Tag Archives: Sporting Collectables

Bears Of A Heavenly Light

A moment of beauty is where you find it, all around. Today I saw it in this work of wildlife sculpture by Gene Adcock and Jeanie Renchard, found below the twin summits of Mount Sopris near Carbondale, Colorado.

"Golden Bears", 1996, An Outddoor Art Bronze Sculpture By Gene Adcock and Jeanie Renchard. Found Near Carbondale, Colorado. Photograph By Michael Patrick McCarty“Golden Bears” Sculpture By Gene Adcock and Jeanie Renchard. Photo By Michael Patrick McCarty

 

“All but beauty will pass – beauty will never die. No, not even when the earth and the sun have died will beauty perish. It will live on in the stars.” – William Robinson Leigh, Frontiers of Enchantment, 1940

 

Michael Patrick McCarty

Hound And Hunter By Winslow Homer

 

“Winslow Homer was an American painter, illustrator and etcher, one of the two most admired American late 19th-century artists and is considered to be the greatest pictorial poet of outdoor life in the United States and its greatest watercolorist”. – From  Winslow Homer: 216 Colour Plates, by Maria Peitcheva

 

 

Hound And Hunter, Oil On Canvas, 1892. By Winslow Homer. A Scene Inspired by The Adirondack Region of Upstate New York
On The Trail Of Adventure

 

“The place suits me as if it was made for me by a kind of providence.” – Winslow Homer, Speaking of his love for Quebec

 

Things are definitely going to happen when you put a boy, a dog, and a deer together, somewhere in the waters of the Adirondack Wilds, and no doubt that there is more to the story behind the makings of this scene.  After all, what could go possibly go wrong?

Few artists have ever been able to capture the mood and nuance of a sporting moment like Winslow Homer. His “Hound and Hunter”, completed in 1892,  is certainly a wonderful example of the master’s art. One look, and I am transported to a time gone by, drawn to and within it like a bloodhound to a hot scent.

Like so many great paintings, it begs more questions than it answers, and I for one want to know more. So much more. No doubt you have some questions of your own.

It has been one of my very favorite Homer paintings for many years, and it was one of the very first header images that I ever used to help illustrate Through A Hunter’s Eyes. Apparently I have a good eye, for as it turns out, it may have been Homer’s favorite work too!

Enjoy, wonder, and hunt!

 

By Michael Patrick McCarty

 

“There’s no such thing as too many paintings and prints. Or bronzes of Labradors and pointers and Brittanies and setters. Or glasses with pintails and canvasbacks and salmon and trout flies. Or pictures of you and Charlie with Old Duke and a limit of bobwhites, or a pair of muleys, or a half dozen Canadas, or about a yard of rainbows. Or old decoys and duck calls. There are never too many memories of days past or too many dreams of good times to come”. – Gene Hill, from A Listening Walk, 1995

 

*”Hound And Hunter” did produce some controversy at the time of its release to the general public. The use of hounds to drive deer before the gun was seen as unpopular among many, even then, and Homer repainted parts of it to make it more appealing. Yet, it remains, as Homer  himself referred to it, “a great work”.

 

You Can Read More About Winslow Homer Here

 

You Might also Like Jim Kjelgaard – Patron Saint Of Dogs, Boys, And The Great Outdoors

 

Where Decoys Rule The Day – The Tuckerton Seaport & Baymen’s Museum

“There is no feeling in the world like that of seeing ducks dropping out of a winter sky coming to decoys that you have made with your own hands. Sometimes I can’t even shoot, the sight is so beautiful. Carving decoys lets a man understand in a very personal way that there is so much more to hunting ducks than shooting them.” – Charles Frank, Southern Living Magazine, 1985

 

Folk Art, or Fine?…It’s All Fantastic To Me

 

Simply said, I absolutely love vintage sporting books, wildlife art, and all manners of hunting and fishing collectables…but decoys ride the shimmering waves high above them all. They make my heart sing, and the look of a good one almost always takes my breath away.

Why this is, exactly, I could never say for sure, or should I say – completely. The full battery of descriptive words elude me still.

Nor can I tell you why the mere sight of them always seems to cause that sudden catch in my throat, or fully activate the location of that special human gene that causes the quickening of the hunter’s heart.

What I can say is that New Jersey decoys are a special breed of bird, and that some of the best of the breed can be found at The Baymen’s Museum at The Tuckerton Seaport in Tuckerton, New Jersey.

Below are some photographs that I took at the museum in July 2016. Mere images cannot truly do them justice, for to enjoy the full effect you must take it all in for yourself.

I have done that myself, several times – but there has never been enough time to fully satisfy that mysterious part inside of me that always wants for more.

So don’t make my mistake. Set aside an hour or two…perhaps an afternoon, to wander the museum and contemplate these wonderful works of art. Steep yourself in the history and lore of the great bays, and learn just a bit of the lives of the carver’s that made it all possible.

There’s plenty of room. You may find me there too, close at hand, but far, far away…watching…searching…for those things that only a hunter sees.

Enjoy!

