Duncan Dobie’s New Book Looks At Deer Hunting From Yesteryear

The Buckshot Boys: Although no location is given, this scene easily could have been photographed in the hills of Kentucky or Tennessee. Judging by their looks, you wouldn’t want to get on the bad side of these rugged mountaineers. Could that be Pa on the right and his three sons on the left? The dogs have earned their supper today—one nice buck and the fresh skin from a second deer. Note the powder horn belonging to the man on the left. Collectively, the “buck’n ball” that has poured out of the muzzles of the four antique shotguns held by these hunters have no doubt accounted for a passel of furry critters over the years. Photo circa 1890.

The Greatest Typical Whitetail Ever Taken in the Southeast: In November 1961, a young outdoorsman named Buck Ashe (left), from Chamblee, was out training quail dogs in Monroe County. Buck was an avid bowhunter with many fine whitetails to his credit. It just so happened that deer season was open, and several of Buck’s friends were also in Monroe County deer hunting. They approached Buck and asked him to go with them the next morning. “I don’t have my gear with me,” Buck answered. “That’s okay,” one of his friends told him. “We have an extra rifle.” Buck reluctantly went along with his friends the next morning, carrying a borrowed Marlin .30-30. He went down to a creek bottom where he had previously found some good buck sign. Shortly after daylight, a massive buck came sneaking through the woods, and Buck dropped him with a single shot. The deer was huge, and everyone urged Buck to get it scored for the record book. But because he had shot the deer with a rifle instead of his bow, he refused. Not until almost 40 years later in 1999 was the giant rack scored thanks to the efforts of Buck’s son, Mark. The world-class 16-point rack tallied up 191 4/8 typical points, good enough to make it a Georgia record, as well as the largest typical whitetail ever taken in the Southeast. Olin Hunter (right) is also in the picture.

Dixieland Deer Hunt: Judging by the relatively small body sizes of the hanging deer, including one nice buck on the far right, and the southern loblolly pines in the background, this old cabinet photo was probably taken somewhere in the Deep South. After a spectacular morning, these relaxed hunters seem to be giving the deer a mid-day break. A buckboard, a large black or brown dog and part of a tent also appear in the background, indicating the group is in a cozy southern deer camp. It’s likely these men are hunting with dogs. Photo circa early 1900s.

Interview at Rock Creek Refuge: A WSB Radio reporter from Atlanta interviews two successful hunters during a special firearms hunt at the rugged Blue Ridge WMA in the north Georgia mountains in November 1941 (known locally as Rock Creek Refuge). A local game warden stands on the left as legendary Ranger Arthur Woody observes the interview from the right. The hunter on the left is holding a Marlin .30-30 while his partner is armed with a Springfield .30-06. This was the second season the 40,000-acre wilderness refuge had been opened up to a controlled hunt conducted jointly by the state of Georgia and the U.S. Forest Service. Both archery and firearms hunts were held. In 1927, Ranger Woody, who eventually managed over 200,000 acres of national forest land as a district ranger with the Forest Service, had begun stocking the refuge with deer purchased from North Carolina with his own money. Within 13 short years, his well protected herd grew from a few animals to several thousand. During the early 1940s, Ranger Woody, who later became known fondly as the “Barefoot Ranger of Suches,” became one of the most famous and high profile forest rangers in the nation due to his many innovative and visionary conservation practices. The managed hunts at Blue Ridge WMA beginning in 1940 became media events that received considerable national and local news coverage. Ironically, only a few weeks after this photo was taken, the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor on Dec. 7, forever changing the United States and the World.

Palmettos and Pine Trees: Due to the dense vegetation of the coastal plain country of the Southeast—from Virginia all the way around to Texas—much of the hunting was done with large packs of hounds. Southern hunters like this seasoned veteran often preferred to use vintage double-barreled shotguns that could be streamlined for the type of hunting they did. The revolutionary new hunting rifles of the 20th century were slow to reach the South because greenback dollars were scarce. Out of necessity, these die-hard outdoorsmen made do with the rifles and shotguns that had been passed down from their fathers and grandfathers. Traditionally, dog hunters loaded their guns with “buck’n ball,” that is, one barrel held 00 buckshot for quick, close shots at running deer, while the second barrel held a round ball for longer shots. Photo taken in central Florida, circa 1920.

