Book Signing at Jays

    One of the most recent inductees into the Michigan Outdoor Hall of Fame will be autographing his many books at Jay’s Sporting Goods in Gaylord on Friday and Saturday May 16 and 17 from 10:00 a.m. until 3:00 p.m. Veteran outdoor writer Richard P. Smith from Marquette is the first person from the UP to be inducted into the state’s Outdoor Hall of Fame, which is administered by the Michigan Outdoor Writers Association (MOWA).

Previous inductees include Fred Bear, Tom Huggler, Larry Kelly, Buzz Lockman, Mort Neff, Eppinger Manufacturing Co., Dr. Howard Tanner, Mark Martin, Steven Rinella, Jim Foote, Denny Geurink and Kevin Van Dam.

“Richard P. Smith has been a prolific outdoor writer for more than 50 years,“ according to a MOWA news release about Smith’s induction into the Hall of Fame. “He began his career by writing for Marquette’s Mining Journal when he was in high school. He has won numerous awards from MOWA and the Outdoor Writers Association of America for his newspaper and magazine articles and photographs, and has been awarded first place in the MOWA book division on multiple occasions.”

The Michigan Outdoor Hall of Fame is housed at the Webber Wildlife and Nature Center in Clare next to Jay’s Sporting Goods Store there.

Most of Smith’s books are about deer and bear hunting. An 8-book series titled Great Michigan Deer Tales covers how, where, when and by whom some of the state’s biggest bucks have been bagged. Each book in the series has a different collection of short stories, based on interviews with the successful hunters. These books are entertaining as well as educational. Every chapter has at least one important lesson that anyone can apply to their deer hunting.

Other deer hunting books written by the author include Tracking Wounded Deer, which is the most comprehensive book on the subject, and Stand Hunting For Whitetails that includes valuable information about how to do it most effectively whether hunting from a tree stand or ground blind.

The author’s most recent book, which was published during 2024, is the 3rd edition of Understanding Michigan Black Bear. The 334-page volume is the most comprehensive book ever written about the state’s black bears. This title is for anyone who wants to learn more about the animals and how to avoid problems from them when in the outdoors. Several chapters are devoted to bear attacks and how to avoid them.

Although most of Smith’s books are about hunting and wildlife, another recent book is titled Nickel & Dime Your Way to Extra Dollars. If you want to learn how you can profit from Michigan’s container deposit law and how beneficial that law has been to the environment and economy, this is the book for you.

The hall-of-famer has also produced two DVDs that will be available at the signings. They are Field Judging Black Bears and Walking With Whitetails. Anyone who can’t make it to the signings can find out more about his books and DVDs from his website – www.richardpsmith.com.