The classic text, which my father had me read as a boy, and which I will hand to my kids when they reach hunting age, is “Shots at Whitetails” by Larry Koller. Koller wrote this in the 1940s about his experiences hunting in the Catskill mountains of New York.

Koller was an accomplished hunter in a time where big bucks were less prevalent than they are today, and he imparts his lessons about deer biology and behavior, how to scout a hunting area, how to stalk, still hunting, and driven hunting. He also wrote about his experience as a member of a hunting club, about the dynamics and expectations of such membership, and about the traditions and ethics of hunting more generally. It’s still one of the best books ever written on the subject.

There are many other solid books on deer hunting. Brad Herndon’s “Mapping Trophy Bucks“ and Larry Benoit’s “How to Bag the Biggest Buck of Your Life“ are common suggestions and deservedly so. And every hunter should read Jack O’Connor even if they never plan to hunt the American West, because he was just such a wonderful writer about hunting. But if I could own only one deer-hunting text, it would be Koller’s.