 

A Pair of Collectible Decoys On Display at The Tuckerton Seaport & Baymen's Museum in Tuckerton, New Jersey. New Jersey Decoys Rule!
Art of the Finest Form and Function
A History of New Jersey Decoys And Their Carvers. A Display At The Tuckerton Seaport and Baymen's Museum in Tuckerton, New Jersey. New Jersey Decoys Rule!
A History of New Jersey Decoys And Their Carvers
A Merganser Decoy by Joe West of Bordentown, New Jersey. Displayed at The Tuckerton Seaport and Baymen's Museum in Tuckerton, New Jersey. New Jersey Decoys Rule!
A Merganser Decoy by Joe West of Bordentown, New Jersey
The Outstanding Work Of Decoy Carver Rowley Horner of Tuckerton, New Jersey. On Display at the Tuckerton Seaport & Baymen's Museum. New Jersey Decoys Rule!
The Outstanding Work Of Rowley Horner
An American Widgeon Decoy, or Baldpate by Chris Sprague of Beach Haven, New Jersey. Displayed at the Tuckerton Seaport and Baymen's Museum in Tuckerton, New Jersey. New Jersey Decoys Rule!
An American Widgeon Decoy, or Baldpate by Chris Sprague of Beach Haven, New Jersey.
An Old Squaw Duck Decoy by Joseph Eugene "Gene" Hendrickson. Displayed at the Tuckerton Seaport and Baymen's Museum in Tuckerton New Jersey. New Jersey Decoys Rule!
An Old Squaw Decoy by Joseph Eugene “Gene” Hendrickson.
A Rare Pintail Decoy, Painted as A Black Duck, By Harry M. Shourds of Tuckerton, New Jersey. Displayed at The Tuckerton Seaport and Baymen's Museum at Tuckerton, New Jersey. New Jersey Decoys Rule!
A Rare Pintail Decoy, Painted as A Black Duck, By Harry M. Shourds of Tuckerton, New Jersey.
A Drake Broadbill Decoy By Sam Forsyth of Bay Head, New Jersey. Displayed at The Tuckerton Seaport & Baymen's Museum in Tuckerton, New Jersey. New Jersey Decoys Rule!
Drake Broadbill By Sam Forsyth of Bay Head, New Jersey
A Canvasback, or Redhead Decoy, Attributed to the Inman Family of Bay Head, New Jersey. It is on Display at the Tuckerton Seaport and Baymen's Museum. New Jersey Decoys Rule!
A Canvasback, or Redhead Decoy, Attributed to the Inman Family of Bay Head, New Jersey
A Hen Red Breasted Merganser Decoy by John Horn of Oceanville, New Jersey Dispalyed at The Tuckerton Seaport and Baymen's Museum. New Jersey Decoys Rule!
A Hen Red Breasted Merganser by John Horn of Oceanville, New Jersey
Canada Goose by Harry V. Shourds of Tuckerton, New Jersey. Displayed at the Tuckerton Seaport and Baymen's Museum in Tuckerton, New Jersey. New Jersey Decoys Rule!
Canada Goose by Harry V. Shourds of Tuckerton, New Jersey
A Mallard Drake Decoy by John Updike of Green Bank, New Jersey. Displayed at The Tuckerton Seaport and Baymen's Museum in Tuckerton, New Jersey. New Jersey Decoys Rule!
A Mallard Drake Decoy by John Updike of Green Bank, New Jersey
A Wonderful Miscellany, Including a Shorebird and Brandt Decoy by Hurley Conklin of Manihawkin, New Jersey. On Display at the Tuckerton Seaport and Baymen's Museum in Tuckerton, New Jersey. New Jersey Decoys Rule!
A Wonderful Miscellany, Including a Shorebird and Brandt by Hurley Conklin of Manihawkin, New Jersey

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All Photographs by Michael Patrick McCarty

 

The Front of The Dustjacket of The Book New Jersey Decoys by Henry A. Fleckenstein, Jr., Which Shows A Pair of Early MeNew Jersey Decoys Rule!rganser Duck Decoys.
An Indispensable Reference for New Jersey Decoy Collectors

For more Information and a photographic history of more than 700 New Jersey ducks, geese, and shorebirds, you may wish to purchase a copy of New Jersey Decoys by Henry A. Fleckenstein, Jr. In Hardcover edition, 270 pages, 1983.

 

Barnegat Bay Decoys and Gunning Clubs by Patricia H. Burke. An Invaluable Reference Guide to New Jersey Decoys, The Barnegat Bay Sneak Box, Duck Carvers, Artists, and More. New Jersey Decoys Rule!
Barnegat Bay Decoys and Gunning Clubs by Patricia H. Burke.

Another great reference is Barnegat Bay Decoys and Gunning Clubs by Patricia H. Burke. Published by Ocean County Historical Society, Toms River, New Jersey in 1985. In softcover wraps; 44 pages.

We usually have copies of each in stock. Please email us at huntbook1@gmail.com for a price quote.

Grancel Fitz – A Trophy Hunter Of Record, And Renown

 

By Michael Patrick McCarty

 

A MAN AMONG HUNTING MEN

 

Grancel Fitz was the first person to harvest all of the North American big game species then recognized by the Boone & Crockett Club, and he completed most of his hunts in the 1930’s and 40’s when travel to the distant game lands could be an exciting adventure all to its self.  He took most of his game through the iron sights of his favorite .30-06 Springfield rifle too!

In his professional life Mr. Fitz was a pioneering giant in the field of advertising and commercial photography, and his work has stood the test of time and has since been exhibited at The Museum of Modern Art.

Yet, his world outside of the more modern scene had much more to do with the natural world. His interest in hunting and conservation lead him to the Boone & Crockett Club, where he helped develop the big game trophy measurement and recording system that we know today.

He was a hell of a good story-teller too.

His book “North American Head Hunting” chronicles some of his most memorable hunts, and it remains a classic in the sporting field.

