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S P O R T I N G C L A S S I C S 1 8 5 o o k s B Jim Casada have proliferated in a fashion no one could have imagined back then. There is no way, in the space of a single column, to do anything approaching full justice to writings on deer hunting, but a basically chronological approach touching on some key volumes provides a starting point. Any serious reader will be well served by delving into Wegner's seminal narrative treatments of the subject. He is without question our leading expert on deer-hunting history. In addition to his bibliography, Wegner wrote a trilogy that was an outgrowth of the magazine he co-founded, Deer & Deer Hunting. These are Deer & Deer Hunting Book 1 (1984), Book 2 (1987), and Book 3 (1990). This trio, along with Wegner's "Legendary" trilogy— Legendary Deer Camps (2001), D eer hunting has been an integral and vitally important part of the American experience since the arrival of the first Europeans. Early settlers along the Atlantic seaboard relied on the meat of whitetails for food, and for decades deer hides in the tens of thousands found their way to Atlantic seaports, and from there to European markets. Pioneers during the western expansion counted on meat from the incredibly America's most popular big game animal is the focus of many fascinating books dating all the way back to the mid-1800s. abundant animal, and from the beginning the various species of deer have been in the forefront of sport hunting through much of the country. Add to these considerations the fact that one of the greatest of all conservation success stories involves the remarkable comeback of the whitetail, and it seems fair to say "it was always our game." Not surprisingly, there is a rich treasure trove of writing on deer hunting. A striking example is Rob Wegner's Bibliography on Deer and Deer Hunting (1992). With hundreds of entries covering books devoted entirely or in appreciable measure to deer hunting, it is a must guide for anyone seriously interested in the early literature of the sport. Since its publication, books on the subject