Best and worst hunting/outdoor writers

[MTGomer]

I was doing a little reading earlier and it got me wondering who the good folks on here think are some of the better and worst outdoor authors past and present. Who is the best? Is it O’Connor?
I like Duncan Gilchrist He was no literary genius, compared to others, but that simple, matter of (questionable) factness is also why I like him.

And for the worst, is it Ron Spomer or Craig Boddington?

 

[Irrelevant]

Who qualifies as a outdoor writer? As in just hunting/fishing stories?

1. McManus
2. Hemmingway
3. Harrison
4. Tom Reed
5. Chad Love
6. James Duncan (River Y)
7. David Peterson

The duck commanders have to be at the bottom right?

 

[geetar]

I really like Wayne Van Zwoll when it comes to guns or elk hunting.
Robert Ruark is really interesting to me because he is from my home state and I understand the places he’s talking about in a lot of stories.
I don’t think I can read another Boddington article after him repeatedly defending that 303 ram last year.

 

[MTGomer]

I really like Wayne Van Zwoll when it comes to guns or elk hunting.
Robert Ruark is really interesting to me because he is from my home state and I understand the places he’s talking about in a lot of stories.
I don’t think I can read another Boddington article after him repeatedly defending that 303 ram last year.

Regardless of killing baby rams or not, his writing is as dry on the mind as inhaling a dump truck full of nature valley granola bar crumbs would be on the mouth. Just not my thing.

 

[geetar]

Regardless of killing baby rams or not, his writing is as dry on the mind as inhaling a dump truck full of nature valley granola bar crumbs would be on the mouth. Just not my thing.

There are definitely more interesting guys to read for sure.

 

[Beignet]

Seconded on Gilchrist.

McGuane’s sporting essays are worth a read and a re-read.

 

[Nameless Range]

Howard Copenhaver - one of the best

 

[Beignet]

Seems like I’ve read more than a few essays about grouse hunting either in the Northeast or Michigan than manage to make it sound like the most alluring pursuit known to humans.

 

[Beignet]

Howard Copenhaver - one of the best

If those Copenhaver books don’t make a person want to drop everything and go hunt the Bob (despite the decline of game in the intervening years), then something is wrong.

 

[morley.tyler]

Being an Idaho guy:

1) Jack (eventually from Lewiston, ID)
2) Elmer (Salmon, ID)
3) Hemmingway (Sun Valley)
4) McManus (Sandpoint)

Ron Spomer lived in Moscow in the 90's, but I have never liked his style.

Wooters wrote a great monthly whitetail article in Peterson's in the 80's and 90's

 

[Gravelyctry]

Not a regular outdoor writer, but I really enjoyed this article written in 2007 by Susan Casey.

F&S Classics: An Improbable Elk Hunt

Author Susan Casey gets a crash course in hunter education before she travels to Colorado for her first ever big-game hunt for bull elk.

www.fieldandstream.com

 

[AvidIndoorsman]

Craig Childs
Linda Greenlaw
Barry Lopez
Gary Paulsen
Michael Pollan
David Pettersen
Steve Rinella
Peter Capstick
Peter Matthiessen
Jim Corbett

Interesting but terrible writers
Vilhjalmur Stefansson
Meshach Browning

 

[Irrelevant]

Peter Matthiessen

WTF are you smoking? Way near the bottom of my list! Terrible! 0 stars. #NotWinning

 

[Nicoli7153]

Gordon MacQuarrie for one of the best, Old Duck Hunter's series and years as an outdoor writer for a Milwaukee newspaper

 

[Hem]

Authors or writers.

I like the opinion and writings of Andrew McKean, here in Montana
Jersey Greg probably wouldn't agree.

 

[Brittany Chukarman]

Ted Trueblood. He could take you right along with him across Idaho.

 

[Irrelevant]

Authors or writers.

I like the opinion and writings of Andrew McKean, here in Montana
Jersey Greg probably wouldn't agree.

McKean and Herring are two current favs in the magazine/online space.

 

[huntnpack]

Lots of great names mentioned. Rick Bass is probably still at the top of my list.

Glad to see Pete Fromm hasn’t been listed, the unapologetic poaching in Indian Creek Chronicles didn’t sit well with me.

 

[Nameless Range]

There’s so many. A few Montana-centric authors that I think were visionary:

Bud Moore
Elers Koch
Norman Maclean

 

[Nutrioso]

I’ll add Charley Waterman, John Barsness and Keith Macafferty to the A list. Tom Davis writes wonderful upland stories. And, of course, Gene Hill. Some of his stuff is variations on a theme, but his dog stories alway bring a tear.

Never could understand the love for Nash Buckingham.