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As hunters recounted their pursuits of deer, elk, and bison around campfires of long ago, their quarry's images danced in the fire's flames and memories of the listeners, recalling hunts that were and anticipation of hunts to be. This could as well have happened yesterday. Or tomorrow.

Reaching back to prehistory, through the mountain men who came to the Rockies in search of beaver pelts, Colorado history is filled with images of the hunter. He came in search of game for food and skins, to sustain life and trade for goods he could not make. Settlers followed, with a need to provide food for the table, and, often, to share with neighbors. Their spirit of cooperation was essential to surviving the harsh conditions of the Rocky Mountains. Their skills as hunters changed dramatically as they learned the habits and habitats of the game they found.

Wildlife danced in their campfire flames as well, their stories remarkably similar to those of ones who preceded them. Today, on a clear, crisp September morning, the beckoning bugle of a bull elk still stirs a hunter's soul. The lure of whistling wings as the sun breaks over the Platte River Basin in January, or the thunderous cackle arising from wheat fields as morning awakens from a November sleep, quicken, as always, the hunter’s heart. Here, and in our campfires, the dance goes on.

The hunter has always been here, as much a part of our history as the snow capped peaks, marking our way home. Traditions passing from generation to generation as a time-honored right of passage; fathers mentoring children, teaching, coaching, and sharing the dreams seen in the flames.

Colorado hunters have forged their own paths, created their own traditions, and stayed true to them throughout the years. When our abundant wildlife began to decline in numbers, the hunter, in the spirit of cooperation and for the common good, supported wildlife management and restoration programs—using funds raised from hunting license sales. Hunters worked with wildlife managers and conservation organizations to insure wildlife could and would thrive in Colorado for future generations to enjoy. For hunters and non-hunters alike. 

Our hunting traditions and heritage hang in a delicate balance. Urbanization, changing lifestyles, and shifting cultural priorities have contributed to a decline in the number of Coloradoans who hunt. The opportunities, skills, and traditions of the hunter are slowly being replaced by other interests, demands, and pursuits. There is no other outdoor pursuit, however, that can boast of a heritage like hunting—not camping, not fishing, not hiking. No other is traced through the eons of time and remembered by the storyteller.

Be proud of your traditions. Pass them on. Our hunting heritage must forever dance in the flame.

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We search to find the source of the feelings that arise in us each fall, as the crisp morning air and the changing colors of the land and sky stir something deep in our souls. Then, as the seasons move to a close, we look about more closely to better hold these feelings and new memories until the next year draws us back. We know they're there, and that they'll be there again. We just don't always know why. 

The books below will help in understanding the 'why', our hunting heritage, and our obligation to pass along hunting traditions. They are not a collection of “how to hunt" publications; they're explorations into the things we know—in our souls—about hunting, but cannot always find the right words to describe them.

After reading one or two or three of these you may find it easier to explain why you hunt.

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Title	Author	Publisher
A Sand County Almanac	Aldo Leopold	Oxford University Press, 1989
Inherit the Hunt: A Journey into the Heart of American Hunting	Jim Posewitz	Falcon Publishing, 1999
Heartsblood: Hunting, Spirituality, and Wildness in America	David Peterson	Island Press, 2000
Beyond Fair Chase: The Ethic and Tradition of Hunting	Jim Posewitz	Falcon Publishing, 1994
Bloodties: Nature, Culture, and the Hunt	Ted Kerasote	Kodansha International, 1994
A Hunter's Road: A Journey with Gun and Dog Across the American Uplands	Jim Fergus	(May be out-of-print.)
Out Home	John Madson	(May be out-of-print.)
Ishi and Elvis	Jim Hamm	The Lyons Press, 1997
The Sacred Art of Hunting	James Swan	Willow Creek Press, 2000
A Hunter's Heart: Honest Essays on Blood Sport	David Peterson, Editor	Owl Books, 1997
Rifle in Hand: How Wild America Was Saved	Jim Posewitz	Riverbend Publishing, 2004

We will add to the list every so often as new writings come to our attention. If you have a favorite title you would like to recommend to others, write to the Hunter Outreach Program Coordinator.