Golden Era Hunting Equipment

[Derek WC]

I have always wondered... what did people in the Golden Era hunt with? I'm going hunting this coming October, and I'm tired of Gore-Tex camouflage. I want something more substantial. And before you say it, no I cannot afford Filson (drat).

So that's my question to you, what did they hunt with back then?

 

[AtomicEraTom]

I think vintage hunting, I think the stereotypical red checkered Jacket or something of the like.
Plaids were very popular, but check your local DNR Hunting Regs for what is legal hunting garb.
I know, in Wisconsin, for deer hunting, you have to wear 50% or more Blaze orange from the waist up and hats must be blaze orange, just as an example.
It was an issue for me and my grey fedoras when I was 12 lol

 

[MPicciotto]

I once had a nice Browning fowl hunting coat with the rubberized pouches for the game. It was tan with a brown corduroy collar. It was actually too big on me, it was something like a size 50 so I sold it on eBay.

Matt

 

[hardline_42]

It depends on what kind of hunting you'd like to do, since this will determine the conditions you'll be hunting in. For deer, nothing beats wool, IMO. It's quiet, warm, wind and water resistant. My outerwear setup is as follows:

Filson Double Mackinaw Wool Cruiser in Red/Black plaid (purchased NWOT on eBay for about $100)

Cabela's Legacy Superwash Wool Pants (purchased on sale for ~ $30.00)

Stormy Kromer Blaze Orange hat (to comply with local regs).

If it's VERY cold, I put a Mad Bomber on top of the Kromer (and then I can't hear a thing, but I'm toasty).

On my hands I wear surplus trigger-finger mittens and matching wool liners.

On my feet I wear a pair of Hoffman Voyager Pac Boots in 14", the best investment in footwear I've ever made. The rubber bottom helps cut down on the scent when I walk to my stand.

I'll write up a similar post for upland and waterfowl hunting.

 

[hardline_42]

Upland hunting is a bit different, since the amount of activity can vary. I have a variety of pieces that I mix and match.

For colder, rainy days I wear a McAlister Waxed Cotton Field jacket in blaze orange. It's not exactly a traditional color, but I live in NJ and public land can get very crowded (read: dangerous). McAlister is like a poor man's Filson. Their oil cloth is 10oz. as opposed to Filson's 12oz. tin cloth, IIRC. I get hot in this jacket so I mainly wear it when I'm out for a leisurely hunt with my Dad and brother and no dogs.

For warmer rainy days I wear my Barbour Beaufort. At only 6oz. it's not as warm and bulky as the McAlister but still keeps me dry and protects against thorns and briars. I also prefer the placement of the hand warmer pockets on the Barbour (at the chest) than the McAlister/Filson location (behind the bellows pocket). Even though my Beaufort is my most versatile coat, I don't like the fact that it lacks blaze orange shoulders. Upland hunting here is always too close for comfort and I'll gladly break tradition for a little extra safety. I won't wear my Barbour on opening day, weekend mornings and the like.

For cold, clear days I wear a surplus Austrian Military sweater. It's the heaviest, warmest wool sweater I own and I wear it constantly when I'm outdoors in the winter.

It cuts wind pretty well on it's own but I pair it with a McAlister blaze orange waxed cotton cape for the aforementioned visibility, and for abrasion resistance all the way to the sleeves.

I wear all of the above with a pair of Pointer Brand Brush Overalls. They're cotton duck with Cordura lining around the lower part of the legs and pockets with shell loops on the front. Some models have a game bag on the bag but, I don't use game bags so mine is plain. I know that waxed cotton is more traditional, but I won't break those out unless it's VERY cold and I can wear enough layers under it to not feel clammy.

On my feet is a pair of Filson Uplander boots (pre outsourcing) purchased on eBay for $60. The leather is nice and the tread pattern is grippy but doesn't pick up mud (mixture of air bobs and lugs).

I wear Fox River Mills ragg wool gloves with rubber grippers. They're surprisingly easy to shoot with and warmer than traditional shooting gloves.

I top it off with the same orange Stormy Kromer I use when deer hunting.

 

[hardline_42]

Waterfowl is one of the more difficult types of hunting to reconcile with traditional gear because it's just so hard on equipment and clothing. The conditions that produce the best hunting are also pretty miserable. Here's the semi-traditional stuff that I wear for part of the season. The rest of the time, I have to switch to something in Thinsulate or Neoprene just to keep warm.

