The Wilderness Hunter: An Account of the Big Game of the United States and its Chase with Horse, Hound and Rifle

NY: G.P. Putnam's Sons/ The Knickerbocker Press, 1893. First edition. Hardcover. Very good. An uncommon book in the first edition, and especially notable because this copy belonged to The American Museum of Natural History which Roosevelt had a close association with. The Museum's bookplate is on the front pastedown with the deaccession stamp "A.M.N.H. Cancelled" on it. Additionally, tipped in on the title page is a "With the compliments of the author" slip--Roosevelt had the book sent to the museum. Roosevelt's father co-founded the museum and the future President spent time there as a boy, even donating his own early natural history and taxidermy collection to the museum. His support of the museum continued throughout his life.  And of course there was the recent controversy over the removal of the Roosevelt equestrian statue on the steps of the museum. 

The Wilderness Hunter is in essence a series of profiles of different American mammals--wolves, cougars, elk, moose, you name it--and their habitats, and along the way it's a tour of the continent. Roosevelt writes, "In hunting, the finding and killing of the game is after all but a part of the whole. The free, self-reliant, adventurous life, with its rugged and stalwart democracy; the wild surroundings, the grand beauty of the scenery, the changes to study the ways and habits of the woodland creatures---all these unite to give the career of the wilderness hunter its peculiar charm." 

Beige buckram with gilt lettering on spine and a gilt pronghorn on front board. Full-page plates by artists like A. B. Frost, Henry Sandham, J. Carter Beard, Frederick Remington, and Harry Eaton, and red illustrations of the animals at the head of each chapter. Very good with some light soiling, faint browning to spine, a few spots of red on front board. A little rubbing to edges and corners. Interior extremely clean. Scattered purple museum stamps throughout and a call number written in small red script on the copyright page, along with another "A.M.N.H. Cancelled" stamp there. A gray, unmarked pocket on rear pastedown. The rear hinge is starting but holding firm. 

There was a limited signed edition of 200 of this book, but this trade edition preceded it and is now as scarce, it seems. with only two other copies available as of this writing. Probably one of the best association's possible without a signature.