Aldo Leopold

Rick Bass

Philip Caputo

Geoffrey Norman

Gene Hill

And many more!

100 black-and-white illustrations to enrich the literary experience

Poachers: Stories

Tom Franklin (Author)

In ten stunning and bleak tales set in the woodlands, swamps and chemical plants along the Alabama River, Tom Franklin stakes his claim as a fresh, original Southern voice.His lyric, deceptively simple prose conjures a world where the default setting is violence, a world of hunting and fishing, gambling and losing, drinking and poaching-a world most of us have never seen. In the chilling title novella (selected for the anthologies New Stories from the South: The Year's Best, 1999 and Best Mystery Stories of the Century), three wild boys confront a mythic game warden as mysterious and deadly as the river they haunt. And, as a weathered, hand-painted sign reads: "Jesus is not coming." This terrain isn't pretty, isn't for the weak of heart, but in these deperate, lost people, Franklin somehow finds the moments of grace that make them what they so abundantly are: human.

About the Author

Tom Franklin grew up in Dickinson, Alabama, a small, one-store town, where his parents formed The First Century, a church where speaking in tongues, faith-healings, and exorcisms were common. After moving to Mobile at eighteen, Tom earned both his B.A. and M.A. in English and Creative Writing from the University of South Alabama, where he currently teaches. In 1997, he earned his M.F.A. from the University of Arkansas. His fiction has appeared in numerous publications, including The Nebraska Review and Alabama Magazine. In 1998, Tom was awarded the Writers at Work Literary Nonfiction prize and an Arkansas Arts Council grant. He lives in Mobile, Alabama, with his wife, poet Beth Ann Fennelly.

Texas Man Sentenced to Jail in Connection with Kansas Deer Hunting and Guiding Operation

WASHINGTON – A Texas man was sentenced today in federal court in Wichita on felony charges of conspiracy, wildlife trafficking and obstruction of justice related to the illegal sale of guided deer hunts in southern Kansas, announced Ignacia S. Moreno, Assistant Attorney General for the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division and Barry Grissom, U.S. Attorney for the District of Kansas.  

James Bobby Butler, Jr., 42, of Martinsville, Tex., was sentenced to 41 months in federal prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release during which Butler will be banned from all hunting and guiding.   Butler was also ordered to pay a $25,000 fine to the Lacey Act reward fund, and $25,000 restitution to the Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks.  Butler pleaded guilty in March 2010 to one count of conspiracy to violate the Lacey Act, one Lacey Act interstate trafficking count and one count of obstruction of justice.   His brother, Marlin Jackson Butler, 36, also of Martinsville, pleaded guilty in March 2011 to one count of conspiracy to violate the Lacey Act and one Lacey Act count.   Marlin Butler is scheduled to be sentenced on June 24, 2011.

 “Thanks to outstanding cooperation between federal and state law enforcement agents and prosecutors, we put an end to a criminal conspiracy that took valuable and limited wildlife resources through unlawful and unethical means,” said Assistant Attorney General Moreno. 

“This prosecution sends a message to hunters and guides in Kansas and elsewhere that there will be serious consequences for those who seek to profit by violating state and federal wildlife laws, especially at the expense of those who hunt and guide lawfully.” 

“Illegal wildlife trafficking is a threat to the natural resources of Kansas,” Grissom said. “Our goal is to preserve and protect wildlife for everyone to enjoy – including hunters who abide by the law.”

The Lacey Act is a federal law that makes it illegal to knowingly transport or sell in interstate commerce any wildlife taken or possessed in violation of state law or regulation.

According to court documents filed in the case, James and Marlin Butler conspired together to knowingly transport and sell in interstate commerce deer that had been hunted in violation of Kansas state law.   In particular, the brothers operated a guiding service and hunting camp near Coldwater, Kan., at which they sold guiding services to out-of-state hunters for the purpose of illegally hunting and killing white-tailed deer and mule deer.   Hunters guided by the Butler brothers killed deer in excess of annual bag limits, hunted deer without permits or with permits for the wrong deer management unit, killed deer using illegal equipment, and hunted using prohibited methods such as spotlighting. The guided hunts were sold for between $2,500 and $5,500, and in several instances resulted in the killing of trophy-sized buck deer.   In addition to selling guiding services, the brothers also arranged for transport of the deer, in particular the antlers and capes, from Kansas to Texas and Louisiana.

