16ga.com ~ View topic - Do you have a sports library? What author do you like best

Gentlemen,

Because of my open heart surgery I have been rereading a lot of my sports library. I have most all of the original Spiller and GBE books, along with John Alden Knight, Grandpa Grouse, Hemingway and Nash Buckingham. Is there any of the more modern sporting books that in your opinion are worth adding to my sports library?

There are only a few of the GBE books that I do not own. If you happen to own the Bird Dog Book, Woodcock book or the Grouse and Woodcock in the Blackwater book and you would like to sell any of them, please let me know.

Pine Creek/Dave
L.C. Smith Man

Spiller & GBE are two of my favorites.

Joined: 12 Mar 2018 Posts: 11

I have many Book but always go back to Havilah Babcock. read these when I was I high school (and the schools could have them in library, probably no chance Now) but I love reading almost any. Gene Hill Archibald Rutledge and may more.

I own a few classics by Spiller and the standby New England Grouse Shooting. I find I rarely read a book a second time so I started using our library. It’s more cost effective and they will track down any book I ask for.

A few contemporary ones I enjoyed are;
Dave Books - Wingbeats and Heartbeats
Steve Smith - Woodcock rising
Guy De La Valdene - The Fragrance of Grass

Not specifically outdoor writers but both Jim Harrison and Thomas McGuane are talented writers. Many of their books have an outdoor slant to them and many are set in Michigan and some of McGuanes in Montana.

Good Hunting,
Mike

*Last edited by skeettx on Wed Mar 18, 2020 2:49 pm; edited 1 time in total*

A few

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Hard to beat Babcock

Mostly they are reloading and technical/historical gun books.

When I was taller and more handsome, I did more stuff Smile

Mike

Joined: 07 Sep 2011 Posts: 567 Location: wheeling, wv

Dave, I have the BlackwaterCannan book, but so far have resisted reading it. This is because once I read it, there will be no more GBE for me to read.

Joined: 14 Feb 2017 Posts: 401

Great thread Dave.

Big fan of Havilah Babcock, Gene Hill and Gordon Macquarrie. Robert Ruark and Peter Hathaway Capstick if you like Africa, thought Ruark’s Old Man and the Boy is a classic. Also have Spiller, GBE. Lots of others but mostly only one or two by a author.

If you are a bowhunter, Gene Wensel’’s books are a favorite of mine.

Always looking for a good read and prefer probably 70’s and before.

3Birddogs,

I understand your point sir, I saved GBE's Grouse on the Mountain book for a long time before reading it, a little at a time over a long period of time. Because GBE owned Ryman dogs and lived in Pa & WVa, hunting most of the same coverts my family hunts, GBE writing brings back memories for me, that no other writer can.

GBE having used Ryman's Blue Heather to save his Old Hemlock line, means a great deal to me. You see I trained Heather for George Ryman and missed out on owning her, because at the time we did not have the money to purchase her. Ryman's started gun dogs went for big money.

GBE promised me I could finally purchase her, after she had pups for his Old Hemlock line. Walt Lesser purchased her before I could get down to GBE's home after Heather had her pups. I have never met Walt, I know he wanted to start his kennel with Ryman's Blue Heather, so I never contacted him. His entire kennel was started with one of the finest Ryman dogs that her existed. Only Ryman's Maggie Mae and Pine Creek Ryman Daisy were better female Ryman Setter Grouse Dogs. Blue Heather however was one of the best brood Dames that ever lived. Her puppies were just incredible Grouse dogs. Both these men were incredibly lucky to have owned her.

Pine Creek/Dave
Pine Creek Grouse Dog Trainers

Pine Creek Ryman, Maggie Mae asleep on the couch in the game room at 20 weeks old. Some of Ryman's Blue Heather blood line, via Old Hemlock & Wyssfiresidesetters. I feel lucky to have had the chance to acquire her for our home kennel.

I get lost in my memories of great Ryman dogs some times. These book and the pups bring back the memories very vividly. In my family these are the traditions we live for.

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Joined: 16 Jul 2015 Posts: 2124 Location: Hudson,Wy

I have always wanted a copy of Archibald Rutledge's "Fireworks in the Pea Field Corner". Every time I see a copy for sale, the price has been astronomical. I have " Hunting & Home in the Southern Heartland" and it is very good. Of all that I have read though, I still say Gordon MacQuarrie's writings had the most personality. I just picked up a new book that contains a mix of stories by the classic authors, so maybe I will have more input in the coming days.

Member Joined: 16 Dec 2007 Posts: 592 Location: Minnesota

With everything basically closed down around here and the stay home guideline the hunting book library is getting more attention then usual. There are too many favorites on waterfowl to forest to prairie birds and bird dogs to list. I prefer the old classic books but have some "modern" stuff to mix things up. I do have a lot of mags in the library and enjoy paging through those as well. That said, the internet forums are great and I enjoy reading the different perspectives so that has become an extension to the book collection.

PatrickB,

You bet I still have a lot of my Sports magazines and have been rereading them. Most all my Sports books are older classics like GBE & Spiller. I have been looking on line to purchase some of the original books, that I do not have in my library. The cost of some of these books has definitely gotten way out of line. Some are very expensive. This is especially true of the GBE books. I found out my collection of these books is now worth quite a bit of money. Prior to looking to acquire additional books I had no idea of their increase in value.

With the number of shooting sportsman, especially Grouse & Woodcock hunters shrinking, I never dreamed the books would be bringing so much money. I figured I would be able to pick up the GBE books I was missing from my collection at a reduced cost.

I was in for a very rude awakening. The GBE books in pristine condition with perfect original slip covers, go for big big money, depending on the individual book.

Spillers books have increased in cost, but are still very reasonable, I believe this is because the books were published in a lot greater numbers originally, and then republished again later.

Pine Creek/Dave
L.C. Smith Man

Joined: 22 Feb 2020 Posts: 35 Location: United States

Sigurd Olson. Maybe a bit of a tangent, because these books are about wilderness and canoeing the north country. But they are great.

Turkman,

Exactly what books are you referring too?

Pine Creek/Dave
L.C. Smith Man

Here are his books,

https://www.thriftbooks.com/a/sigurd-f-olson/234066/

Skeettx,

Thank you sir for posting his books. Have never read any of his writing myself.

Pine Creek/Dave
L.C. Smith Man

Joined: 10 Apr 2013 Posts: 120

You are in for a treat !!