 

The Dustjacket From a First Edition Copy of North American Head Hunting by Grancel Fitz, The First Person To Harvest All Species of North American Big Game. From The Collection of Michael Patrick McCarty
The Dustjacket From a First Edition Copy of North American Head Hunting

 

A Photo of Big Game Hunter Grancel Fitz, With His World Record Grizzly Bear. From His Book North American Head Hunting. From the Collection of Michael Patrick McCarty
His British Columbia Grizzly, Shot in 1953,Tied the 63 Year-old World Record. Official Score of Skull 25 9/16”.

 

The Chapter Headings For North American Head Hunting by Grancel Fitz. With Stories on Grizzlies, Polar Bear, White-tailed Deer, Stone Sheep, Mountain Lion, Bison, Elk, Mountain Goat, Moose, Desert Bighorn, and More
A Hunter’s Wish List
FOR SALE

North American Head Hunting By Grancel Fitz

Published by Oxford University Press, New York, First Edition, 1957, 188 pages. 

With chapters on hunting the Grizzly Bear, White-tailed Deer, Stone Sheep and Desert Bighorn, Mountain Lion, Bison, Elk, Mountain Goat, Moose, and Polar Bear.

“About twenty-five years ago, after I had been lucky enough to bag a couple of exceptionally fine big game trophies in Wyoming and in Alberta, it struck me that there were two things that I would like to do. First of all I wanted to collect one good representative of every legal big game species on the whole North American continent, for this was something that had never been done by any single hunter. Then, after that project was completed, I wanted to write a special kind of book about It”.  – Grancel Fitz

This copy is in Very Good condition, with a Very Good Dustjacket.

Here offered at $13.95 (postpaid U.S.); subject to prior sale.

Please email us at huntbook1@gmail.com to order.

 

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A Vintage Hiram Walker Whiskey Ad Featuring Big Game Hunter Grancel Fitz; Boone & Crockett Club Member and Author of North american Head Hunting
A Vintage Whiskey Ad Featuring Grancel Fitz

 

The ad text reads:

“Grancel Fitz: He has hunted every kind of North American big game and his unmatched personal collection includes record-class heads of 10 different species. His British Columbia grizzly, shot in 1953 near the Klina Klini River, tied the 63 year-old world record. Official score of skull 25 9/16”.

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*We also have a rare signed copy for sale; description below:

 

North American Head Hunting, by Grancel Fitz.

Some light rubbing at edges; corner tips are a bit bumped. Some light dampstaining to the corner of one page. The dustjacket has some edgewear and rubbing. This copy inscribed “To Melville N. Lincoln, a sportsman and scientist to whom I am greatly indebted for information that helped me a lot. With all good wishes. Grancel Fitz Nov. 27, 1957”.

Melville N. Lincoln was the senior curator of habitat groups at the Los Angeles County Museum.

 

A Rare Autograph and Inscription of Grancel Fitz, From a Signed Copy of His Book North American Head Hunting. From the Collection of Michael Patrick McCarty, Publisher of Through A Hunter's Eyes
A Unique Association Copy

 

Signed copies are rarely offered. Very good in very good dust jacket. Signed by author.

$150 postpaid (in U.S.); subject to prior sale.

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Grancel Fitz was a proponent of the “one gun for all big game” philosophy. His choice of an all around hunting caliber was the .30-06 Springfield, which of course is a most versatile and effective cartridge.

It certainly worked for him…

 

The Complete Reloading Manual for the .30-06 Springfield Rifle, Pictured Next To A Vintage Bookend of A Bull Elk. From The Collection of Michael Patrick McCarty
One Book/One Caliber

 

For Sale

You May Also Wish to Purchase:
The Complete Reloading Manual for the.30-06 Springfield. Published by Loadbooks USA, Sylmar, CA, 2004, Spiral Bound.

This copy is in Very Good+ condition.

Here offered at $22.95 (postpaid U.S.). Subject to prior sale.

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*Read More About The History of The Boone & Crockett Records Program Here

 

You might also like In Praise of the .30-378 Weatherby Magnum

 

*Did you know that Bella Twin killed a world record Grizzly Bear in 1953 – and she somehow managed to do that with a .22 rifle?

 

Read about it Here.

 

By Michael Patrick McCarty

 

To Be An Outdoor Writer – A Lifelong Goal

The Logo of The Outdoor Writers Association of America (OWAA). Michael Patrick McCarty, Active Member, and Publisher of Through A Hunter's Eyes

 

By Michael Patrick McCarty

I am honored to announce that I have recently been approved for active membership in the Outdoor Writers Association of America.

The OWAA is the world’s leading organization of outdoor media professionals. They are the largest association of its kind too, and the oldest, having recently turned 90 this past April.

I am not quite that long in the tooth, but I can say that membership in this group is something that I first aspired to belong  more than 50 years ago.

As stated on their website:

Our mission:

The mission of Outdoor Writers Association of America® is to improve the professional skills of our members, set the highest ethical and communications standards, encourage public enjoyment and conservation of natural resources, and be mentors for the next generation of professional outdoor communicators.

What we’re about:

OWAA is a nonprofit, international organization that represents a diverse group of professional communicators dedicated to sharing the outdoor experience. Members of OWAA are experienced outdoor people, the nation’s best:

  • editors
  • book authors
  • broadcasters
  • film and video producers
  • photographers
  • fine artists
  • lecturers/speakers
  • publishers
  • bloggers and new media communicators (e.g. podcasters, webcasters)
  • communications and PR professionals

We aim to offer world-class resources, support, and inspiration for our members as they inform the public about outdoor activities, issues and the responsible use of our natural resources. Through OWAA membership and adherence to its creed and code of ethics, members are commissioned to provide honest, thorough, informed, responsible and unbiased outdoor coverage.

