OLD WILDFOWLING TALES III

OLD WILDFOWLING TALES III FOREWORDIn Volume III of Old Wildfowling Tales, Worth Mathewson provides a series of articles about duck & goose shooting as it was done in years gone by. Hunters who wrote the articles used a descriptive style of writing seldom found in current outdoor publications. They will provide enjoyable reading for dedicated waterfowlers during leisure times at home or in a hunting camp. It was through reading Volume I & Volume II of Old Wildfowling Tales edited by Worth that I became aware of the wealth of information contained in rare old publications such as Forest & Stream, The American Field, Outing, & others.Several years ago I met Worth through a mutual friend Henry M. (Milt) Reeves while visiting in Amity, Oregon. Later, I had an opportunity to see Worths collection of wildfowling books & decoys. I noted that he had many of the same classic old books that held a special place in my library. It was obvious that I had met a kindred soul with a shared deep interest in preserving the rich traditions of duck & goose shooting. I learned that we had both shot canvasbacks on Malheur Lake in southeastern Oregon during the 1960s although we did not know each other then.In addition to reading about the hunts one is able to gain insights into conditions of the land & its people in those days of long ago. For example, Chapter 25, Hints & Points, by Henry Kleinman, reveals that there were once premier waterfowling marshes in the vicinity of Chicago. Henry & his brother, Abe, where considered by their peers to be the greatest duck shots in the world. In reading the article it is obvious to me the evaluation was well deserved. Each of the other articles describe hunting experiences that were unique to different areas & times but suggestive that waterfowlers are part of one grand fraternity.I thank Worth Mathewson for searching through the old publications & selecting articles presented in this book. Many of the old journals are rare & difficult to obtain. It may be only a matter of time until they will not be available for viewing & reproduction. Therefore, it is important that some of the better articles are preserved in book form such as Old Wildfowling Tales III.Harold F. DuebbertFergus Falls, Minnesota248 pgs. ISBN: 0-SLP-10 publish date: 10/15/2007