James Butler also pleaded guilty to instructing another person to conceal or destroy evidence during the investigation.

 “This is the largest case in the history of wildlife law enforcement in Kansas,” said Steve Oberholtzer, Special Agent in Charge of the Mountain-Prairie Region, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. “Trophy deer are an important resource for the state of Kansas from both wildlife and economic standpoints.   Joint investigations such as this one demonstrate that the combined efforts of state and federal agencies and our federal prosecutors result in prosecutions that hold those who violate the law accountable.   We are grateful to the Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks and the U.S. Attorney's Office for their assistance in this case and hope that it will serve as a deterrent to others who might consider exploiting our nation's wildlife for personal gain.”

The case was investigated by the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, the Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks and the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, and jointly prosecuted by District of Kansas U.S. Attorney Barry Grissom’s office and the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division, Environmental Crimes Section

National Geographic Field Guide to the Birds of North America, Fifth Edition

Jon L. Dunn (Author), Jonathan Alderfer (Author)

Birding is the fastest growing wildlife-related activity in the U.S., and even conservative estimates put the current number of U.S. birders at 50 million. According to the New York Times, some authorities predict that by 2050 there will be more than 100 million—and the National Geographic Field Guide to the Birds of North America will be the essential reference for field identification and the cornerstone of any birder's library. This is the ultimate, indispensable bird field guide—comprehensive, authoritative, portable, sturdy, and easier than ever to use.

Among the the new edition's key elements and practical improvements: Every North American species—more than 960, including a new section on accidental birds—classified according to the latest official American Ornithologists' Union checklist 4,000 full-color illustrations by the foremost bird artists at work todayand newly updated range maps that draw on the latest data New durable cover for added protection against adverse weather, plus informative quick-reference flaps that double as placemarkers New reader-friendly features like thumbtabs that make locating key sections faster and easier, and a quick-find index to direct users straight to the information they need.

About the Author

Jon L. Dunn, a leading expert on the identification and distribution of North American birds, has served as chief consultant on all four previous editions of this book. He is also a consultant for the American Birding Association magazine, Birding, and the former chair of the ABA Checklist Committee, as well as a member of the California Bird Records Committee and the AOU Committee on Taxonomy and Nomenclature. He lives in Bishop, California.

Jonathan Alderfer, chief consultant for National Geographic's Birding Program, is a widely published author and field guide illustrator. One of the nation's foremost birding artists, he is well known for his expertise as a field ornithologist and an authority on North American birds. He was a general consultant, art consultant, and contributing artist for the NG Field Guide to the Birds of North America 3rd and 4th editions, and the lead editor of NG's Complete Birds of North America. A former Associate Editor of Birding, the ABA magazine, he also served on the Maryland/D.C. Bird Records Committee. He lives in Washington, D.C.

Hunting with Hemingway: Based on the Stories of Leicester Hemingway

Hilary Hemingway (Author)

An amazing twist of a tale that will itself become part of the Hemingway legacy.

Fifteen years after the death of her father, Leicester, Hilary Hemingway received her curious inheritance--a cassette tape recorded on one of the many evenings he had held court around a campfire on their Miami Beach estate, telling tales of narrow escapes on hunting trips with his brother Ernest: hunting crocodile in the dark, chasing vicious wild ostrich, and stalking a tiger that, moments before, had carried off a safari guide. Ernest inspired his younger brother to feats of daring, always stepping in to save his life in the nick of time when Leicester's bravado outweighed his common sense.