Join OWAA as an Outdoor Media Member

APPLY NOW!owaa-member-stephen-myersOWAA is comprised of nearly 800 individual outdoor communicators from the broad, modern spectrum of outdoor beats, from shooting to camping, backpacking to kayaking, wildlife watching to mountain climbing. From these diverse backgrounds and disciplines, members gather beneath the OWAA banner to hone skills, share philosophies, develop profitable business strategies and network with peers, conservation policymakers and industry trendsetters.

Criteria for Individual Membership

You qualify as an Active Member of OWAA if you meet one of the following:

  1. You have sold and published—in any media—five stories, articles, photographs, videos or illustrations on outdoor-related topics in the past year.
  2. You have published a book or worked on an income-producing film or any form of audio on outdoor-related topics in the past five years.
  3. You are a full-time outdoor communicator in any media. Please see below for a list of qualifying positions.
  4. You are a citizen journalist who writes for a blog or other digital media that is updated with original content at least twice a month and receives 500 AUVs (Average Unique Views) per month over a 12-month period, or generates income.

If you do not qualify for Active Member status, you qualify as an Associate Member if you are paid for some work described above. If you do not join as an Active or Associate Member and are enrolled in a course of study at the secondary or higher education level, you qualify as a Student Member.

OWAA’s bylaws and Board regulate the membership classes, criteria, and application process, and supplement and control what is said here.  All applications must be made on a form approved by the OWAA Board, which will require that the applicant agree to be bound by certain principles of the organization, including the OWAA Code of Ethics.

Applicants for Active or Associate Member status must be sponsored by an OWAA Active Member.  Both the applicant and the sponsor must verify that the applicant qualifies for the membership sought.  Headquarters may be able to recruit sponsors for those desiring to apply and lacking a sponsor. An application for Student Member status must be signed by a teacher or educational advisor of the applicant.

All members must continue to meet membership criteria while in OWAA and may be subject to periodic credential reviews.

OWAA individual membership is intended to improve the personal and professional skills of our members. Individual membership should not be used to promote products, agencies, organizations or businesses.

Professionals working in the following areas qualify for OWAA membership. Other professionals may apply; consult headquarters with any questions.

  1. Newspaper or Magazine writer, columnist, editor, designer or staff member: Works in one of these capacities for print or online publications.
  2. Newspaper or Magazine freelancer: Works for print or online publications on a contract basis.
  3. Photographer/Videographer: Works for magazines, E-zines or other outdoor-related publications.
  4. Illustrator, Cartoonist or Artist: Published in any medium.
  5. Film Editor, Scriptwriter, Director or Producer: Works in one of these capacities on a full-length film or video.
  6. Broadcast Scriptwriter, Editor, Photographer, Director or Producer: Works on television or aired video or audio production in one of these capacities. Guest appearances do not qualify, but guest-hosting does apply.
  7. Book Author, Editor, Designer or Producer: Works on a published book in any of these capacities.
  8. Lecturer/Educator/Instructor/Nature Interpreter: Works in any of these capacities.
  9. Full-Time Employee of Nonprofit Conservation or Recreation Agency: Public relations, publications and public information staff, and others who disseminate outdoor or recreational information.
  10. Employee of Outdoor-Related Industries, Agencies, Associations or Organizations: Public relations and marketing staff.

You can read more about The Outdoor Writers Association of America Here

 

Press Pass Credentials for Michael Patrick McCarty, Active Member of The Outdoor Writers Association of America (OWAA); Publisher of Through a Hunter's Eyes, Rare & Antiquarian Bookseller

An Elk of Spirit, and Snow

Into The Storm

 

A photograph of a larger than life-sized bronze sculpture of a trophy bull elk, taken in a winter snow storm near Carbondale, Colorado
A Bull of the Night…And Dreams

 

It has often been said that beauty is in the eye of the beholder, and let me add that we never know when it may grace us with an unexpected visit.

I found my latest blessing in the form of a magnificent bronze sculpture of a bull elk, found near Carbondale, Colorado.

I can see it now, and forever – in my mind’s eye, disappearing into the solitude  of a quiet winter storm.

Enjoy!

Sculpture by Chris Navarro.

Photograph by Michael Patrick McCarty

Active Member Outdoor Writers Association of America

Fedora Bows – More Than A Match For Any Game

A FEW WORDS ON MY WEAPON OF CHOICE

 

“A custom made, traditional bow is like a fine musical instrument in the hand. And no, not all recurve’s are created equal. Targets or game, just ask any Fedora shooter”.

 

A 560 Hunter Takedown Recurve by Mike Fedora of Fedora Bows. A Fine Example of a Custom Bow for the Archery and Bowhunting Enthusiast.
A 560 Hunter Takedown Recurve by Mike Fedora

 

Not all hunting bows are created equal, and that can certainly be said of my 64″ 560 Hunter Takedown Recurve built to order by Mike Fedora more than 20 years ago.

A friend who is a martial artist and fellow archer was duly impressed when I handed it to him last week. He realized immediately that he was holding something special, but what he said was not what I expected. He called it a “bow of war”, which gave me pause since I had never looked at it that way. I tend to evaluate it along more artistic and romantic lines, but I suppose I can see what he means. There is no doubt that this bow means business, and it has the look and feel of a serious broadhead delivery device.

