Opinion: Top 5 Traditional Bowhunting Books

Hunting the hard-way Bows on the little Delta Become the arrow(has bowhunting in it) Bows, swamps, and whitetails (iirc)

'Longbows in the Far North' by Don Thomas, is an excellent read.

I'd second that Bob and add in Longbow country by Thomas. Both great reads.

For nostalgic, informative and inspirational read, I suggest "Hunting with the Bow and Arrow," by Saxton Pope.

Sagittarius - I have a copy - great pictures and reading

Bowhunting For Deer by H.R. Dutch Wambold - 1964

Bucks and Bows by Walter Perry - 1953

1) Fred Bear's Field Notes

2) Bows On The Little Delta

3) Longbows In the Far North

4) The Witchery of Archery

5) A Thousand Campfires

All classics in my opinion. There's more but those are the top five that came to mind.

"Sagittarius" and "In Africa" Toss in "Hunting The Hard Way" and "Fred Bear's Field Notes" for good measure. Legend...

1) Hunting the Hard Way 2) Trailing a Bear 3) Fred Bear's Field Notes 4) The Asbell series 5) The Witchery of Archery

Saxton Pope- Hunting with the Bow and Arrow Glen St. Charles - Bows on the Little Delta Maurice Thompson- Witchery of Archery Howard Hill- Hunting the Hardway ?

"Come November"

The Traditional Way and Toxicated by Fred Anderson,1000 Campfires by Jay Massie, Campfire Refletions by T.J. Conrads plus all of the books by Don Thomas and the Wenzel brothers.

Witchery of Archery Hunting the Hard Way Fred Bears Field Notes Asbell' Instinctive Shooting A Thousand Campfires I'm sure some I've yet to read would alter the list.

Ain't no top five that fits everyone, and I even change my mind about every month or so. Most new books are just rehash of what's been written, although there are some very good ones. Not much that hasn't been written already about bowhunting or archery. Modern Bowhunting, by Hiram Grogan (1958) is a book you just keep reading over and over again because it's just fun. The two that Nemophilist mentioned as well are great books.

I have way too many that I really like to narrow it down much, but Jim Hamm's "Ishi and Elvis" was/is a great one too. Bows on the Little Delta I like it a lot, and have it signed with personal notes by both Glenn and Margaret. If you want to expand your reading horizons, check out the older books not archery related, like Driftwood Valley by Theodora Stanwell-Fletcher, or much more modern "Winds of Skilak" by Bonnie Ward.

Fred Bears Field Notes, Trailing A Bear by Fred's hunting buddy Bob Munger.

Hunting rutting whitetails, longbows in the far north, longbow country, come November, whitetail magic So many great ones it’s hard to select 5

All of Don Thomas' books. All of Jay Massey's books. All of Jim Hamm's books....in no particular order. :) Jawge

The one I'm reading now is awesome. BAREBOW! by Dennis Dunn

Bows on the Little Delta Whitetail Magic Once Upon A Tine Come November In Pursuit Of Trophy Whitetails

In pursuit of trophy Whitetals

The Witchery of Archery

Remembering Papa Bear

Trailing a Bear was a good one.

Mike Mitten's One with the Wilderness is awesome

“From The Desk of The Old Bowhunter” by Chester Stevenson, Bows on the Little Delta by Glenn St.Charles Wild Adventure by Howard Hill Hunting with Bow and Arrow by Saxon Pope Hunting the Hardway by Howard Hill These are my favorites. Richard

Lots of good books listed. I like all of Don Thomas' books, Monty Browning's Bowhunting. One of my favorites is "The Old Bowhunter" by Chet Stevenson. It's a great read

Just my opinion, but I don't think you can beat don Thomas writing. Never bows on little delta or a thousand campfires. I'm sure they are great reads, I personally think it's hard to beat don Thomas.

"Bucks and Bows by Walter Perry" - 1953 x 2. Jim Ramsey of Lincoln, New Mexico writes a chapter of hunting in the southwest for 38 years with a bow. Keep in mind the book was published in 1953. Very informative. Plus a chapter by Roy Case of hunting in Wisconsin.

All excellent suggestions, but to me, the very best for bowhunting stories and amazing photos is:

Bowhunting: A Passion for Life by Monty Browning www.montybrowningbook.com

A wonderful read by a fine man!

Monty Brownings book is great. Real hunting.

Did Dennis Dunn use a recurve or longbow?

Oh yeah, I can't believe I forgot Monty Browning's book! Another must read classic.

I tried to list my top 5 but there's to many great authors out there you have the pioneers of bowhunting and the past who kept the fire burning and the present day who wont let the legacy die. just my 2 cents.

JR, you know very well about Dennis Dunn, and I suspect you're bring it up because he also used a compound, shooting it barebow. The book is called Barebow, not traditional barebow.

I'm a big fan of Jim Dougherty, one of our pioneers as well, and he shot a Hoyt Compound most of his adult life. Works for me and I have nothing but respect for those fellers.

I second Monty Brownings book. Really great photos from around the world.

