Could this guy author a succesful book on buck hunting?

Lets name the hunter in the picture Pete. Lets also say that the buck in the picture below was a typical buck taken by Pete, year after year. For this discussions sake, the deer pictured is a 3.5 year old buck. Pete hunts in a heavily pressured national forest of say 50,000 acres. The type of bucks Pete kills year in and year out are the top 5% of all bucks killed in the heavily pressured national forest that he hunts. Would Pete be qualified to write a book on succesful "mature" buck hunting?

 

Sure, I would read it.

 

I believe he could.

Depends on his book really.. his writing.. and more importantly his "niche". And by niche.. I mean intended audience and means of explaining his way.. another and perhaps better way of targeting specific animals.

Now.. if he wrote a book that's been done over and over (which most have done).. he's screwed. Cause frankly.. sex sells.

 

"Now.. if he wrote a book that's been done over and over (which most have done).. he's screwed. Cause frankly.. sex sells."

I should transplant his face with that of Tom Selleck.


Back to the question at hand.......

 

By sex.. I mean BIG bucks.

Males like sex.. if you want to sell it.. you better get ready to flaunt it. So.. like I said.. unless he can get a solid niche and survive a few years with lower sales til the word spreads (among the hunting world).. I'd realistically say.. no.. he's got no chance if he was just writing any old hunting book that's already been done.

Except with maybe the entire audience of dudes/dudettes who hunt that Natl. forest.

What I'm saying is.. it's COMPLETELY up to the author on whether he succeeds or fails.

 

So if Pete were killing 5.5 year old 100 inchers while someone else was killing 3.5 year old 140 inchers, then that someone else would have a much better chance of authoring a book on hunting mature bucks?

 

authoring is one thing, making a living off of selling the books is another.

If Pete wants to write a book, by all means write a book....just don't give up your day job Pete.

 

Yup.. not by my choice.. maybe not by yours..

But.. lets face the true facts on the hunting community.. nobody ever REALLY reads this junk.. they just read the captions under the pics.. and look at the pictures.

Only a VERY small handful of guys/gals really and actually read about hunting. Like 75% of the hunting world and community just go out there to hunt and nothing more.. they don't care about the internet.. some magazine.. or some book. And they sure ain't gonna spend $20 on one!

So you just won't get those QUICK sale numbers up once you release a book unless you have the "sex".

Unless.. the author is willing to work.

 

I'd say good writing skills would help sell books too. Nothing worse then reading something that you can't understand because the author couldn't translate his actions Into words very well.

 

No .... It wouldn't sell. Would you buy it ?

 

jag, if the guy was consistently killing bucks that were in the top 5% of all the bucks taken each year on that type of land, yeah I probably would buy it.

 

not me

 

I would depending on his approach to the topic. If he includes EVERYTHING he goes through to pattern these public land deer (in high pressure areas), most likely. When reading deer hunting topics, I need something new and refreshing (which is why I usually just read the forums now rather than read most magazines). It seems the popular mags are simply filled with the same generalized topics and "advise" telling me to hunt the wind, hunt the does, hunt late season food sources, etc.

 

Sure he could write a book. You don't have to be a good hunter to be a good hunting writer. (or any topic for that matter).

Color me weird, I make no attempt at killing an "older" deer per-say. I don't hang birth certificates on my wall.

How many people say..I caught a 4 year old bass? It's a 10 pounder!

 

Jag--if the guy was killing monster 3.5 year old bucks and included pictures of him with his monster bucks would you buy it? What would it take for you to buy someone's book?

 

I'd buy it b/c I enjoy reading about hunting. It couldn't be any worse than reading F&S or Outdoor Life ...

 

If he discussed the how's and why's of why the deer he hunted did what they did (the deer' behavior in his neck of the woods) and he discussed the how's and why's of why he did what he did to take advantage of that behavior, then, I would likely buy his book.

 

If he is killing 3.5+ bucks every year, surely some of those bucks have a great set of antlers that would serve as your "candy"....

 

Call me picky, but I wouldn't buy a book from an average looking guy, who kills average looking deer. I want my authors to be a bit more "outdoorsy looking" and be known for killing monsterous deer (i.e. Dan Infalt -now there's a guy whose book I'd buy :d )

 

Being I hunt in a high pressured area with very few buck 3.5+, I would be interested in what he has to say. But I also agree that the book would sell better to the masses if that buck had a rack something like this.