The Complete Sportsman's Encyclopedia
Editorial Reviews
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Francis H. Buzzacott's comprehensive guidebook for those turn-of-the-last-century hearties intent on venturing into the wilderness for fishing, hunting, and camping has the aura of an archeological curiosity. It's so oddly engaging at times that it's hard to put down once you've picked it up.
Originally published in 1913 and designed to be taken along on any outdoor excursion, The Sportsman's Encyclopedia--a collection, really, of several individual manuals and commercial catalogues that Buzzacott issued over time--offers a fascinating window onto a preconservation era when adventurers approached nature as an adversary fit to exploit and trample. Pack light? This is a concept Buzzacott never heard of; the great tent he created resembles a prefab that needs trucking in. The modern notion of leaving no trace of your presence behind? Buzzacott prefers chopping down a tree and turning its stump into a table. This is a real piece of Americana, issued in facsimile form; what makes it such an appealing artifact is its very political incorrectness and how far we've hiked from some of its less enlightened corners.
Yet, for all that's dated about it, the Encyclopedia remains a spirited and remarkably useful instructional for anglers and hunters. It's filled with practical pointers--"open the stomach of your first fish and see what they are feeding on and follow the 'tip'"--and detailed advice on equipment, reading weather, cleaning guns, tying knots, setting decoys, selecting flies, and choosing bait that has stood the test of time. In the end, though, it's the oddities that dazzle as they raise your eyebrows, like this pre-Heimlich maneuver should someone in your party be choking: "If possible force water down the throat or push down substance with spoon handle. Hearty slapping on the back is also effective. Getting on all-fours will help matters." It's not easy finding advice like that anymore. --Jeff Silverman
Book Description
Here is a sportsman's bible, originally published in 1913, now finally available to the modern-day hunter and fisherman.
An absolute gem of a book, THE COMPLETE SPORTSMAN'S ENCYCLOPEDIA offers the reader a no-holds-barred education in every aspect of the sporting life--from bait fishing and fly casting to big game hunting. In 1913, Francis H. Buzzacott, renowned trapper, hunter, and guide, put down what he hoped would be a portable and “practical volume containing much information one in the ‘Woods' would like, or ought to know.” The result is a book as essential today to the sporting man as it was at the turn of the century. With sections that include The Complete Camper's Manual, The Complete Fisherman and Angler's Manual, The Complete Hunter's & Sportsmen's Manual and Trapper's Guide, and The Complete Big Game Hunter's Manual or the Rifle-Man's Guide, THE COMPLETE SPORTSMAN'S ENCYCLOPEDIA covers a vast terrain of information in a concise, no-nonsense manner. Here Buzzacott explains:
* Outfitting properly and thoroughly for fishing, hunting, or camping trips * Reliable weather signs and how to read them * Troubleshooting for fishermen and anglers * Leaders, snells, floats, hooks, and flies * Ducks, decoys, blinds, and dogs * Trapping and tanning * Loading, reloading, and cleaning rifles, pistols, etc. * Hunting deer, bear, and moose * Invaluable hints and pointers for hunters * And much, much more
The splendid photographs and illustrations that adorn its pages render this volume as much a cherished fireside reader as it is a valued companion in the field. THE COMPLETE SPORTSMAN'S ENCYCLOPEDIA is a wise compendium of good old-fashioned knowledge that will bring satisfaction to sportsmen for decades to come.
FRANCIS H. BUZZACOTT was a hunter, trapper, and guide for over forty years. He made expeditions to both the Arctic and Antarctica, and was a member of the National Rifle Association of America, the League of American Sportsmen, and the American Geographical Society.
The Complete Sportsman's Encyclopedia
The Complete Sportsman's Encyclopedia,Francis H. Buzzacott,The Lyons Press,1585741272,Field Sports,Fishing - General,Hunting - General,Outdoor Skills,Sports,Sports & Recreation,Field sports: fishing, hunting, shooting,Sports & Recreation / General
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