My five 1. Witchery of Archery-Thompson, 2. Toxophilus in Arcadia- Hunnington, 3. Hunting the Hard Way-Hill, 4. Hunting with the Bow and Arrow-Pope, 5. From the Den of the Old Bowhunter-Chester Stevenson.

The Dennis Dunn book is a great read, I just wish it wasn't such a huge book. Kind of hard to lay in bed reading it at night when it's the size of a Volkswagen. Lol

Actually I did not know about him but must agree I figured he used a compound some from the title. I must admit I like the recurve longbow stories more but still a feat. I couldn't do it with a rifle.

"JR, you know very well about Dennis Dunn, and I suspect you're bring it up because he also used a compound, shooting it barebow. The book is called Barebow, not traditional barebow."

The category is traditional bowhunting books.

"I'm a big fan of Jim Dougherty, one of our pioneers as well, and he shot a Hoyt Compound most of his adult life. Works for me and I have nothing but respect for those fellers."

He shot a Pearson recurve most of his promotional life. When he retired to respectable Archery sales, he said he hurt his shoulder and was using a compound. There was a lot of that going around at the time. I had the catalog around 1979, and the premium bow looked like a Bear 2 wheel with recurved limbs. The cam bow was made by Pearson. I owned one didn't like it much. He was pictured on a Caribou hunt with the "Bear" bow. But he could have been shooting Hoyt for all I would know.

I still have some of his arrows, my favourites of all time.

The Witchery of Archery is my favorite

1) 1968 edition of Fred Bear's "Archer's Bible."

2) Become the arrow by Ferguson

3) Witchery of Archery

4) whatever Don Thomas writes.

My all time favorite is:

Bowhunting Alaskas Wild Rivers by Jay Massey

I am sure this one is not up there with The Witchery of Archery, but I ran across it at a used bookstore in Rome GA. Printed in 1975.

It has some good contributors.

Massey's books, Thomas' books, Asbell's book, Rothhaar's books, Wensel's books, Browning's book, Mitten's book, Windnaur's book, Tidwell's book, Lamb's book.

Anything by Noel Feather.

Any book by Fred Anderson of Grapeview, Washington Great way of relating time spend in the outdoors with your bow and friends.

- Bowhunting: A passion for Life - Browning - Whitetail Magic - Rothhaar - In Pursuit of Trphy Whitetails - Rothhaar - A bowhunters Tale - Lamb - Silvertip - Windauer - Just Another Old Bowhunter - Kidwell - One Man's Whittail - Wensel - Hunting Rutting Whitetails - Wensel - Come November - Wensel - One with the Wilderness - Mitten - Bows of the Little Delta - St. Charles G. Fred's books, Donnel Thomas, et al.

In random order.

Any of Don Thomas books, any of the Wendel's books. Fred Anderson books all good reads but in my opinion Don is the best!

Timeless Bowhunting by Roy S. Marlow

Fred Bears Field Notes

Stalking deer - Don Groves Stalking and still-hunting-Fred Asbell

I'd say "Sagittarius" is my favorite, I'm gonna get mine out and thumb through it tomorrow night(night before opening day here). But, Witchery of Archery is good just for the history,those Thompson brothers really had it in for birds, woodpeckers in particular!!!

Like limbwalker, 1968 The Archers Bible by Fred Bear. My biggest influence on shooting and hunting with a bow of all time.

I have 1,000 Campfires, FB Field Notes love it, but Monty's new book is beyond any of them, I absolutely love it! Even if I couldn't read it'd be worth a fortune! I'd love to have JM, Bowhunting Alaskas Wild Rivers and Mittens book! I have Mittens DVD, Chasing Solitude and never tire of it!

For me there are too many great Traditional Bowhunting Books to list five.

G Fred wrote a great book on traditional shooting.

I’ve got most of the books listed , it’s hard for me to pick . But anything by the Wensels is good. I’ve got to get Monty’s book , don’t have it.

One I didn't see listed is Marv Clyncke's Son of the Longbow. Not a classic as it just got published in 2020. It's based mostly on his 66 years of bowhunting his beloved CO high country with friends and family but with forays into other places for a variety of game as well. Enjoy the 343 pages of bowhunting tales and hundreds of color photos as Marv was an accomplished wildlife photographer as well.

Nobody liked the Howard Hill book? I thought it was entertaining

If you havent read E Donnel Thomas or Jay Massie…its time to put them on your list.

I’ve loaned almost all of mine out and only have a couple left.

The Traditional Way and Toxicated by Fred Anderson (great profiles of the old timers), The Witchery of Archery by Maurice Thompson (fantastic book!), The Archer’s Bible by Fred Bear (the 1st bowhunting book I ever read), Hunting with the Bow and Arrow by Saxon Pope (insanely great!) and I’ll throw in Bowhunting For Deer by Dutch Wambold (2nd book on bowhunting I read).

Joe

I have most all of the books written above, but I must say that the "Archer's Bible by Fred Bear brings back that old feeling of Archery before most of us used camo. I love them all though.

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