Close-up View of the Bear Razorhead Broadhead, with Insert. A Go To Bowhunting Broadhead for the Traditional Archer.
The Razorhead by Fred Bear – My Bowhunting Broadhead of Choice Since 1969

With a draw weight of 73# at 29 1/2″, it is in fact somewhat of a battle to get it back to anchor point. As you may know, recurve’s do not break over to a lesser hold weight as you complete your draw, as do most modern compound bows. What you’ve got is what you get, right to the end, and anything over 70# can really get your attention. I also tend to stay at full draw before releasing much longer than the average bowhunter, an ingrained habit left over from my target shooting days that really does not make shooting it any easier.

So, at the risk of stating the obvious, you might say that I am a bit over-bowed at this time in my archery life. It’s not the bow’s fault, however, because it draws smoothly and doesn’t stack. The real problem lies in the fact that it was built for a much younger, and stronger man – which I no longer am. Still, I can manage to get by if I work my way up to it by staying in shape and shooting some lighter bows during the year.

It’s particularly good at mid-range and longer yardages, and for me it is point on at a more than surprising 70 yards. It casts a heavy arrow too, and very few recurve’s are capable of delivering that kind of punch downrange.

It is a joy to carry in the wide open spaces and rugged terrain of the west, and to be frank, it has become an old and trusted friend. Most importantly, it also tends to hit where you are looking, more often than not.

It just may be the perfect recurve for a mountain goat hunt, or big bears, or moose, or whitetails too.

I can’t wait for my next bowhunting adventure. In the meantime, I think that I will order a second, lighter set of limbs – just in case…

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Built For Business - More Than A Match For Mountain Goats and Bears. The Custom Fedora Hunter Takedown Recurve, the custom choice of traditional archers everywhere.
Built For Business – More Than a Match For Mountain Goats and Grizzly Bears

I should also take this time to give credit where credit is due, with heartfelt thanks and some long overdue praise. Mike Fedora has been a master bowyer for more years than most in his stock-in-trade, and I won a lot of tournaments with his target bows in the 1970’s too. I simply can’t say enough about the man and his line of archery products.

If you are looking for a traditional bow of beauty and unparalleled quality that will stand the test of time, than look no further than Fedora Custom Bows. You will be so glad that you did.

You can contact them by clicking on the link here.

By Michael Patrick McCarty

 

You Might Also Like A Traditional Triad.

 

Jim Kjelgaard – Patron Saint of Dogs, Boys, and The Great Outdoors

 

big red dvd of book by Mr. Jim Kjelgaard Patron Saint of Dogs, Boys, And The Outdoors, movies
A Boy and His Big Red Dog

BIG RED – BIG FRIENDS

 

I often wonder where I would be were it not for a man called Jim Kjelgaard.

More than likely I would not have become nearly half the man I am, or strive to be, had we not been introduced.  Nor would I have lived the life of a hunter, biologist, an outdoor writer, or an ever hopeful wildlife photographer.

I probably would not have left my home in the New Jersey Pine Barrens for the wide open views of the Rocky Mountains, either.

Chances are you may not know him by name, though his reach and influence continues to this day. His work captivated a generation of young boys, soon to be men, searching for the soul of adventure and the heart of the wild outdoors.

Wikipedia defines Mr. Kjelgaard as an American Author of Young Adult Literature, which in my way of thinking is like saying that an ocean of water is very wet. As an author of forty novels and countless short stories and other works, he was certainly that, and more. Much, much more. He meant everything to a young boy bursting to learn what lived beyond the outer limits of his own backyard.

I have always been a reader, blessedly so, and born for it I suppose. I took to books like black ink yearns for the creative freedom of an empty white page. My face became well-known in any library I could enter, until I had read almost everything on animals and fishing and all things outdoors from their limited selections.

And then an angel of a librarian handed me a copy of “Stormy”, a story about an outlaw Labrador Retriever and his owner, written by this fellow with the strange name. It was unlike anything I had ever read and I was hooked deep in my insides like a catfish on a cane pole.

I was to discover very soon that dogs were a prominent feature in a Kjelgaard story. It’s easy to see why, since there is something completely natural and magical about young boys and their dogs. The combination just begs for adventure and open space to run and roam. They encourage each other on and on, over the hill to the next discovery,  past the bend in the ever beckoning road. Together, there is nothing a boy and a dog can’t do.

I have read a little about the author’s life and I am convinced that he understood and loved the outdoors with a passion that even he could not convey. You can feel it on every page and in every character of every sentence. He had a remarkable ability to put you in the moment, in and of the scene, as if it were written just for you. He tells you that you can experience it too, if you chose.

Don’t wait, he says, just get out there and listen to the music of the hounds between deep breaths of pine and sugar maple under the brilliance of a harvest moon. His books hold the waving fields of marsh grass and the woods full of white-tailed deer and bobwhite quail and the screams of brightly colored blue jays. He shows us boys with guns, back when it was a natural and good thing that made you smile, knowing that some lucky family was sure to be enjoying a meal of squirrel or cottontail rabbit very soon.

Open to any page, and you can hear the sounds in your head as if you were standing there yourself. It was a guaranteed transport to a technicolored world of motion and light with a dog by your side. A world defined by the movements of animals and the rhythm of the seasons, punctuated by the sounds of drumming grouse and the chorus of frogs in the evening.

The comforts of family and home life ran strong throughout his stories. It was what made it all work.It was the knowing that safety and the comforting hearth of home stood solidly back where you had come from, when you needed it, which give us all the strength to be brave and venture out and abroad.

