author
Harry Thom Payne
b. 1844
Best known for a lively early-20th-century guide to West Coast hunting and fishing, this outdoors writer blended practical field knowledge with a clear, accessible style. His surviving record is slim, but his work remains of interest to readers curious about sport, wildlife, and the Pacific Coast of his era.
1 Audiobook
Game Birds and Game Fishes of the Pacific Coast
by Harry Thom Payne
About the author
Harry Thom Payne was an American writer born in 1844. He is best known for Game Birds and Game Fishes of the Pacific Coast, published in 1913, a practical guide aimed at sportsmen and focused on the birds and fishes of the Pacific Coast.
Available catalog and library records confirm his authorship of that book, but biographical details about his life are limited in the sources readily available online. A memorial record identifies him as having lived from 1844 to 1932 and describes him as a Los Angeles newspaperman.
That mix of journalism and outdoor writing helps explain the direct, useful tone associated with his work. For modern readers, Payne's writing offers a glimpse into how wildlife, recreation, and regional natural history were presented in the early 1900s.