By Cody Fongemie, Contributor at Wild Nexus

Winter slows everything down. As hunting seasons end in late January, you find yourself with free time. Instead of watching endless TV, why not pick up a book? About two winters ago, I rediscovered reading and have since read over 100 books. A few stand out as must-reads for every hunter and angler, especially in winter. Here they are.

Green Hills of Africa – Ernest Hemingway

This book isn’t about how to shoot better or stalk smarter. It’s about why the chase matters. Hemingway’s African hunting memoir is lean, spare, and honest just like the man himself. What makes Green Hills of Africa timeless isn’t the exotic game or far-off landscapes, but the way Hemingway captures the internal pull of the hunt. The restlessness. The quiet satisfaction. The way wild places strip life down to what matters. Every hunter recognizes that feeling: the strange calm that comes when the world narrows to wind, tracks, and distance. Reading this in winter reminds you that hunting is more than filling a tag; it’s a way of seeing the world. This book sharpens your appreciation for the hunt’s experience, not just its outcome, all thanks to that classic Hemingway style.

Undaunted Courage – Stephen Ambrose

I recommend this book more than any other book. I recommend it to adventure fans, to hunters, to folks who lead people. It’s a favorite, and I am biased because I am a Lewis and Clark fan boy. Stephen Ambrose’s account of the Lewis and Clark expedition is required reading for anyone who claims to love the American outdoors. These men weren’t recreating in the wilderness; they were surviving it with Kentucky Long Rifles through river currents and sheer stubborn resolve. For hunters and anglers, Undaunted Courage is a reminder that the landscapes we roam were once unknown, dangerous, and unforgiving. You’re going to hear how they were the first Americans who saw many of the places and animals, like Mule Deer (they gave it that name), that we hunt today. It’s an excellent read that made my trip out west that much more special.

Lords of the Fly – Monte Burke

This one was tackled during a three-hour flight down to Key West for a work trip on a KC-135. I had some free time, so I wanted to get fired up to try to chase Trapon for the shore. It was a long shot. But as I devoured this book, it became clear to me. Lords of the Fly might be a fishing book, but it’s really about obsession. Which many of us, whether hunting or fishing, know all too well. Lords of the Fly follows a group of driven anglers chasing giant tarpon in the heyday of it all in the Keys.  What Burke captures perfectly is the madness that creeps in when passion turns into the pursuit of long odds, the heartbreak, and the moments that keep you coming back, no matter how many times you fail. Every angler recognizes this sickness. The missed strike that haunts you. The fish you’ll never forget losing.

American Buffalo – Steven Rinella

Few animals are as iconic in American culture as the American bison, or buffalo. This book sits at the intersection of hunting, conservation, and history. Steven Rinella uses the pursuit of free-range bison to explore the near-extinction and survival of one of North America’s most important animals. It’s part hunt, part travelogue, and part reckoning with the consequences of human ambition. For hunters, American Buffalo reinforces a hard truth: conservation and hunting are inseparable. The animals we pursue exist today because someone fought to save them, often hunters themselves.

The Hunting Trips of a Ranchman and Wilderness Hunter – Theodore Roosevelt

No reading list about hunting and fishing is complete without Theodore Roosevelt. This collection of his hunting writings is raw, energetic, and physical. Roosevelt hunted hard, traveled rough country, and believed time in wild places built better men and a better nation. His respect for effort stands out. He didn’t romanticize ease, but valued hardship, preparation, and responsibility. These values still matter to hunters and anglers. Reading Roosevelt inspires you to train harder, scout more, and approach the next season with purpose.

Take this time.

As the snow falls and, hopefully, your fire crackles, sit back, pick up one of these books, and enjoy. Learn something and prepare yourself for the warmer weather and days ahead in the field or on the water.