Sadly, Jim has been gone for some time now, just like the world he once knew.  He was taken from us much too soon, by illness and despair, and though that world he inhabited may be gone his voice is as relevant today as it was back then. In fact it is even more important than it ever was. He is a beacon of light for the spirits of young boys and their four-legged companions, filled with the quest for exploration and the simple, unmitigated joy of being a boy.

Of course I never met him personally, though I wish I had. Sadly, he was already gone when I was barely born. I would give much of what I have just to thank him for all of his precious gifts to me. It is because of Jim Kjelgaard and men like him that I have wandered the wilderness and spirited air, and lived a life filled with my own stories to tell.

Turning to face the world, what more can a young boy hope for?


To hear an excellent audio reading of this post, listen at  ADVENTURECAST.

 

Trailing Trouble, Dave and His Dog Mulligan, Big Red, Swamp Cat, Fire-Hunter, A Nose For Trouble By Jim Kjelgaard. Most Pictured Here are First Edition Copies With Dustjackets and Are Highly Collectible. From The Book Collection of Michael Patrick McCarty
A Prized Collection of Jim Kjelgaard Titles. Photo by Michael Patrick McCarty

Jim Kjelgaard books are prized by collectors. First Edition copies with dustjackets in collectible condition are extremely difficult to find. They can be expensive, too!

Signed First Edition Book Fire-Hunter by Jim Kjelgaard. Illustrated By Ralph Ray. A Rare Autographed Inscription to Kjelgaard's Former School Teacher and Librarian. From The Book Collection of Michael Patrick McCarty
A Man’s Best Friend! From The Book Collection of Michael Patrick McCarty

This amazing inscription reads: “All best wishes to the best darn teacher – librarian, and best friend in the world. Jim Kjelgaard”.

Something tells me that this teacher was very proud of the student!

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*Many of Jim Kjelgaard’s books are still in print across the globe, and he is a pre-eminent favorite among those who wish to home school. So, if you somehow missed him, it’s not too late. You may also want to track down a copy of the 1962 Walt Disney film “Big Red”, named after that marvelous and unforgettable Irish Setter of the same name. It will make you want to run out and acquire an Irish Setter too!

A photograph of Jim Kjelgaard and His Irish Setter, Taken from The Dustjacket Biography of Dave and His Dog, Mulligan. Illustrated by Sam Savitt
One Hell of a Dog

 

See Our Post About Stormy, by Jim Kjelgaard, HERE

See our book catalog for Jim Kjelgaard Titles HERE.

Posted by Michael Patrick McCarty

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The Dustjacket Biography of Jim Kjelgaard, Found on a First Edition Copy of Dave and His Dog, Mulligan. Illustrated by Sam Savitt
A Brief Biography of Jim Kjelgaard

THE BOOKS OF JIM KJELGAARD

 

Forest Patrol – 1941, Holiday House

Rebel Siege – 1943, Holiday House

Big Red – 1945, Holiday House

Buckskin Brigade – 1947, Holiday House 

Snow Dog – 1948, Holiday House

“Born in the wilderness, the puppy had to learn the ways of survival like any other wild thing. Staghound and Husky ancestors had given him speed and stamina, but it was his own courage and intelligence that brought him through when a weaker dog would have perished. He learned to hunt, to find shelter, to protect himself from enemies”.

The Dustjacket From a First Edition Copy of Sow Dog by Jim Kjelgaard. Illustrated by Jacob Landau
The Dustjacket From a First Edition Copy of Sow Dog by Jim Kjelgaard. Illustrated by Jacob Landau

 

The Endpapers From a First Edition Copy of Sow Dog by Jim Kjelgaard. Illustrated by Jacob Landau
The Endpapers From a First Edition Copy of Sow Dog by Jim Kjelgaard. Illustrated by Jacob Landau

Kalak of the Ice – 1949, Holiday House

A Nose for Trouble – 1949, Holiday House

Wild Trek – 1950, Holiday House 

“Wild trek is an adventure story involving Chiri, the half-wild hero of snow dog, and his trapper master. Their problem is to find and rescue a naturalist whose plane has been forced down in the Caribou Mountains, deep in the Canadian wilderness”.

The Dustjacket From a First Edition Copy of Wild Trek By Jim Kjelgaard
It’s all About The Trek
Illustrated Endpapers From A First Edition Copy of Wild Trek By Jim Kjelgaard
Illustrated Endpapers by H. K. Faye From A First Edition Copy of Wild Trek By Jim Kjelgaard
An Autographed Copy of A First Edition of Wild Trek by Jim Kjelgaard. Dedicated to Roberta Forsyth, One of The Author's Teachers. A Unique Association Copy.
A Very Special Double Dedication

Chip the Dam Builder – 1950, Holiday House 

Irish Red, Son of Big Red -1951, Holiday House
                                               – 1962, Collins Famous Dog Stories

Fire-hunter – 1951, Holiday House

The Endpaper Art From a First Edition Copy of Fire-Hunter By Jim Kjelgaard. Illustrated by Ralph Ray. From The Book Collection of Michael Patrick McCarty
Saber-tooths and Bears and Wolves Oh Boy!

“This is a story of the days when sabertooth tigers and wooly mammoths roamed the earth. When men lived in wandering bands and stalked their prey with spears and clubs. When fire was their greatest friend, and human hands and brains their only advantage over wild beasts”.

