Hide, Horn, Fish, and Fowl: Texas Hunting and Fishing Lore

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Hide, Horn, Fish, and Fowl —Texas Hunting and Fishing Lore— Kenneth L. Untiedt, editor What would cause someone to withstand freezing temperatures in a cramped wooden box for hours on end, or stand in waist-high rushing waters, flicking a pole back and forth over and over—in many cases with nothing whatsoever to show for his efforts? Why is it that, into the twenty-first century, with the convenience of practically any type of red meat or fish available at the local supermarket , we continue to hunt game and fish on open waters? The answer is that no matter how sophisticated we think we are, no matter how technologically advanced we become, there is still something deep within us that beckons us to “the hunt.” This desire creates the customs, beliefs, and rituals related to hunting—for deer, hogs, and other four-legged critters, as well as fish and snakes, and other things that perhaps aren’t physically alive, but capture our interest as much as the prey mentioned above.These rituals and customs lead to some of our most treasured stories, legends, and practices. This volume of the Publications of the Texas Folklore Society includes serious, introspective articles on hunting and fishing, as well as humorous tall tales and “windies” about the big ones that got away—all lore that reminds us of that drive that calls us to become predators again. University of North Texas Press www.unt.edu/untpress Untiedt Hide, Horn, Fish, and Fowl —Texas Hunting and Fishing Lore— Hide,Horn,Fish,andFowl Texas Hunting and Fishing Lore Edited by Kenneth L. Untiedt Edited by Kenneth L. Untiedt Publications of the Texas Folklore Society LXVII Publications of the Texas Folklore Society LXVII Death Lore: Texas Rituals, Superstitions, and Legends of the Hereafter (PTFS LXV) Kenneth L. Untiedt, ed. This Publication of the Texas Folklore Society examines places where people are buried, either permanently or temporarily; how people die and the rituals associated with funerals and burials; some of the stranger stories about what happens after we’re gone; and offers some philosophical musings about death in general, as well as our connection to those who have gone before. Charreada: Mexican Rodeo in Texas (PTFS LIX) Photographs by Al Rendon, with essays by Julia Hambric, Bryan Woolley, and Francis Edward Abernethy. This is the story of El Charro, or man on horseback, as well as women, charras, all beautifully captured in seventy-five duotone photographs illustrating rodeo life, riding and roping maneuvers, and elaborate riding formations. Folklore: In All of Us, In All We Do (PTFS LXIII) Kenneth L. Untiedt, ed. This Publication of the Texas Folklore Society includes articles on a variety of topics. One chapter looks at how folklore and history complement one another; while historical records provide facts about dates, places and names, folklore brings those events and people to life by making them relevant to us. Several articles examine the cultural roles women fill. Other articles feature folklore of particular groups, including oil field workers, mail carriers, doctors, engineers, police officers, horse traders, and politicians. Always for the Underdog: Leather Britches Smith and the Grabow War (TFS Extra Book #23) by Keagan LeJeune. In the early 1900s, the timber boom sliced through the forests of Louisiana’s Neutral Strip next to East Texas. Mill towns sprang up, and the promise of money lured land speculators, timber workers, unionists, and a host of other characters, such as the outlaw Leather Britches Smith. In a fascinating exploration of the region, Keagan LeJeune unveils the legend of Leather Britches, paralleling the stages of the outlaw’s life to the Neutral Strip’s formation. The Texas Folklore Society has been collecting and preserving folklore since its first publication, Some Current Folk-Songs of the Negro by W. H. Thomas, in 1912. It began a regular program of annual hardback publications in 1916 and since then, it has published or assisted in the publication of over one hundred books on Texas folklore. Membership information can be obtained through Kenneth L. Untiedt, Secretary-Editor of the Texas Folklore Society, Box 13007-SFA Station, Nacogdoches, Texas 75962. Texas Folklore Society books are published by the University of North Texas Press, 1155 Union Circle #311336, Denton, Texas 76203-5017, and distributed by Texas A&M University Press, 4354 TAMU, College Station, Texas 77843.Toll-free number to order is 1-800-826-8911. KENNETH L. UNTIEDT is the SecretaryEditor of the Texas Folklore Society. He earned his bachelor’s, master’s, and...