My traditional jacket is a McAlister wading coat. It's like my orange field coat but with a hood and drawstring waist. If the hood is too modern, a standard field jacket could substitute just as easily.

My traditional waders are 3-ply canvas. They're stiff and cold. I have to wear several layers beneath them and I can't fit enough pairs of wool socks in the boots to stay warm in below freezing temps. They're also too warm for September goose season, so I don't get as much wear from these as I do my heavily insulated neoprene waders. The benefit is that they're tough and I don't have to baby them. I can crawl all over a duck boat and through all kinds of brush without fear of snags and tears. They're also easily repairable.

On my head is another Stormy Kromer in waxed cotton. I can layer things over and under it to adjust the warmth depending on the weather.

I wear the same Fox River gloves under a pair of heavy rubber gloves. They may not be very traditional but handling wet decoys in freezing conditions isn't much of a picnic either.

Hope that gives you an idea of at least one way you can use traditional hunting gear and clothing that is still functional.

 

[rumblefish]

I can't remember all the brand names but Woolrich and Duxback come to mind. Next to most of my Filson clothes hang all my father's gear- coats, vest, pants, gloves, mittens. There are few brands I know aren't made any more. I'll see what the tags say. Before the "10 mile blaze orange" the red plaid was the hi-vis patern- much more stylish.
I'm not much for the camo either, except for turkeys, and waterfowl. No one could ever convince me that camo is needed for white tail.

 

[Atticus Finch]

I grew up hunting ducks in Coastal North Carolina. While I didn't hunt in the golden era, I do predate gortex. In the sixties, my grandfather (who did hunt in the golden era) and I wore coats like this one. In fact, I still wear a coat like this:

We used a mixture of factory-made and home-made decoys. The home-made ones looked like this:

We mainly shot Browning A-5s or Remington Model 11s...they were essentially the same gun. Hardly anyone used anything else. Both guns look like this:

I think this photo is a good depiction of how many North Carolina duck hunters dressed up until the late 'forties. After that, folks started wearing more WWII surplus gear and factory-made hunting garb.

Hope this helps.

AF

 

[Derek WC]

Thanks guys. I hunt almost exclusively White Tail, Muleys, and Elk in 20 odd degree or less, outrageously soggy, and generally miserable mountains. What I have now for hunting is a pair of cotton long johns, a world war two wool fatigue sweater, 1952 army wool pants, Altama waffle stomper boots, 70's thick wool shooting coat, a wool felt Cabela's hat, and a 1951 USAF wool overcoat, however I don't think I will use the overcoat due to the too great a chance of ruining it. I only use this old stuff because it's available to me, if I had newer stuff I'd use that and not risk destroying my old stuff. I also hunt rabbit with an eighty year old .22 J. Stevens LR.

Oh yes, and if you're under eighteen over here, which I'm sixteen, you need to have orange.

Welcome to the Lounge, Hardline.

 

[AtomicEraTom]

Love the Browning A-5's. My pa's got a Belgian Light 12 that I have my sights set on. We had a guy come in the gun shop recently to sell us all of the A-5 series, minus the Sweet-Sixteen.

 

[Derek WC]

I wouldn't mind hunting rabbit with an improved cylinder 20 guage. I remember my hunter's education teacher saying that he hunts deer with a special kind of slug that has really good accuracy from boats, because it's illegal to use a rifle from a boat.

Right now for deer I use a 300 Winchester Mag.

 

[AtomicEraTom]

For Deer, I use an AK-47. Nice gun 7.62x39's are pretty cheap too, as far as ammo goes.

 

[Naphtali]

. . . So that's my question to you, what did they hunt with back then?

Let's try to focus your query a little more precisely. Where was hunting to have occurred? Does "Golden Era" refer to pre-, or post-1936? I ask because I choose this date as a demarcation signifying the trend away from utility lever action rifles (in North America). To what hunter/hunting do your refer, for example only (I don't want to restrict you to my options):
- Average Joe and whitetail
- Average Joe and mule deer
- Average Joe and [fill in the blank]
- Dilettante and [fill in the blank]
- Outfitter/guide and [fill in the blank]
- Other

I apologize for being egregiously rigid.