In Hunting with Hemingway, Leicester Hemingway's larger-than-life stories are transcribed by his daughter, and, in alternating chapters, Hilary Hemingway describes her reaction to her father's outrageous exploits. Were the stories even true? she wondered. Delving into her family legacy, she and her young daughter set out on their own suspenseful adventure in search of an answer. As they uncover clues to the origin of the tape, Leicester Hemingway's stories, which she had never heard as a child, give her a new perspective on the father she had known and loved, and whose suicide she had never forgiven.Hunting with Hemingway reveals Leicester Hemingway as a master storyteller who holds his audience breathless. Following in the family tradition, with the help of her husband, Jeff Lindsay, his daughter takes us on a surprising journey of her own.

"You have to understand how it was...when Papa made up his mind to do a thing..." --Leicester Hemingway

About the Author

Hilary Hemingway, an award-winning screenwriter and a writer for The Miami Herald, Interview, and Harper's Bazaar, is the executive director of the International Hemingway Festival.

Jeffry P. Lindsay writes a syndicated column called "Fatherhood" and is the director of the Ernest Hemingway Literary Conference. They live in southwest Florida.

The Ultimate Guide to Bowhunting: Hunt Like a Pro with These Easy Tips

H. Lea Lawrence (Author)

A complete guide, with up-to-date information on modern, high-tech compound bows and accessories and traditional archery equipment such as longbows and recurves. Includes detailed advice on choosing bows; arrows for hunting or target shooting; broadheads; bowsights; arrow rests; mechanical releases; and other important equipment. Veteran bowhunter and outdoor writer H. Lea Lawrence discusses the six steps to correct shooting form: stance, nocking, drawing, holding, aiming, and release. North American big-game animals are covered as well, along with the most effective bowhunting techniques. Tree stands for the bowhunter, driving techniques for whitetails, stalking, hunting small game and birds, bowfishing, and other tactics are all included.

Lawrence also discusses bowhunting ethics and provides information on major bowhunting and archery organizations and government regulating agencies. For anyone interested in pursuing game animals with a bow, this book is required reading.

H. Lea Lawrence has been taking photographs and writing about the outdoors for more than 30 years. With credits in most major outdoor magazines, he has written half a dozen books, including The Ultimate Guide to Small Game and Varmint Hunting and A Hemingway Odyssey: Special Places in His Life (1999).

Bigfoot! : The True Story of Apes in America

Loren Coleman (Author)

For years, scientists and researchers have studied, speculated about, and searched for an enigmatic creature that is legendary in the annals of American folklore. Now, learn the truth about... BIGFOOT!

In this fascinating and comprehensive look at the fact, fiction, and fable of the North American "Sasquatch," award-winning author Loren Coleman takes readers on a journey into America's biggest mystery -- could an unrecognized "ape" be living in our midst? Drawing on over forty years of investigations, interviews, and fieldwork on these incredible beasts, Coleman explores the modern debates about these powerful, ape-like creatures, why they have remained a mystery for so long, and what we can learn about ourselves from these animals, our nearest cousins!

From reports of Bigfoot's existence found in ancient Native American traditions, to the controversial Patterson-Gimlin film of a Bigfoot in the wild, to today's Internet sites that record the sightings almost as soon as they occur, Coleman uncovers the past, explains the present, and considers the future of one of the greatest unsolved mysteries in the natural world.

About the Author

Loren Coleman, M.S.W., has researched the Copycat Effect for more than two decades. Coleman has been an adjunct professor at various universities in New England since 1980 and a senior researcher with the Muskie School for Public Policy. He is currently the primary consultant for the State of Maine's Youth Suicide Prevention Initiative. The author, coauthor, or editor of more than twenty books, including the critically acclaimed work Suicide Clusters, lives in Portland, Maine.

New England Commercial Fisherman Charged with Lacey Act Crimes for Illegally Harvesting Striped Bass

WASHINGTON – Daniel B. Birkbeck, 46, of North Stonington, Conn., was charged today in federal court with trafficking in and falsifying records for illegally harvested Atlantic Striped Bass (Morone saxatilis). 

Commercial fishing for striped bass in both Massachusetts and Rhode Island is governed by a quota system overseen by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission.  This quota system was enacted in response to declining Striped Bass populations.  Since 2003, Rhode Island’s commercial striped bass quota has been 243,625 pounds and Massachusetts’s commercial striped bass quota has been 1,159,750 pounds.  As a result, the Massachusetts commercial striped bass season is open longer than the Rhode Island season.

