WOW! Must read: The Golden Age of Waterfowling

[Double R 2]

WOW! One of the best I've run across in a long time: The Golden Age of Waterfowling by W. Capooth, MD. Talks about hunting the Mid-South region late 1800's - mid1900's - market hunting, Reelfoot, the Sunk Lands, etc. Sports of that time going on hunting excursions shooting a couple hundred ducks, snipe, quail, grouse, swans, cranes, turkeys; shooting bear, panthers, deer...Entire chapters dedicated to big clubs of the era - Waponaca, Beaver Dam, Greasy, Tent Camp, etc., and a hundred or so others never heard of. Shooting competitions, dog races, commercial enterprises, blackpowder, advent of game laws...Unbelievable. Chock full of great old photographs too. Talk about southern "tradition" with regard to southern hunting!

Just published, this book chronicles the waterfowling legacy for the states of Mississippi, Tennessee, Arkansas, and southeastern Missouri. Marvel at the 143 vintage photographs of clubhouses, swamp angels, sports, paddlers, pushers, market hunters and other denizens of the swamps in this 456-page book (8 ½ by 11) that begins just after the Civil War and ends during the 1940’s. Own a piece of history as this book will only appreciate in value. This collector’s item is being offered as a limited edition, signed and numbered: 1250 softcovers and 250 red-leatherette hardcovers with gold foil stamping and a dustjacket

[tigercc]

I have not read the book, but I actually had the chance to hunt with him the last weekend of the season last year... man this guy knows so much about the history of duck hunting, and he is a really nice guy.

[iron grip]

Double R 2 wrote:

Quote:


Just published, this book chronicles the waterfowling legacy for the states of Mississippi, Tennessee, Arkansas, and southeastern Missouri. Marvel at the 143 vintage photographs of clubhouses, swamp angels, sports, paddlers, pushers, market hunters and other denizens of the swamps...

I don't know zactly wut a swamp angel is but I tink I need one!
Thanks for the info on this I'm always looking for a good book.

[duckkiller]

Where can I find that book?

[Double R 2]

The Golden Age Of Waterfowling by Dr. Wayne Capooth can be ordered from Bronson's Sporting Goods at 901.458.5458

[edited, just found Dr Capooth's website...]

You can also order directly from Dr Capooth at http://www.waterfowling.org. Link has some great pictures posted!

Here are some of the chapters:

Early Duck Clubs
Warfare at Big Lake
Warfare at Reelfoot
Duck Calls
Paddlers
Pushers
Nash Buckingham
Decoys
Market Hunters
The Peabody Ducks

Waterfowl Hunting Clubs
Arkansas
Mississippi
Arkansas
Southeastern Missouri

Some excerpts from some of the chapters:

THE EARLY DUCK CLUBS: The great lonely river bottomlands of Arkansas, Tennessee and Mississippi were within easy reach of the sporting gentry of Memphis. It was a vast and sparsely settled area of swamp, forest and sloughs, with many shallow lakes and "Old Rivers" of brown water winding through virgin timberlands and almost impenetrable willow flats and canebrakes. These baffling mazes of all three states riverward gave safe harbor to an incredible plethora of wildlife resources. During the frost months, the region was the haunt of millions upon millions of waterfowl. They filled the skies and crowded the waters of lakes and rivers to form a riotous clamoring carpet. Practically, the only restrictions concerning the taking of game were those imposed by the seasons, the state of the weather, and by one's needs or desires.

MARKET HUNTERS: The local market hunters jealously guarded their duck hunting grounds and were always fearful that a group of Sports would discover their marketdom and take it from them and use it for their hunting clubs. Furthermore, they jealously guarded the location of their hunting grounds because they didn't want the professional market hunters, who traveled the riverways during the hunting season looking for premium duck hunting grounds, to know their location. So there were many reasons why they preferred to keep their occupation and their hunting territories a secret, and they did a good job. Nevertheless, there is enough available history to piece together a resemblance of their occupation.

WARFARE AT BIG LAKE: According to local sportsmen, five duck clubs in Arkansas were tormented with market hunters in the olden days: Osceola Ducking and Trolling Club, Hatchie Coon Hunting and Fishing Club, Mud Lake Hunting Club, Wapanocca Outing Club and Big Lake Shooting Club. The first to have trouble with market hunters was the Osceola Ducking and Trolling Club, known locally as the "Memphis Club." Soon after its organization in 1882, the members built a clubhouse, located on the southeast side of Big Lake. Not long afterwards, market hunters burned it to the ground.

. . . These conflicts (between the market hunters and Big Lake Shooting Club) were the harbinger of future and further class warfare. The warfare, in this case, covered a span of some thirteen years, from 1903 to 1915, and involved the market hunters and the Big Lake club members. The warfare only ended when President Woodrow Wilson signed an Executive Order, making Big Lake a national waterfowl refuge in 1915.

[Caller1]

He writes an outdoors article everyweek in the Delta Farm Press. Lots of good articles. He wrote the article criticizing the spinning wing decoy that I have mentioned on here in the past. LOTS of great insight.

[h2o_dog]

Where can I find that book?

Davis-Kidd (Poplar and Perkins, I think) in Memphis had a bunch this summer.

[tica-tica]

Thanks for the heads up Ramsey. I need to order me a copy.

Hey you don't reckon those boys cared to much for gun safety back then do you.... almost every pic has some ole boy with his muzzle pointed at somebodys head....

Watch where you are pointing that smoke pole buddy!

[GulfCoast]

I got that book a couple of years ago. It is crammed fulla really neat stuff. However, the type is REALLY SMALL, so its like getting twice the book in half the package. Great book, but use your glasses!

[Money]

Watch where you are pointing that smoke pole buddy!

That ol' boy on the right prolly just went on his last hunt.

[Wingman]

Wow! I counted 158 mallards.

[mudsucker]

You gonna cite them?

[Chad Manlove]

Just ordered my copy. Looks good.

Thanks for the heads-up, Ramsey!

Chad

[Got Chocolate?]

orderd mine after reading your post the other day. should be hear this week.

[Cotten]

Thanks for the heads up Ramsey. I need to order me a copy.

Hey you don't reckon those boys cared to much for gun safety back then do you.... almost every pic has some ole boy with his muzzle pointed at somebodys head....

Watch where you are pointing that smoke pole buddy!

Ya’ll see what these ole boys are shooting don't cha? And to think, a hundred years later the gun manufacturers still have not found a way to build a better mouse trap.