Over a century ago readers of sporting journals in America and Europe relished the tales of Mississippi Delta bear hunter Robert Eager Bobo. Yet, in the years since, this most famous bear hunter of the late 1800s has been all but forgotten - until now. The Bear Hunter brings to the modern reader, not only the true chronicles of Bobo's bear hunting, but a fascinating and thoroughly entertaining picture of pioneer life in the nineteenth century wilderness of the lower Mississippi Valley sure to delight hunters, outdoors lovers, nature enthusiasts, southern history buffs, folklore fans, and anyone who just enjoys a good book. Come now with Bobo and a variety of captivating characters - including the notorious outlaw Jesse James - on their quests for black bear in an environment that now exists only on the pages of history: the wild, trackless, Mississippi Delta canebrake. Gallop at a breakneck pace through sloughs and swamps, where a horse's stumble over a cypress knee could mean sudden disaster; thrill to the savage chorus of the hounds as they pursue their game; charge into the cane to knife the bear before it can decimate the pack; taste the fear when the tables turn and hunter becomes the hunted; relax by the campfire on a frosty November evening and listen to the tales of wolf and panther and gun and knife; laugh, too, at comical stories of old time Delta backwoods ways; and, perhaps, shed a tear, as the inevitable tragedies of life visit your newfound friends. Let us not delay! The hunters are gathered; the horses are champing at their bits; the dogs are spoiling for a fight; Bobo is sounding his horn. It is time to ride.

We're going on a bear hunt. Through the long wavy grass, the thick oozy mud and the swirling, whirling snowstorm - will we find a bear today?

How-to chapters (black bear natural history, scouting, baiting, scents & lures, hunting styles, where to aim, skinning, meat handling, recipes and more), plus memoir chapters on unusual events and people the author has met.

The years from 1820 to 1920 saw the sport of bear hunting at its greatest flowering. Much of the country was still wild enough to support large numbers of both black and grizzly bears, who in turn supported a remarkable assortment of bear hunters. Some, like David Crockett and Theodore Roosevelt, became internationally famous. Others, like Wilburn Waters and Holt Collier, are almost completely forgotten, though their exploits were just as extraordinary. "The Bear Hunter's Century "brings to life the hard, thrilling lives, of these men. Not just a book of adventures, this a fascinating social history told with wit and style, a penetrating examination of the often inaccurate lore of bear hunting, and a celebration of the amazing skills developed by the best bear hunters.

Over a century ago readers of sporting journals in America and Europe relished the tales of Mississippi Delta bear hunter Robert Eager Bobo (1847-1902). Yet, in the years since, this most famous bear hunter of the late 1800s has been all but forgotten - until now. The Bear Hunter brings to the modern reader, not only the true chronicles of Bobo's bear hunting, but a fascinating and thoroughly entertaining picture of pioneer life in the nineteenth century wilderness of the lower Mississippi Valley and of the wilderness environment from which they wrested their farms and plantations in the post civil war years. The book also contains rare descriptions of firearms and the deadly cane knives used in hunting, the Delta pioneers' preferences in hunting horses and hounds, and their techniques for building the necessary and ubiquitous dugout canoes of that time and place. Of special interest are the descriptions of the 19th century Delta's dense forests and the vast, impenetrable canebrakes - home to everything from the Bachman's warbler to the red wolf and the ivory billed woodpecker to the panther (the southern term for Puma concolor) - an environment found only on the pages of history today.

The years from 1820 to 1920 saw the sport of bear hunting at its greatest flowering. Much of the country was still wild enough to support large numbers of both black and grizzly bears, who in turn supported a remarkable assortment of bear hunters. Some, like David Crockett and Theodore Roosevelt, became internationally famous. Others, like Wilburn Waters and Holt Collier, are almost completely forgotten, though their exploits were just as extraordinary. "The Bear Hunter's Century" brings to life the hard, thrilling lives of these men.--Jacket flap

"Closing his eyes, he hoped that he would lose consciousness before the bear pulled him away from the Spruce trees. The last thing he wanted was to be awake when the bear started to feed"--Back cover.