George Magoon and the Down East Game War: History, Folklore, and the Law

Folklore and Society

by Edward D. Ives

George Magoon (1851-1929), a notorious
  moose and deer poacher in Maine, was the hero of scores of funny stories of
  how he outwitted game wardens. Preserving these oral histories, Edward Ives
  documents Magoon's life and explores his significance as a folk hero within
  the context of the conservation movement, the cult of the sportsman, and Maine's
  increasingly restrictive game laws.
"A rich and subtle book, an
  important work by a major scholar. . . . It is a major contribution to folklore
  studies, and to history and American studies as well."
  -- Journal of American Folklore
 

352 pages, Paperback

First published September 1, 1988

About the author

Edward Dawson Ives

Reviews

[Todd · Rating 4 out of 5]

Since George Magoon is my GGG Grandfather, this book had special significance. I could have done without the first part which was really a short story of how and why the author wrote the book, I suppose it added some insight but in the end I think it was just a way to push the book over his required page quota. The stories about Magoon and the other poachers and wardens were great, my Dad has actually told me similar stories that were passed down to him. It was well written and the stories give a vivid picture of how life was in the early days of the game trade.

[Jeanne Bagley-scott · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you are interested in your history in Washington County, ME then this is the book for you. As a Bagley I found it enlightening. My own kinfolk (Lewis Lund and Gladys Bagley Lund) begin the story about what it was like to live at the turn of the century in Machias, ME. If you are a hunter this is the book for you.

[Judy Smith · Rating 4 out of 5]

Entertaining and relevant to our family's Washington County roots. I suspect we had ancestors on both sides of the poacher war.