 

[Chasseur]

At this stage I do not do pure vintage hunting gear. I used to do some 18th Century trekking but no longer. One day I'd like to get up a whole 1930s-40s set of gear: old binculars, perhaps an old brass telescope for stalking stags, etc. but its not on my priority list at the moment. One day... So at the moment I do vintage inspired. I keep modern stuff to a minimum, no camo, and keep to traditional materials. I subscribe to a friend's motto, "Never hunt with a cartridge younger than you," so only classic rifles and cartridges, 7x65r, 9.3x74, 30-06, etc. My major concession generally are modern optics (hard to beat), some modern rain gear (in particular ponchos), and some modern fabrics that are handy for harsh conditions.


I normally do a European stalking and/or bird shooting theme for my gear.
Traditional European bird shooting: check shirt, moleskin breeks, commando sweater, tweed flat cap, 1950s vintage SxS.

Colder weather: surplus wool trousers, loden jackets, gaiters, etc. are the way I go. I like Filson stuff and I like a good deal of European loden gear and some tweed. I like to stalk with a drilling myself.

Here in Hawaii I am sort of "British Raj" inspired since the weather is hot and most of our game is of Indian origin. Good Italian leather hiking boots, heavy cotton canvas trousers, felt hat, and my major concession a modern fly fishing shirt. If you want a shirt that looks traditional but is very practical for warm weather its hard to beat those fly fishing shirts.

 

[Derek WC]

Let's try to focus your query a little more precisely.

I've already said: "I hunt almost exclusively White Tail, Muleys, and Elk in 20 odd degree or less, outrageously soggy, and generally miserable mountains."

Thanks Mike, however I've just gotta say this. Tom, wouldn't an AK-47 destroy the meat, even if in semi-auto? Are they legal in Wisconsin? How'd you get it?

I was also referring to the 20's to the mid 50's by saying Golden Era, but if I had to be specific, the late 40's, early 50's.

 

[Chasseur]

Derek,

The terrain you talk about is pretty similar to the spot and stalk I've done for black bears and blacktail deer in Southeast Alaska and, at a more milder level the hunting condition in Brittany in France where I often hunt woodcock. I actally do a lot of hunting in those condition with a minimum of modern gear. So good wool and then some sort of water resistant outerlayer seems in order. Obviously it makes a difference if you are day hunting or camping out. I did 18th Century trekking in Alaska, camping out small game hunting for years. So even in harsh Alaskan conditions its possible to get by with traditional gear, but its harder, you have to know your gear and its limitation and plan accordingly (in particular about getting wet...).

I'd do two things:

(1) Take a look at a lot of old hunting and outdoor pictures from your region. Old familly photos, or also your local library should be able to lead you sources. Classic hunting books are also excellent sources of information (I use these a great deal).

(2) I'd hit a couple of places for cheap gear. Ebay often has some great deals on traditional style hunting clothes and military surplus. I have bought many European style loden coats, wool breeks, surplus military wool trousers, wool shirts, etc. at pennies on the dollar. Can get some good deals on used Filson gear as well. Also, some of the surplus catalogues like "Sportsmans Guide" has some great deals on military surplus, in particular old wool European military surplus that should be pretty close to what you want (I've gotten surplus German army mokeskin breeks for under $20 there a few years back). Also, "Sierre Trading Post" will often have quality wool and traditional style gear for 60-80% normal price. Great place for quality boots (Le Chameau, Alico, etc.). Also, if you have second hand places around (Goodwill, etc.) I have found excellent stuff like what you are looking for.


Here are some examples, my greatgrandfather was a logger and avid fisherman and hunter in the Pacific Northwest in the 1930s and 40s (he was killed in a logging accident in the late 1940s). Here are some photos, I am sorry for the poor quality they are scans of some poor conditioned photos I have.

He liked a wool cap with ear flaps, overalls (for fishing at least), some sort of LL Bean Boot style boot or the ubiquitous high laced boot you seen most hunters wearing in the 1940s, and some sort of waterproof smock. I do not know what type of rifle he used.

Dressed in his Sunday best.

Looks like ankle boots, wool trousers similar to Filson, braces/suspenders, Pendleton type button up shirt, etc.

 

[Fletch]

Hunting was once a purely practical activity or one of many sporting pursuits, more part of the culture at large, so it was no surprise to see work or sport clothes in use.

Today it is a much more technological practice and no longer part of a greater culture so much as a culture in its own right. This has brought about endless specialized gear (including clothing), and a different ethos.

 

[hardline_42]

...wouldn't an AK-47 destroy the meat, even if in semi-auto? Are they legal in Wisconsin? How'd you get it?...

