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Forty-four Years of the Life of a Hunter Being Reminiscences of Meshach Browning, a Maryland Hunter
Meshach Browning (1781 - 1859) was an early backwoodsman, hunter and explorer of the watersheds of the North Branch Potomac and Youghiogheny Rivers in Maryland. His memoir is Forty-Four Years of the Life of a Hunter (1859). He has been celebrated as Maryland's most famous frontier hunter.
Meshach Browning was one of the pioneer hunters in Preston county. In 1859, the year of his death also, he published an "Autobiography," setting forth thrilling accounts of his life as a hunter. The reliability of Mr. Browning's work is vouched for by such authorities as Judge Thomas Perry of the Fourth Judicial District of Pennsylvania and others who knew the correctness of many things that appear strange, almost miraculous. His work is entitled, "Forty-Four Years in the Life of a Hunter."
During that time Mr. Browning killed nearly 2,000 deer, 500 bears, about 50 panthers, more than 1,000 rattlesnakes, and scores of wolves and other beasts. Many of them were in Preston county. He was not a very large man, but a powerful man physically and an athlete of great note. On two occasions he entered the bears' cave and fought with the bruins in their den.
Browning's memoir of his "hunting-fever" years (1795–1839) and other activities was originally penned with a turkey quill. Half backwoods history, half heroic adventure story, it recounts his hunting expeditions and life-threatening encounters while stalking game and records details of life in early frontier America, western Maryland folkways and early settlement life.
"Forty-four Years of the Life of a Maryland Hunter," related with all the good sense, sincerity, modesty, unconscious force and rustic humor of an unlettered man, who struggled with his grammar as he had struggled with bears, and steered his pen with as many and as honest misgivings as he would have handled the latest pattern of Winchester fowlingpiece in all its elaborate up-to-dateness; for this was the sort of hunter who aforetime confronted the catamount or the bear with a crippled flintlock, bandaged with a shoestring.
By the older denizens of all this region the memory of this man is kept reverently green, for he was the patriarch of the Glades. Browning was in his eightieth year in 1859, when his book was published, and was the nestor of the community of woodmen, hunters and anglers which had been growing up around him for half a century— a conspicuous personality among the stalwart mountaineers and the honored forbear of a progeny of brave men and handsome women, who revered him for his integrity, his strong, crude intellect, his dauntless courage, his generosity, his tenderness, his ingenuous modesty.
His book is no compilation of fish stories and hunters' yarns; almost every page is marked by his shrinking sensitiveness, lest his reader may regard him as a braggart or a liar. The lad Meshach grew to be the hero of every other man's talk in his little mountain republic, to be saluted for a preeminence of which he was unconscious. I have said that in his story he reminds me of the fine chivalry the generous pride of Jules Gerard — that brave and intrepid chevalier who went out to meet the Algerian lion alone in the moonlight. Meshach Browning says of the bear: "A bold, undaunted beast; not apt to quarrel with others, but if any trespass on his rights, then furious and vindictive. I admire and love the bear, because he would insult neither man nor beast, nor will he suffer either to insult him." But the panther "is a great sneak," and to be scorned—" cowardly, treacherous and cruel."
Stories of “flood and field” are always interesting, alike to old and to young; but this Volume is even more fascinating than works of its class usually are.
Meshach Browning was one of the pioneer hunters in Preston county. In 1859, the year of his death also, he published an "Autobiography," setting forth thrilling accounts of his life as a hunter. The reliability of Mr. Browning's work is vouched for by such authorities as Judge Thomas Perry of the Fourth Judicial District of Pennsylvania and others who knew the correctness of many things that appear strange, almost miraculous. His work is entitled, "Forty-Four Years in the Life of a Hunter."
During that time Mr. Browning killed nearly 2,000 deer, 500 bears, about 50 panthers, more than 1,000 rattlesnakes, and scores of wolves and other beasts. Many of them were in Preston county. He was not a very large man, but a powerful man physically and an athlete of great note. On two occasions he entered the bears' cave and fought with the bruins in their den.
Browning's memoir of his "hunting-fever" years (1795–1839) and other activities was originally penned with a turkey quill. Half backwoods history, half heroic adventure story, it recounts his hunting expeditions and life-threatening encounters while stalking game and records details of life in early frontier America, western Maryland folkways and early settlement life.
