Despite a few warm snaps (one that canceled the fishing portion of Battle on Bago ice fishing tournament that I wrote about last time), this crushing winter is really wearing most of us thin.
As I get older, I find my hands and feet get cold much quicker. It’s probably related to my type 2 diabetes or maybe because I don’t walk as much as I should. But it’s a great time to catch up on my reading.
I am a true bibliophile and not just because I love reading. I am a voracious book buyer, snapping up any volume I find on hunting, archery, guns, true crime, biographies of people I admire or despise, and random weird tomes on strange topics. If I ever build my own house, it will have walls of built-in bookshelves in every room, including the bathroom (my favorite reading room). I’ve long since filled all my bookshelves, but I keep bringing home more books.
I feel that owning a book on a certain topic will help me with that subject, even if I don’t read it. Through some sort of letter osmosis, if I just read the covers, praise quotes and maybe skip it, I will be an expert on wood lathes, pinfire rifles or antique duck decoys. Just don’t quiz me about any of these topics.
Reading, particularly of books, magazines and newspapers, is almost a lost art already. Although I do spend time reading some news online, the bite-sized morsels of news there isn’t satisfying like a real newspaper. I used to get a printed version of the Epoch Times, an amazing newspaper with lengthy and unbiased stories on a myriad of topics, but switched to the online version. I hope to switch back soon, because I just don’t check it every day.
Local papers satisfy my need to know what’s going on near me, and local journalists really do a great job of covering small-town events and people. I love paper in my hands when reading. I’ve never owned a Kindle or a Nook.
Books on guns, hunting and outdoor adventures are my passion. I was lucky enough to land a job at Krause Publications in Iola in 1999, working on the catalog section of Gun Digest. As a kid, I collected this annual book, drooling at all the different varieties of rifles, shotguns and handguns in the back section before reading the short stories on odd calibers and quirky firearms in the front. Gun Digest continues on, having been sold to former Krause employees.
My good friend Tom Walters and I annually exchange sporting books, because we share the same interests and try to impress each other with our bound treasures. My favorite book haunts are Goodwill, St. Vinnie’s, Half Price Books in Appleton, yard sales and Books-A-Million in Bettendorf, Iowa, when I visit Tom. Half Price Books and Thriftbooks also have huge selections online.
Gun Digest and similar annuals offer a great deal for the price even when not on sale. The catalog section is a massive reference that attempts to list nearly every make and model of gun in current production, including airguns, as well as optics, firearms accessories and more. Contacts for companies are included.
Gun books always catch my eye, but I especially enjoy those written by the old warriors, including law enforcement legends like Massad Ayoob (“In the Gravest Extreme”) and Bill Jordan (“No Second Chance Winner”). Today’s shooters can learn a lot, and if you carry a handgun for self-defense, you can learn tips from these gents that can save your life.
Any books about Indians (I don’t believe most prefer the term Native Americans, which was created by white men, and if you want to correct me, please let me know) catch my fancy, probably because of my love of traditional archery. I found an amazing book called “Native Roots: How The Indians Enriched America” by Jack Weatherford, who also authored “Indian Givers.” The former focuses on how Indian civilizations shaped the making of America, while the latter discusses how Indian culture shaped the world. I plan to buy the second one soon.
I am also a fan of outdoors magazines and was dismayed to hear that the National Rifle Association has eliminated two of its magazine options (Shooting Illustrated and America’s First Freedom) and will only print American Rifleman and American Hunter quarterly (the last two will be available monthly online to members).
Deer and Deer Hunting is a Waupaca-based publication first started by Krause Publications as an offshoot of Stump Sitters and is possibly the best of all deer-hunting magazines out there. I hope to talk with magazine owners Dan Schmidt and Brad Rucks (whom I worked with at Krause) for a future story.
Stay warm and catch up on your reading.
Ross Bielema is a New London freelance writer and owner of Wolf River Concealed Carry LLC. Contact him at Ross@wolfriverccw.com,