Among other things, the Lacey Act makes it a crime for a person to knowingly transport and sell fish in interstate commerce when the fish was taken or possessed in violation of state law.  The Lacey Act also makes it a crime for a person to knowingly make or submit a false record, account, or label for fish which has been transported in interstate commerce.

The indictment, filed today in U.S. District Court in Boston, charges that Birkbeck, who is licensed as a commercial fisherman in both Rhode Island and Massachusetts, harvested striped bass in Rhode Island waters after the Rhode Island commercial fishing season had closed and transported those fish to a fish dealer in Massachusetts for sale during the 2009 and 2010 commercial fishing seasons.  The indictment charges that Birkbeck then falsely reported to the Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries that he had legally harvested the striped bass in Massachusetts waters.  The indictment charges that Birkbeck illegally harvested and sold 12,140 pounds of striped bass.

If convicted, Birkbeck faces a maximum penalty of five years’ in prison and a $250,000 fine per count, as well as forfeiture of the automobile and boat that he used to illegally harvest and transport the striped bass from Rhode Island to Massachusetts for sale.

An indictment is merely an accusation and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

The case is being investigated by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Office of Law Enforcement and the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service Office of Law Enforcement.  The prosecution is being handled by the Environmental Crimes Section of the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division.

Meditations of Hunting

Jose Ortega y Gasset (Author), Brett J. Smith (Illustrator)

MEDITATIONS ON HUNTING is a broad examination of the condition of life. "The life that we are given has its minutes numbered, and in addition it is given to us empty...we have to fill it on our own, that is we have to occupy it one way or another...." Ortega y Gasset also discusses the evolution of hunting and carefully examines its implications to the hunter--its total absorption of mind and body, its atavistic reverberations, its animalistic fulfillments and its tonic immersion in nature.

Predator Hunting: Proven Strategies that Work from East to West (Outdoorsman's Edge)

Ron Spomer (Author)

A unique book that reveals the inside tips for hunting and calling all of America's wildest predators. Millions of North American sportsmen across the country are taking up the challenge and excitement of hunting predators with a variety of hunting, stalking, decoying, and calling tactics. Anytime of the hunting season is a perfect time to try and pursue the most cunning of game: coyote, red fox, gray fox, bobcat, mountain lion, and black bear. Includes over 107 black-and-white and 12 color photographs.

Reveals the inside tips for hunting, calling, stalking, and decoying all of America's wildest predators, including coyote, red fox, gray fox, bobcat, mountain lion, and black bear. Provides expert advice on firearms, optics, and ballistics.

Wingshooter's Guide to Arizona (Wingshooter's Guides)

William Parton (Author)

Web Parton, professional bird dog trainer and former guide, hunts Arizona almost every day of the season. As a result, he knows the birds and the terrain of this undiscovered bird hunter's paradise better than anyone. Arizona has the best dove and western quail hunting in America, as well as some superior waterfowling. What's more, hunting access is not a problem. Over 75% of all the land in the state is public! Web covers the birds--where to find them and how to hunt them. He presents several chapters on hunting in the desert, how to take care of our dog, and the dangers of venemous reptiles and javalinas and how to avoid them. September-hard Every section of the state is covered, including motels that allow dogs, restaurants, guides, outfitters, lodges, airports, and much more. Arizona also has exceptional hunting on vast Indian reservations. Web covers each reservation and the birds found there. With this guide you can plan your hunt, choose an area and species, book your guide, or go it on our own. Either way, you'll have a great hunt! Specially bound to lay flat for easy reference and the perfect size to fit in your glove box. With a bird season that extends into February there is no better place for a late season hunt than Arizona.

To Heck With Moose Hunting

Jim Zumbo (Author)

America's foremost hunting author tells about his remarkable adventures from the Arctic tundra to the African veld. Beside moose, Zumbo writes about treks for caribou, antelope, sheep, goats, and other big game animals. Although written to entertain, there's plenty of instructional material as well. 208 pages.