What's everyone think are some of the must reads? Starting a bit of a collection but looking for some of the titles to look out for.
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What's everyone think are some of the must reads? Starting a bit of a collection but looking for some of the titles to look out for.
Hunter Climb High by Keith Severinsen and Deer Hunter by Joff Thomson are both good reads
My Stalking Memories by Major Wilson
If you are interested in a bit of history Bruce Banwell early books are a good start. ( e.g. Red Stags of Rakaia, Highland Stages of Otago, Wapiti in NZ)
Light reading Philip Holden has about 20. Pack and Rifle will give you a good taste of his stuff.
The Sharp Shooter, by Matt and Bruce Grant
You’ll learn no harm from the Hills, Of mountains, men and deer,
Anything by Charlie Janes.
A lot of good ones Hunter Climb High by Keith Severinsen was one of the first.
Got me interested in the 30-06.
Dad worked at Centre Hill so the Mavora bits were real interesting.
Drove into the Mavora Lakes a few years ago and remember him saying to get from Centre Hill to the furthest they mustered was about 9 hrs on horse.
Bit different now.
Pack and Rifle was the first I bought myself and was a good read.
Interesting to go the huts like the Harkness that he wrote about hunting from.
Mind you only got a .243 in the last couple of years.
Classics...
A Hunters Wanderings in Africa - Frederick Selous
African Game Trails - Theodore Roosevelt
Use Enough Gun - Robert Ruark
There are probably 3 main groups of NZ hunting books: ones from about the 1960s and earlier tell of huge deer and pig numbers before commercial helicopter and foot hunting, eg. "Hunting in New Zealand" by R. Forrester and N. Illingworth- THE classic!; "Two Dogs and a Rifle" and "Pighunting in New Zealand" by K. Cuthbertson; "The Venison Hunters" by M. Bennett; "Deer on my Doorstep" by C. Davey.
The second group is of "instructional" books, eg. "Red Deer in NZ" and "Stalking the Seasons Round" both by Lentle and Saxton.
The third group is of recent hunting tales- these are being churned out all the time and vary in quality, but some of the better ones are: "The Boar and the Pigdog" by R. Carr; "Game Trails" and "Classic NZ Mountain Hunts" both by D. McClunie, and "Tracks of a Hunter" by J. Royle.
I am very discriminating over the books that I buy, yet my NZ hunting book collection totals 126.
Is there a website from where these books can be ordered?
"Pack and rifle" is my top pick of all time. I've not read any of the new crop (last couple of decades).
I see a NZ Deer Heads just sold for $1900....
Awesome keep em coming. I've inherited the complete Banwell NZDA collection from a mate. And have pack and rifle, hunter for hire, hunting in NZ, stalking the seasons around, and amuri hunter. Got through a fair few but thought i may as well start a bit of a collection as i love the history of it all.
+ 1 for Bennet and his 'Venison Hunters'
@Stocky I have some of these, they were given to me by an older shooter, with the intention i should read then sell them on his behalf. Any funds would go direct to this retired gent, and help him get a new pair of spectacles. ( he really needs cataract surgery but I dont think he will get the funding for that.)
Hunting the hard way .... by Howard Hill
Big Game hunting in New Zealand.... By Gary Joll
Straight Shooting ....... by Jack Pollard
The Straight Shooter ......By Matt and Bruce Grant
The Book of Shooting for Sport and Skill
I can post up a photo of any you want to show their condition, all but hunting the hard way still have dust jackets.
I have no idea as to their value but put a price on it and anyone else can cry bullshit if it should go for more.
A few to add to the list.
Ross Curtis, Max Curtis
Newton McConochie
Temple Sutherland
Ray Tinsley
Ken Tustin for a good read on Moose in NZ.
I'm not big on trophy hunting but stories of old are always a good read.
Managed to amass my collection when the old man passed away, I’ve just put down Hunting in New Zealand, Dad bought it when it first came out in 1967.
Funny reading some of the stuff - like the idea that due to rabbit boards and poison ‘wallabies were on their way out’!
Surely Newton McConachies 'You'll no harm from the Hills' should be compulsory reading in schools ?
Great from a historical point about early settler life in the bush and not just for the interesting accounts of hunting
@Stocky if you are going to start collecting May I suggest you try and get first editions with out any writing (To Dad, happy birthday etc) in them or Library stamps etc, if possible Get ones signed by the author. My good mate is an avid collector of NZ hunting books and has pretty much all of them including a lot of self published ones, some of the older classic ones are worth good money. There are some great reads out there. I recently was given four books by Max Curtis and am throughly enjoying them, Man they were fit and tough as nails!
In addition to the ones already listed above by others,
An Era gone by Dave Radcliffe
Aerial Hunter by Dick Deaker
I enjoyed Peter Ryan's books for a different perspective. Very good writer.
@Inder how does $25 sound?
Hi @johnd, frankly i have no idea but anything for a fellow shooter. Please let me know how can I pay you. Wife does have a NZ bank account so (I think) she can transfer online. Not sure if you lot there use Paypal. That will be really easy for me. You will get it in 5 mins after you give me the account details.
Please let me know.
-Inder
Just confirmed, Wife can transfer online so please send me your details via PM and I will send you the address.
Thanks
-Inder
Fiordland memories by john anderson is my favourite but A good keen man by Crump, an Of mountains men an deer by Brian Burdon, Mr wapiti by Jack Mackenzie, an stags galore by Jim Griffen would have to be my picks
What about the harker series, I haven’t seen these mentioned here yet?
Thanks @johnd wife just messaged, she got the book. Thanks for an effortless transaction. It did took a while to reach but I think that is new normal in these uncertain times.
-Inder
The hunting rifle by Jack o Connor .
Hatcher's Notebook - a wealth of information if you use a rifle to hunt or compete.
Wayne Blake was a very good author, as well as Bob Pittaway. 2 Dogs and a Rifle got me keen on hunting.
My favourite is Along the Track by Bill Axbey.
They were mate
There was a "Wallaby Destruction Board" based in Cave. Graeme Guildford was the Supervisor and the main methods were dogging, aerial 1080 pellets, and helicopter shooting in the winter on the snow.
Numbers got very low but at significant cost, as you can imagine
@Bos, I worked on the Board towards the end prior to en vogue Roger Douglas amalgamation of bunny boards,wobbly board.catchment boards,etc, all in the name of greater efficiency,better results.We were down to around 2000 kills per annum (i.e. maintenance hunting programme)of all land between the Rangitata & the Waitaki.The feral range was not expanding at all.The outfit was run on a shoestring with no hangers on running around with a chipboard.However since those days its been a complete reversal of the population size and distribution despite run holders paying Ecan regional pest control rates annually.So maybe Sir Michael wasnt so smart after all but he still got a gong.I,d wage my left testie that every one of the concerned runholders would happily return to the days of paying an annual Wallaby Board targeted rate, and go tell ECAN to jam it.
But never fear , Mizz sage is on the case paying ex Air New Zealand pilots as hired guns to rid Godzone of all pests by 2050 FFS
Death in the Long Grass - Peter Hathaway Capstick
For a great overview of the early days of commercial venison recovery Brian Conroy’s first two books Helicopters and Venison, and Forgotten Years. Best two books I’ve read on this particular era. Well worth collecting as I think they are limited in numbers. Mine are both signed.
Dying for a Living By Milton Kiri. Another great book. Live capture days in the central North Island. Tough tough man. Limited again and If signed by Milton worth having in your collection.
i got onto those Rod and Rifle hunting legends Books, 1 and 2, fresh reprints or whatever, absolutely froffing an cant wait to retrace some footsteps !!!!!! <<<<<<3333333