Modern Robin Hoods: During the historic second annual bowhunt held at Rock Creek Game Refuge (Blue Ridge WMA) in the north Georgia mountains in early November 1941, these three veteran bowmen have just finished up their early morning breakfast and are preparing to head to the woods. The media dubbed this as, “The only deer hunt organized especially for archers in the United States.” Archers were (from left) Phil Cozad, of Columbus, Ohio, Dick Barbour, of Atlanta, and Lou Ribble, of Richmond, Va. All three hunters had attended the first historic hunt the year before in 1940. Much to their chagrin, not a single deer was taken during that inaugural hunt. They were determined to change the situation in 1941.

Legendary Forest Ranger Arthur Woody Poses with a Bow: During the inaugural and highly publicized five-day archery hunt in the Blue Ridge WMA in the north Georgia mountains in 1940, District Forest Ranger Arthur Woody mockingly poses with a primitive “bow and arrer.” Ranger Woody began stocking deer in the area 13 years earlier in 1927. He had initially hand-raised five fawns and released them into the refuge when they were about 1 year old. Thirteen years later, after stocking several dozen more deer, the herd had grown to an estimated 2,000 animals. The archery hunt was the first modern hunt of its kind in the nation. Blue Ridge WMA was also the first WMA ever established in the nation, being Ranger Woody’s brainchild. Knowing how difficult it would be to shoot one of these mountain deer with a bow and arrow, he predicted that no one would kill a deer with a bow and challenged the 30-odd hunters who participated by telling them he would “eat the snout of any deer brought into camp.” His prediction proved correct. No deer were accounted for on that first hunt.

A Legendary G-Man and Deer Hunter: Not only did Duff Floyd tame the deer woods with a classic rifle—a classic Savage Model 99—this legendary Georgia hunter also helped tame the wild and woolly mountains in north Georgia during the golden days of bootlegging and illicit whiskey in the 1930s, ’40s and ’50s. A federal agent in the north Georgia Mountains for 35 years, Duff Floyd became a living legend in his own right. While chasing trippers (vehicles carrying illegal whiskey) during hundreds of high speed chases on treacherous mountain roads, he never wrecked a government vehicle. And he usually caught his man. The famed Thunder Road, (Highway 9 in Dawson County) became the fodder for the classic 1950s movie starring Robert Mitchum. When stalking through the woods to raid a still, Duff was said to have possessed the skills of an Indian. This uncanny ability in the woods no doubt helped him run down more than a few good Georgia mountain bucks, as well, like this Union County bruiser. Duff retired in 1964 after a long, illustrious career. Photo circa 1949.

History in the Making: North Carolina Forest Ranger Lester Schaap checks in a fine mountain buck at the famous Cantrell Creek Wilderness Hunt Camp in the Pisgah Game Reserve during the third annual wilderness hunt in fall of 1938. The hunting camp was located in Turkey Pen Gap in the heart of the Pisgah National Forest. Because both deer and bears had been protected in western North Carolina in the late 1800s and early 1900s by wealthy landowners, like the Vanderbilt family, who had accumulated vast land holdings, big-game populations were never wiped out as they were in other parts of the southern Appalachians. In the north Georgia mountains, for instance, hungry pioneers and settlers had hunted deer and bears down to the last animal with large packs of dogs and fire torches at night. By 1900, deer and bears had disappeared from that region. Managed deer hunts at Cantrell Creek Wilderness Hunt Camp began in 1936. This popular hunt in western North Carolina was enjoyed by hundreds of sportsmen in the late 1930s. The camp in Turkey Pen Gap could be reached only after a 5-mile hike. All provisions and equipment had to be packed in by hunters, but the U.S. Forest Service provided tents, cots and firewood. Groups of 25 sportsmen hunted the primitive area for an entire week. Bag limits included one deer or bear per hunter. Photo by renowned U.S. Forest Service photographer Clint Davis, 1938.