The Explorations of Pere Marquette -1951, Random House

Trailing Trouble – 1952, Holiday House

Outlaw Red, Son of Big Red – 1953, Holiday House 

The Spell of the White Sturgeon – 1953, Dodd Mead 

A First Edition Copy of The Spell of The White Sturgeon by Jim Kjelgaard, Showing the Front Panel of the Dustjacket. Art By Stephen Voorhies. From The Book Collection of Michael Patrick McCarty
The Sturgeon Abides!

“The vivid, action-packed story of a boy from the New York waterfront who sought adventure on tempestuous, yet fascinating Lake Michigan when the Midwest was growing hardily and fishing was the chief energetic industry of that great body…and he found too, that the giant white sturgeon who cast a spell of fear over the sturdiest fishermen whenever it appeared, could mean good fortune for him”.

"To The World's Best Librarian From The World's Worst Writer Jim". A Uniquely Personal Inscription, Found On a Signed First Edition Copy of The Spell of The White Sturgeon By Jim Kjelgaard. From The Book collection of Michael Patrick McCarty
“To The World’s Best Librarian From The World’s Worst Writer Jim”. A Uniquely Personal Inscription

The Coming of the Mormons – 1953, Random House

Haunt Fox– 1954, Holiday House 

Cracker Barrel Trouble Shooter – 1954, Dodd Mead

Lion Hound – 1955, Holiday House

Collins Famous Dog Stories

The Lost Wagon – 1955, Dodd Mead 

Desert Dog – 1956, Holiday House

Trading Jeff and his Dog – 1956, Dodd Mead

Wildlife Cameraman – 1957, Holiday House

A First Edition Copy of Wildlife Cameraman, with Dustjacket, by Jim Kjelgaard. Illustrated by Sam Savitt. Photo by Michael Patrick McCarty
A Book That Inspired a Generation of Wildlife Photographers

 

The Endpaper illustrations of a First Edition Copy of Wildlife Cameraman, with Dustjacket, by Jim Kjelgaard. Illustrated by Sam Savitt
Wilderness, a Camera, and the Promise of Adventure

Double Challenge – 1957, Dodd Mead 

We Were There at the Oklahoma Land Run – 1957, Grosset & Dunlap 

Wolf Brother – 1957, Holiday House
                         – 1963, Collins Famous Dog Stories

Swamp Cat – 1957, Dodd Mead 

The Wild Horse Roundup-Collection of Stories by Western Writers of America, 
                            Editor – 1957, Dodd Mead 

Rescue Dog of the High Pass – 1958, Dodd Mead

Hound Dogs & Others-Collection of Stories by Western Writers of America
                          Editor – 1958, Dodd Mead

The Land is Bright – 1958, Dodd Mead

The Black Fawn – 1958, Dodd Mead 

The Story of Geronimo – 1958, Grosset & Dunlap

Hi Jolly – 1959, Dodd Mead 

Stormy – 1959, Holiday House

Ulysses & his Woodland Zoo – 1960, Dodd Mead

Boomerang Hunter – 1960, Holiday House 

The Duck-footed Hound – 1960, Crowell

Tigre – 1961, Dodd Mead

The Front of Dustjacket Illustration by Everett Raymond Kinstler, Found On A First Edition Copy of Tigre by Jim Kjelgaard, From The Book Collection of Michael Patrick McCarty
The Front of Dustjacket Illustration by Everett Raymond Kinstler, Found On A First Edition Copy of Tigre by Jim Kjelgaard

 

“Pepe, the youthful Mexican goatherd, had many battles to fight…and hardest of all, against the killer tigre or jaguar which had taken the life of Pepe’s father and threatened to destroy the family herd of goats, their very livelihood”

Hidden Trail – 1962, Holiday House

Fawn in the Forest & other Wild Animal Stories – 1962, Dodd Mead 

Two Dogs & a Horse – 1964, Dodd Mead

Furious Moose of the Wilderness – 1965, Dodd Mead

Dave and his Dog, Mulligan – 1966, Dodd Mead

“…his great wish was to become a game warden…Dave had a second big dream for the future. He wanted to prove that hunting the “varmints” – the coyotes, the bobcats and lions that ran rampant in the nearby countryside – could prove a challenging, diverting sport to the countless hunters who swarmed into the area each open season, mostly in quest of deer. This would also put a stop to the reckless placing of poison bait by certain ruthless sheepmen whose flocks were being raided by the varmints”. (From the Dustjacket Flap)

Internal Illustration of Buck White-tailed Deer by Sam Savitt, Found in the Book Dave and His Dog, Mulligan by Jim Kjelgaard
Illustration By Sam Savitt, From a First Edition Copy of Dave and His Dog, Mulligan

Coyote Song – 1969, Dodd Mead

Front Cover of Dustjacket of A First Edition Copy of Coyote Song By Jim Kjelgaard. Illustrated By Robert Maclean
Front Cover of The Dustjacket of A First Edition Copy of Coyote Song By Jim Kjelgaard. Illustrated By Robert Maclean

 

See Our Post About Stormy, by Jim Kjelgaard, HERE

See our book catalog for Jim Kjelgaard Titles HERE.

Posted by Michael Patrick McCarty

https://steemit.com/hunting/@huntbook/jim-kjelgaard-patron-saint-of-dogs-boys-and-the-great-outdoors

Stormy – The Dog That Led Us Into The Wind

Stormy, by Jim Kjelgaard, is one of his most popular, and more collectable book titles. It is the story of an outcast labrador retriever, and his young owner. With lots of duck hunting and outdoor adventure.
Bring On The Storm!

