Hunting Trips of a Ranchman: Sketches of Sport on the Northern Cattle Plains

by Theodore Roosevelt

It's no secret that America's most bully president was also its most bully outdoorsman and conservationist; what's often forgotten was how beautifully and authoritatively he wrote about the wilderness and his considerable experiences there. These two pre-White House narratives--Ranchman was originally published in 1885, Wilderness Hunter eight years later--are rich and vivid. The former chronicles Roosevelt's sojourns in the Dakota Badlands; the latter is an extended love letter to the pleasures and challenges of outdoor life. So what if some of his 19th-century ideas seem politically incorrect by the standards of the next century--magnificent prose is still magnificent prose. "Nowhere, not even at sea," writes the future First Hunter in one haunting passage, "does a man feel more lonely than when riding over the far-reaching seemingly never-ending plains ... [but] after a man has lived a little while on or near them, their very vastness and loneliness and their melancholy monotony have a strong fascination for him." By comparison, the isolation and weight of the Oval Office must have seemed like an afternoon stroll in the park. --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.


Written during his days as a ranchman in the Dakota Bad Lands, these two wilderness tales by Theodore Roosevelt endure today as part of the classic folklore of the West. The narratives provide vivid portraits of the land as well as the people and animals that inhabited it, underscoring Roosevelt's abiding concerns as a naturalist.

Originally published in 1885, Hunting Trips of a Ranchman chronicles Roosevelt's adventures tracking a twelve-hundred-pound grizzly bear in the pine forests of the Bighorn Mountains. Yet some of the best sections are those in which Roosevelt muses on the beauty of the Bad Lands and the simple pleasures of ranch life. The British Spectator said the book "could claim an honorable place on the same shelf as Walton's Compleat Angler." The Wilderness Hunter, which came out in 1893, remains perhaps the most detailed account of the grizzly bear ever recorded. Introduction by Stephen E. Ambrose. --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.


"This collection of Roosevelt's hunting trips and adventures puts you right out there with him, on the wild plains. The clarity of his descriptions and the easy way he takes you through his experiences has made this one of the most enjoyable books I have ever read. If you enjoy the wilderness, stories about the old west or just relaxing with a good book, this is a great choice." - Amazon Reviewer

116 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2004

About the author

Theodore Roosevelt, Jr., also known as T.R., and to the public (but never to friends and family) as Teddy, was the twenty-sixth President of the United States, and a leader of the Republican Party and of the Progressive Movement.

He fathered Alice Roosevelt Longworth, a daughter.

He became the youngest President in United States history at the age of 42. He served in many roles including Governor of New York, historian, naturalist, explorer, author, and soldier (posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor in 2001 for his role at the Battle of San Juan Hill in the Spanish-American War).

Roosevelt is most famous for his personality: his energy, his vast range of interests and achievements, his model of masculinity, and his "cowboy" persona.

Reviews

[Daniel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Incredible. This came out of left field for me. Teddy begins the book by describing the culture of his ranchmen and then parcels out the rest of the book amongst different game: Waterfowl, prairie chicken, white tail, and black tail (mule) deer.

This book was a completely fascinating look into the hunting lifestyle he led near his ranch in the days before wildlife management. He is an eloquent writer and really knows his shit about the wildlife he's describing.

This is a must-read for hunters especially.

[Mark Mears · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you want to learn more about Theodore Roosevelt, reading the many books he authored is a great way to do so. Placing yourself back into what is now history, but was a current event for him, you find details and adventures.

I would recommend this book for anyone, but specifically for someone wanting to learn more about TR and life on the plains.

[Arlingtontexican · Rating 4 out of 5]

I already regret not giving five stars...it took me a long time to read this short work...not because I lost interest...I chose to savor the experience president Roosevelt had to share. Intelligent, boastful (with good reason), boisterous, entitled.... he wrote a number of books...time to line up the next on, I want to read them all.

[Ronda Wian · Rating 5 out of 5]

Right in to the bad lands.

I enjoyed the book it gave an account of young Roosevelt .as a meat hunter. I enjoyed the details of the story.