An AK-47 shoots a 7.62x39 cartridge, which is similar in ballistics to a .30-30 Winchester, the quintessential deer round. I can only assume that the poster meant an AK-type rifle, since AK-47s are select-fire by definition and, as such, private ownership is heavily regulated in the U.S. and has been on all auto firearms since 1934.

 

[AtomicEraTom]

The AK is Semi-Automatic, not full auto, which you can also get with a Class 3 license, but they're VERY espensive. It's just a 7.62x39 round, which is about the size of any other run of the mill hunting round. They're legal to have and many gun shops sell them, including my father's.

I've already said: "I hunt almost exclusively White Tail, Muleys, and Elk in 20 odd degree or less, outrageously soggy, and generally miserable mountains."

Thanks Mike, however I've just gotta say this. Tom, wouldn't an AK-47 destroy the meat, even if in semi-auto? Are they legal in Wisconsin? How'd you get it?

I was also referring to the 20's to the mid 50's by saying Golden Era, but if I had to be specific, the late 40's, early 50's.

 

[Fitzcarraldo]

For cold, clear days I wear a surplus Austrian Military sweater. It's the heaviest, warmest wool sweater I own and I wear it constantly when I'm outdoors in the winter.

http://www.bushcraftusa.com/forum/showthread.php?t=14807

Translated tag (via some brief Googling)

(front) textile / productions / company with limited liability / city name / 10 44 / 100% virgin wool
(back) army property / 1985

Materials

100% virgin wool (rib-knit and boiled)
???% cotton patches on top for durability

Color

OD green

Size

L (according to SG)

Measurements

21.5" (55 cm) armpit to armpit
33" (84 cm) waist/hem circumference
26.5" (68 cm) center back length from base of hood
32" (81 cm) sleeve length from center back

Wool fabric

From what I've read about boiled wool at Wikipedia, it sounds like this fabric was mechanically knitted in large sheets, then boiled, then cut and sewn into a sweater. This makes sense, since I suppose it would be hard to make the wool shrink to the exact size you wanted. Anyway, the result is a thick, ribbed wool fabric about the weight of a wool blanket, the advantage of knitting being stretchiness (with of course more stretch perpendicular to the ribbing). The cost, however, is breathability; this sweater lets through more than twice as much wind as a similar-weight pullover I made from an Italian army blanket. The fabric feels pretty poky on the skin (after all, virgin = long fibers), and I can't tell if the boiling removed the wool's natural oils (anyone know more about this process?). If the lanolin is gone, then the pokiness might be fixed by treating the wool.

Cotton patches

SG says "cotton," but I claim "cotton blend." My guess is cotton/nylon, but it could be cotton/polyester or something else. I have mixed feelings about these. Obviously they add durability to the shoulders/elbows, which is nice for, say, wearing a backpack on this. But two things: (1) they make those areas quite stiff, causing for instance the shoulders to hang a bit strangely, and (2) since they are sewn on top of the wool, the sweater cannot stretch in those areas. If I were keeping this sweater, I would remove them. They look relatively easy to remove; just two lines of a running stitch, and if you go from the cotton side it should protect the wool while you're poking around with the seam-ripper.

Cut/fit

Although I've never purchased other military sweaters, I think this follows the typical design: relatively tight waist and short arms, with a lot of material in the armpits. Like all sweaters of this neck/collar design, the neckhole wants to travel down your shoulders when you have the buttons undone. I won't say much more about fit because this sweater was too small for me (6', 130#), and in any case I have a feeling it would fit better if I had a bigger chest and shorter arms.

Cleanliness/smell

Although used, this sweater arrived in a very clean and nice condition. The cotton patches looked brand new, and the entire sweater had virtually no smell (viz. did not smell like naphthalene). In several places, the cuff material was beginning to separate from the sweater (again, the sweater parts are sewn together). However, they could be sewn shut again relatively easily, ideally with wool yarn.

Verdict

I won't keep this sweater, but if I could have gotten an XL or XXL I would have. The fabric makes a very warm and heavy sweater while retaining the breathability and flexibility of rib knitting. Proportionally, it is a bit short in the arms, but this is less of a problem with winter clothing due to gauntleted handwear (not to mention that the problem is usually too much fabric near the wrist). Secondly, 100% virgin wool for $23 is unreal. I suppose I'll find someone to give it to, or maybe put it in the "goodie box" if I ever get around to signing up for that.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/gaak0-0/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/49483099@N02/4714177765/sizes/l/in/set-72157624309983572/


http://www.flickr.com/photos/gaak0-0/sets/72157624309983572/