A BOOK FOR ALL TIME

 

I have always been a reader, blessedly so, and born for it I suppose. I took to books like black ink yearns for the creative freedom of an empty white page. My face became well-known in any library I could enter, until I had read almost everything on animals and fishing and all things outdoors from their limited selections.

And then an angel of a librarian handed me a copy of “Stormy”, a story about an outlaw Labrador Retriever and his owner, written by this fellow with the strange name. It was unlike anything I had ever read and I was hooked deep in my insides like a catfish on a cane pole.

It was big, eye-opening reading for a nine-year old.  The world suddenly opened to wild possibilities, and the book is one of the reasons that I went on to earn a Wildlife Biology Degree in College. Jim Kjelgaard helped me to become a hunter too, and not just any kind of hunter, but a waterfowl hunter at that.

I have since come to love biting wind and snow squalls and white-capped waves in an icy marsh. I owe it all to an outlaw dog named Stormy, and a writer that knew him better than the dog himself.

For Sale:

Stormy. By Jim Kjelgaard. Published by Holiday House/Scott, Foresman, 1959. Hardcover, without Dustjacket as issued. In Very Good condition. This is not an X-library copy, as is more commonly offered.  Uncommon in this Edition.

“Allan Marley and his father have lived together  in the untamed wilderness of the Beaver Flowage all  their lives. But when Mr. Marley is jailed because  of a bitter feud, Allan suddenly finds himself on  his own. Then he meets Stormy, an outlaw dog who  has been accused of turning on his owner. Allan  knows that the big black retriever has been  mistreated, and he works hard to win the noble dog’s trust  and affection. As allies, Allan and Stormy overcome  every danger they encounter in the unpredictable  wilderness…but can their bond protect Allan from  the viciousness of his father’s human enemies? ”

Offered for $65 postpaid in U.S. Please contact us to purchase (Subject to prior sale).

For More on Jim Kjelgaard, click the link HERE

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Backwoods Freedom! – and Dogs Too.

Michael Patrick McCarty

*See our catalog HERE for a fine selection of Jim Kjelgaard First Editions and Autographed Works. Enter Kjelgaard in the author field.
A Close-up of the Artwork on the Endpapers of the Scott Foresman and Holiday House Edition of the Book Stormy By Jim Kjelgaard, with a Flock of Ducks fFying Fast on the Wind.
Sometimes A Duck Hunter Can Only Set The Gun Down and Watch. Photo by Michael Patrick McCarty

Out of the Wind

https://steemit.com/hunting/@huntbook/stormy-the-dog-that-lead-us-into-the-wind

Memories of The Giant Sea Bass, The King of The Kelp Forest

A Fishermans Catch of Giant Sea Bass By The Office Meteor Boat Company Off Catalina Island, California
The Good Old Days Never Looked So Go

 

October 7, 2015

Did you know that you may be a deltiologist?  Would your next question be, just what in the heck is that?

As it turns out, I may be one too, and I had thought that I just liked many of the images which can be found on old postcards.

Deltiology is the study and collection of postcards, and of course a deltiologist is one who collects. If you do, you are far from being alone. It is the third largest collecting hobby after stamp and coin collecting.

How about that?

I am particularly drawn to images relating to natural history and wildlife, and even more so to vintage hunting and fishing scenes.

My collection is not that big, and I don’t know all that much about the collecting field in itself. My only real motive to this point is that I bought them because I like them. I suspect that some of the images are rare. No doubt, some are not. Most are completely fascinating, at least to me.

I do know that picture postcards fall into categories based on the time period produced and published. The years 1898 to 1919 are considered to be the Golden Age of Postcards, followed by Linen Postcards (1930-1950), and the Modern Chromes (after 1940). There are further differentiations within these categories.

I found this particular postcard in a second-hand store, and I was astounded at the sheer size of the fish. My first reaction was to wonder – were they real?

Well, of course they are, and it is not an optical illusion. Photoshop and other photo manipulation programs had yet to be imagined.

But what about these magnificent fish? Could the largest of them depicted here really have weighed in at 320 pounds?

The postcard simply states “A Catch of Black Sea Bass”, and that would appear to be quite an understatement for fish of this size.  It is a species that until this time I was completely unfamiliar with, and that in itself was a big surprise. But then again, I was born and raised on the East Coast, and they are found primarily off of the coast of California, and south into Mexico.

Obviously, they would not be an easy fish to miss, though their true name is the Giant (Black) Sea Bass. To this day very little is know about their biology and habits. They may be capable of reaching lengths of up to seven or eight feet, and one specimen was reported to have weighed nearly 800 pounds. Now that’s a fish that can really get your attention, which sometimes is not such a good thing.

By 1915 both commercial and sport fisherman had taken their toll on the population. By 1935 most commercial fishing was no longer viable, and by the 1970’s they had all but disappeared. Finally, in 1981 the state of California closed all fishing for the Giant Sea Bass, although no official conservation status has ever been designated.

Postcards can be difficult to date. This one was easy, since the postmark tells us that it was posted in 1909. And we know that the charter was by the Office Meteor Boat Company, which was an established company on Catalina Island at the time. One must wonder if the participants ever had an idea that the best sport fishing years were nearly at an end?

No one knows yet if the king of the kelp forest  will ever make a full recovery, but from what I can gather there is still hope. Until then, we may have to be content with known historical reports and the photographic record, such as it is.

And that’s another great reason to collect postcards…

Posted by Michael Patrick McCarty

Read More About The Giant Sea Bass Here

https://steemit.com/fishing/@huntbook/memories-of-the-giant-sea-bass-the-king-of-the-kelp-forest