"Forty-four Years of the Life of a Maryland Hunter," related with all the good sense, sincerity, modesty, unconscious force and rustic humor of an unlettered man, who struggled with his grammar as he had struggled with bears, and steered his pen with as many and as honest misgivings as he would have handled the latest pattern of Winchester fowlingpiece in all its elaborate up-to-dateness; for this was the sort of hunter who aforetime confronted the catamount or the bear with a crippled flintlock, bandaged with a shoestring.
By the older denizens of all this region the memory of this man is kept reverently green, for he was the patriarch of the Glades. Browning was in his eightieth year in 1859, when his book was published, and was the nestor of the community of woodmen, hunters and anglers which had been growing up around him for half a century— a conspicuous personality among the stalwart mountaineers and the honored forbear of a progeny of brave men and handsome women, who revered him for his integrity, his strong, crude intellect, his dauntless courage, his generosity, his tenderness, his ingenuous modesty.
His book is no compilation of fish stories and hunters' yarns; almost every page is marked by his shrinking sensitiveness, lest his reader may regard him as a braggart or a liar. The lad Meshach grew to be the hero of every other man's talk in his little mountain republic, to be saluted for a preeminence of which he was unconscious. I have said that in his story he reminds me of the fine chivalry the generous pride of Jules Gerard — that brave and intrepid chevalier who went out to meet the Algerian lion alone in the moonlight. Meshach Browning says of the bear: "A bold, undaunted beast; not apt to quarrel with others, but if any trespass on his rights, then furious and vindictive. I admire and love the bear, because he would insult neither man nor beast, nor will he suffer either to insult him." But the panther "is a great sneak," and to be scorned—" cowardly, treacherous and cruel."
Stories of “flood and field” are always interesting, alike to old and to young; but this Volume is even more fascinating than works of its class usually are.
330 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 11, 2015
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
February 21, 2013
A must-read for any Western Maryland native. Amazing stories of one of the first settlers, Meshach Browning. A local classic which I'm due to read again- it's been at least 10 years.
September 15, 2022
So this book isn't written with impressive English or even correct grammar. If that's what you're looking for, don't pick this book up. But if you're interested in learning about a man who lived in the local to Western Maryland area, and about his life living off the land in honest and simple writing, pick this one. Timelines don't really exist here, but you will hear many stories or hunting, trapping, living off the land, and the successes and challenges of such a life. I gave it a four because it's not one that gripped me deeply, but didn't want to give it less than that because of the life he really did live.
August 30, 2025
I grew up in Kentucky and hunted during most of my youth. I picked this book up after I got out of the service and was only hunting with flintlock rifles. The author is not a writer, but a hunter and I gleaned several tricks from him that I used successfully in my hunts. Keep in mind, some of his "tricks" might not be legal, or even safe in today's woods. I read it through twice and have used it as reference several times. My son-in-law is currently reading it. If you're not a hunter, you can certainly read it for the history and I would recommend it to anyone interested in those two aspects (hunting or history).
October 7, 2024
Has a quaint charm to it. You can admire much of Mr. Browning's perspective and determination, and the simple way he sets his sights on things and solves his problems. I bought this mostly cause my Father in Law had it, and they have roots in Garret county.
July 3, 2023
Interesting historical perspective
April 15, 2022
Not quite the book I wanted it to be when I used to contemplate interpolating the memoirs of an ancestor with my own life story - it is exactly what it says on the tin, and after a few chapters of hardscrabble youth and courting his wife, Mesach really does just give you 200 pages of hunting anecdotes, all more or less the same with different sized bears/deer/panthers. Still, it’s compelling nonetheless and his blood does run through my veins (allegedly, in a much watered-down form), so 3.5 rounded up for the relation effect.
November 25, 2017
I enjoyed reading this autobiographical history of the life of Meshach Browning.. It was good for the wee bit of Nimrod blood in my veins. Great insight to the life of one of our pioneer/long hunters which helped tame the land in and about Western Maryland's Savage River, Meadow Mountain area just west of Cumberland.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews