There was a time when hunters would don a tie and tuck in their shirt to chase big game—and they would look darn good doing it. For that reason, we sifted through the archives to find some of the best-dressed hunters from the good old days. If you like this slideshow, more of these timeless photos can be found in our Vintage Hunting Album, which makes a great gift or book to keep up at the cabin.
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When you’re from the United Kingdom and you come to Alaska to hunt moose, it’s only proper to bring your best tweed jacket, tie, and pipe. Because once you kill an Alaska-Yukon moose with a spread of nearly 68 inches, you have to look presentable for the photo.
2 of 10 — Wyoming, date unknown
This man identified only as Larry was proud enough of his typical Wyoming elk that he pulled it off the wall and put on his best fringe-suede leather jacket to pose for a photo in Valley, Wyoming.
3 of 10 — Pennsylvania 1965
Jay Kenser appears to have shot this buck on his way home from work one day, but we’re making assumptions about that. We do know this 7×7 buck scored a solid 165-1/8 points.
4 of 10 — Nova Scotia 1949
Chances are M.T. Parker didn’t shoot this whitetail while wearing his Sunday suit. Regardless, the deer scoring 154-5/8 points is as stylish as the peak lapels on his suit.
5 of 10 — Quebec 1947
Mrs. O.L. Steidel and a friend pose with O.L. Steidel’s black bear, which is frozen solid. Mr. Steidel shot the bear while hunting deer, but the bear nearly won the encounter as Steidel’s final (and fatal) head shot was made at a modest eight feet—while the bear was lunging toward him.
6 of 10 — Northwest Territories 1970
Lewis W. Lindemer wasn’t wearing tweed when he killed this fine Dall’s sheep that measures 173-7/8, but thanks to that hat, shirt and smile combo, we’d say that looks like a pretty good outfit for hunting sheep.
In 1953, Henderson Coquat’s whitetail was declared the world’s record typical whitetail at the time. Today, it sits far down the rankings at 450. To see if it still holds the Texas state record, check it out at Big Game Records LIVE.
Not one to hunt without his tie, Joseph W. Lippincott shot this great pronghorn buck with a spread measuring 12-5/8 inches.
9 of 10 — North Dakota 1955
Pictured here is William F. Cruff who looks like he could have either just stepped off the North Dakota prairie or the set of Toy Story 4—thanks to that great hat. Either way, the hat, jacket, and fine non-typical buck are hard to beat.
With the largest cougar ever to come out of California, Warren C. Johnston killed this cougar in Ventura County—and he looks quite stylish in his “camo” plaid shirt.
We’ve all heard it before…a picture is worth a thousand words. This couldn’t be truer with the release of Boone and Crockett Club’s book on the history of hunting featuring page after page of remarkable photographs of our hunting heritage dating back to the late 1800s.
