The Bottom Line
Pros
- Contains lots of good info, presented in a down-to-earth way.
- Written by a guy who hunts public land as well as private - he's no elitist.
- Author has a lot of deer hunting experience, and knows how to glean lessons from it.
- This book will likely have some useful info for every deer hunter in the USA.
Cons
- Could have used a little more editing/proofing.
- Two-page "sidebar" tips break up the text of the book too often.
Description
- Whitetail Wisdom book by Daniel E. Schmidt
- Subtitle: "A Proven 12-step Guide to Scouting Less and Hunting More"
- Soft Cover, 6" x 9", 224 pages.
- ISBN 0-87349-946-8
- Contains a lot of common-sense information gleaned from years of experience - and from other deer hunters.
- Presented in a down-to-earth way that's clear but not dumbed-down.
- Chapters include: Become a Student; Scout Less, Hunt More; Think Like a Deer; Play Above the Competition;
- Simplify Your Approach; Get Private out in Public; Break Down the Big Woods; Match Wits With a Matriarch;
- Become a Buck Hunter; Shoot Like a Pro; Join the Utilitarian Movement; Stay on Track; Take Time to Reflect.
- Includes an index.
Guide Review - Whitetail Wisdom book by Daniel E. Schmidt
"Although I had always dreamed about writing a deer-hunting book, the thought never crossed my mind..."
Hmmm.
I believe the author's intentions are clear, i.e. that he had never believed that writing a book on deer hunting was a realistic goal for him, though it had long been a dream of his. Unfortunately, that's not what he said, and as editor of a well-known magazine (Deer & Deer Hunting) I expected better from him. Ah well.
From such questionable beginnings, the book grew on me more and more as I read. I appreciate the author's roots in public-land hunting, and I envy his access to multiple pieces of prime hunting land.
Schmidt has done an admirable job of putting his info into a very readable form, although one quirk bothered me. I'd be happily reading along and reach the end of a page, then turn the page and find a lovely two-page photo with some kind of quick tip/sidebar info... which invariably distracted me from what I had been reading.
At such times, I had to turn back to the last page, pick up the thread again, and turn two pages to complete the paragraph or section... and then back-track to read the tip. Not a huge thing, but an aggravation for which there is no good excuse.
The text is good, and so are the tips, and the photography (mostly black-and-white in this book) is top-notch. But the flow of text should never have been so rudely interrupted by intrusive two-page spreads. It's aggravating, and if I want that kind of aggravation in my reading, I'll pick up a magazine, not a book.
This is still a good book, which I enjoyed quite well, and will likely find myself re-reading as deer season approaches.
- Russ Chastain
