Summary
Summary of Outdoor Pastimes of an American Hunter
Key ideas
Key idea 1
The chase meets the naturalist’s eye
A mountain lion hunt through Colorado snow at twenty below zero opens a world of hunting trips, wildlife observations and arguments for protecting game. Theodore Roosevelt brings these interests together rather than treating the chase and the care of animals as separate subjects.
The starting point is a pack of hounds and a hunter named Goff. From there, the book offers a close view of wild America in the early 1900s, shaped by Roosevelt’s experiences outdoors and his plain opinions about its future.
Key idea 2
The hunt depends on the hounds
Start free to read
Key idea 3
Observation matters more than animal legends
Start free to read
Key idea 4
The dogs earn the bears
Start free to read
Key idea 5
Each animal needs its own account
Start free to read
Key idea 6
Game protection serves ordinary people
Start free to read
Key idea 7
Protected places let wildlife flourish
Start free to read
Key idea 8
Wild creatures belong beside public duty
Start free to read
Key idea 9
Fair hunting includes protecting wild country
Start free to read
The rest of the summary, written and spoken, and the whole book: free to start.
Read the rest free
Go deeper: the whole of Outdoor Pastimes of an American Hunter
About 8 h 10 min to read.Who it’s for
You will enjoy this if you love animals, wild landscapes, horses and dogs, true outdoor adventure, birdsong, or the story of how America came to protect its wilderness.
What this book is
What does it take to chase a mountain lion through Colorado snow at twenty below zero? Theodore Roosevelt tells you in Outdoor Pastimes of an American Hunter, a gathering of his hunting trips, wildlife notes and plain opinions on protecting game. You get a close look at wild America in the early 1900s, starting with a pack of hounds and a hunter named Goff.
In this summary
- 1The hounds do all the real workFree
- 2The cougar is shyer than the stories say
- 3Chases, fights and a moonlit cliff
- 4A bear hunt in the spring snow
- 5Wolves and coyotes on the open plains
- 6Know the plains animals and their habits
- 7Game belongs to the people, so protect it
- 8Yellowstone shows what protection can do
- 9Canebrakes, books and a home full of animals
Key point 1 of 9
The hounds do all the real work
The book opens in January 1901, when Roosevelt joins the hunter John B. Goff for a five week cougar hunt near Meeker in northwestern Colorado. The first lesson is that success depends on the dogs and on the man who trains them. Goff's pack ignores deer completely and follows only cougar, bear and bobcat.
Roosevelt gives each dog a personality. Jim is the big, bullying hound with a great voice. Several of these dogs even climb trees after bobcats.
The hunt is slow, cold work. The riders look down for faint tracks rather than scanning the horizon, and they follow cold trails for hours. Roosevelt shows that the sport is really a partnership between a skilled man, his horses and a pack of dogs he has come to love.
That’s 1 of 9 key points.
The rest of the summary, written and spoken, and the whole book: free to start.
- Nothing to pay today · Renews every year
- We email you before you pay
- Cancel online in two clicks
Check yourself
What does Roosevelt trust more than legends about cougars?
Right. “The lesson is to trust careful observation over legend.”Not quite. “The lesson is to trust careful observation over legend.”
Why does Roosevelt argue for enforced game laws?
Right. “Roosevelt argues that wise game laws, honestly enforced, serve the common man and not the rich.”Not quite. “Roosevelt argues that wise game laws, honestly enforced, serve the common man and not the rich.”
What principle guides Roosevelt’s accounts of animal behavior?
Right. “He also notes that observers disagree because animals differ by place and by individual.”Not quite. “He also notes that observers disagree because animals differ by place and by individual.”
Go deeper: the whole of Outdoor Pastimes of an American Hunter
About 8 h 10 min to read.About this edition
Every format is free to start, and print and large print are at cost.
- LengthAbout 125,000 words
- Reading timeAbout 8 h 20 min
- FormatseBook, large-print eBook, audiobook, 15-minute summary
- LanguagesEnglish and 10 other languages
Questions about Outdoor Pastimes of an American Hunter
Who are Goff, Abernethy and Holt Collier?
They are skilled guides Roosevelt hunts with. John Goff trains cougar hounds in Colorado, John Abernethy catches wolves alive on the Oklahoma plains, and Holt Collier is a veteran bear hunter in Louisiana.
Does the book talk about conservation?
Yes. Roosevelt argues that game laws, national parks and wildlife reserves protect animals and help ordinary people enjoy hunting. He praises Yellowstone and criticizes states that fail to enforce their laws.
