Louisiana native, Matt Wemple, is an avid hunter, angler, and trapper. His sporting adventures have taken him from Belize to Alaska with a lot in between. A published writer and photographer since 2005, his work has appeared in Field and Stream, Sports Afield, Strung, Bugle, Backcountry Journal, Fur-Fish-Game, Trapper and Predator Caller, Montana Sporting Journal, Traditional Bowhunter, and Mule Deer Foundation. Matt writes monthly for the Lewis and Clark Journal, a regional newspaper based in Three Forks, Montana. He has penned two books on waterfowl hunting, The Duck Camp and To Hunt Ducks. His most recent book, Headwaters Country, is a collection of his writings for the Lewis and Clark Journal from the past 8 years.

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BOOKS


Headwaters Country: Everyday Life in Southwest Montana

Everyday life in Southwest Montana is not everybody’s normal every day. In this book, Matt Wemple, local resident and writer for the Lewis and Clark Journal based in Three Forks, Montana takes us on a journey through the history, landscape, weather, climate, and wildlife that define Big Sky Country. From the depths of winter to gentle days of summer, this anthology of writings published in the Lewis and Clark Journal over 8 years introduce the reader to everyday Montanans who live extraordinary lives, everyday weather that can turn your day upside down, everyday wildlife that bring a magical touch to the landscape, and how everyday people engage with the land among its magnificent natural surroundings. Soft Cover, 376 pages

$25.00

To Hunt Ducks

To Hunt Ducks is a book about duck hunting that spans three flyways and takes you into the blind with every day, working stiff waterfowlers who like it best when its cold, wet, and muddy. Hunts run the gamut of North American duck country—coastal marsh, flooded timber, rice fields, high lonesome prairie, and sprawling valleys flanked by snowcapped peaks. Many hunts occur on public land accessible to all. There are also hunts on private land in duck clubs that for many are a staple of the waterfowling tradition. From the author’s late teens into his mid forties, the stories herein tell the tale of American duck hunters who pursue this passion in their own unique way. If you’re a duck hunter, you’ve been here, and done this and know what its all about. Duck Hunters everywhere are unique for the absurd lengths they will go to be where the ducks are. The theme runs through this collection of short stories. There are tales of youthful folly, exploration, family, old friends, new friends, good dogs, wild ducks, wild country, muddy water, self-reflection, and wide horizons. The constant theme is no matter where one goes, the drama of a duck hunt often plays out the same transcending regional differences while capturing the nuances of culture in a pursuit that has long defined the history of hunting in North America. Softcover, First Edition, 314 pages

$25.00

The Duck Camp

Duck hunting is a long and storied tradition in the Bayou State. Journey to the remote and wild reaches of southwest Louisiana where hunting and fishing isn’t just a pastime but a job description. It is here the Miller Hunting Club has hunted, fished, and trapped for generations from their lodge, The Duck Camp. With roots going back a century, see how they’ve kept a duck hunting tradition alive through the most formative period in American waterfowling. They saw duck hunting at its best and worst throughout the 20th century and beyond. Their story is that of many who have built their own hunting traditions that epitomize Louisiana’s rich outdoor heritage and earn it the name Sportsman’s Paradise Soft Cover, 284 pages

$25.00

Ducks across the Big Sky! To hunt ducks in Montana–where the land breathes history–is to experience extremes in geography, weather and wildlife. The breadth of mountains and prairie is unlike anywhere else in the Lower 48. Both the Central and Pacific flyways span the state’s iconic wetlands, rivers and lakes. Hunting opportunities abound thanks to the state’s wildlife conservation legacy on public and private lands. Hunters walk in the footsteps of plains Indians, Lewis and Clark and mountain men while looking for a spot to pitch decoys. Embark on an epic and distinct Big Sky journey with author and hunter Matt Wemple, where a moose or grizzly bear could stroll through the decoys at any time.

$25.00

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Reviews

To Hunt Ducks

“In To Hunt Ducks, Matt Wemple puts his relaxed prose style to fine use as he effectively demonstrates one of waterfowling’s essential truths: duck hunting is about so much more than shooting ducks. When he’s not shooting (and honestly admitting an occasional miss), Wemple takes plenty of time to explore the incidentals that aren’t really incidental at all, from dogs, friends, game wardens, sunrises, Cajun culture, and habitat to welcome riffs on Montana’s enlightened stream access law. I enjoyed the book so much I wish I had written it myself.”

 -E. Donnall Thomas Jr.

Editor-at-Large Retriever Journal, contributing writer Gray’s Sporting Journal, Wildfowl Magazine, author of By Dawn’s Early Light and The Language of Wings.

“Reading Matt’s book To Hunt Ducks will bring you back to the real essence of duck hunting; which is the friends, dogs, sunrises and sunsets, and all the good things associated with duck hunting”

-Dale C. Spartas

Cover photographer Outdoor Life, Sports Afield, American Hunter, and Gun Dog, author of Rooster! A Tribute to Pheasant Hunting in North America, To the Point: A Tribute to Pointing Dogs, and Just Labs.

The Duck Camp

“As one would expect from a volume titled The Duck Camp, Matt Wemple’s collection of short stories includes a lot of duck hunting. Volumes with similar themes exist, and I’ve written a couple of them myself. What distinguishes Wemple’s work is his keen description of the distinctive southern hunting culture, with its emphasis on extended family, friends, camaraderie, and cooking. Set in the bayou country of Louisiana where he grew up, Wemple’s writing suggests an updated version of Nash Buckingham at his best.”

E. Donnall Thomas Jr.

Editor-at-Large Retriever Journal, contributing writer Gray’s Sporting Journal, Wildfowl Magazine, author of By Dawn’s Early Light and The Language of Wings.

“For those who appreciate the memories we make and the people who shape us throughout a lifetime of hunting, author Matt Wemple explores how something as simple as a shack on a marsh can shape a young man’s relationship with family and the natural world.”

Jay Strangis

Editor, American Waterfowler Magazine

“Matt tells the tale of growing up among the hunters of one of Louisiana’s most storied waterfowling destinations. Like so many who are passionate hunters as adults, it was these trips to the Duck Camp that planted the seed, engraining the ways of the die-hard waterfowler and all the rights of passage that go along with carrying that title. From the traditional meals everyone looked forward to, to the characters that prepared the meals, to the regulars that shared the meals once tabled, Matt’s chronicles paint the picture of so many camps across south Louisiana. Success out in the blind may come and go, but the camaraderie of camp life and all facets thereof are always a staple, something even catastrophic storms couldn’t keep down.”

Darren Digby

Contributing Writer Louisiana Sportsman, 008 Magazine, and editor of The Hunting Camp forum at Northshorefishingreport.com.

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Retail Partners

Hebert’s Gun Shop
27716 W. LA Hwy 82
Pecan Island, LA 70548
337.737.2497

Booth’s Grocery
5657 Grand Chenier Hwy
Grand Chenier, LA 70643
337.538.2378

Cajun Guns and Tackle
704 E. Admiral Doyle Dr.
New Iberia, LA 70560
337.364.3218

Books Along the Teche
106 E. Main St.
New Iberia, LA 70560
877.754.0849
booksalongtheteche.com

Paul Schexnayder Studio and Gallery
335 W. St. Peter St.
New Iberia, LA 70560
337.364.2645
http://www.schex.com

Legacy Trading Company

124 S. Main St.

Three Forks, MT 59752

406.285.3172

Three Forks Pharmacy

117 N. Main St.

Three Forks, MT 59752

406.285.3883