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We’ve put together the Top 20 hunting and fishing books that are bound to please anyone. From Hemingway to O’Connor to Leopold, this list has all the greats.
Herman Melville Yes, I'm serious. This is the greatest fishing story ever told (it also might be the longest). I know, whales are mammals, but stick with me here. Melville spent years on a whaling ship, toiling alongside men from around the world. Both are reflected in elaborate detail describing the whaling profession and the men professing it. The narrator, Ishmael, puts up with Captain Ahab–the fish-crazed captain who will stop at nothing until he catches that one fish. Sound like a fishing buddy you might know? I know the book is long, but if you buy a cheap copy and literally cut it into 100 page chunks, it makes it more manageable. It may take you a lifetime to read it, but try it anyway. Better save up for that first edition. They range up to $85,000. I wouldn't suggest slicing that one up. Free Use
Jose Ortega y Gassett Few real philosophers have ever given hunting much ink. Sure, they love to run circles around the meaning of life, but I doubt many have been elbows deep in an elk's chest cavity. Yet one Spanish philosopher, Jose Ortega y Gassett is the exception. In the early 1900s, he wrote "Meditations on Hunting," which for being 100 years old, is still an applicable and entertaining read on hunting. And most importantly, it's accessible, meaning you don't need a Ph. D to "get it." Gassett clues us in on what hunting does for our soul and gives us a little insight on what we should get out of it. For example, take this great excerpt: "Tis the reason men hunt. When you are fed up with the troublesome present, with being 'very twentieth century,' you take your gun, whistle for your dog, go out to the mountain, and, without further ado, give yourself the pleasure during a few hours or a few days of being 'Paleolithic.'" That's philosophy I can relate to. A first edition in good condition will run you $130. Free Use
Aldo Leopold Published in 1949, A Sand County Almanac is as much a treatise on wildlife management as it is on hunting. While the title may not be flashy or sound that intriguing, this book should be on the bookshelf of every person who cherishes the outdoors and the bounty of wildlife it has to offer. It doesn't hurt to read it, either. At times, Leopold will make you question your own motives on why you hunt. Are you after the antlers? The chase? The feeling of self-reliance? Other times, he'll make you feel just plain guilty about all that money you spend on fancy gear. But he makes up for it with passages like this: "Man always kills the things he loves, and so we pioneers have killed our wilderness. Some say we had to. Be that as it may,
Source: https://www.outdoorlife.com/photos/gallery/hunting/2011/12/top-20-books-hunters-and-anglers/
