author
Saxton T. (Saxton Temple) Pope
1875–1926
A surgeon, outdoorsman, and influential early archery writer, he helped shape modern bowhunting in the United States. He is also remembered for his close association with Ishi, whose friendship deeply influenced his work and writing.
1 Audiobook
Hunting with the Bow & Arrow
by Saxton T. (Saxton Temple) Pope
About the author
Born in Texas in 1875, Saxton Temple Pope trained as a physician and later taught surgery at the University of California's medical school in San Francisco. Alongside his medical career, he became widely known as an outdoorsman and writer whose books helped introduce generations of readers to traditional archery and hunting.
Pope's name is especially tied to the revival of bowhunting in the early 20th century. His friendship with Ishi, the Yahi man often described in historical sources as the last known member of his people to have lived largely outside Western society, shaped Pope's understanding of archery and native craftsmanship. That experience became central to both his practical work with the bow and his published accounts.
Today he is often remembered as a foundational figure in modern bowhunting, but his legacy also reflects a life that crossed medicine, outdoor life, and California history. He died in 1926, leaving behind writing that still interests readers drawn to archery, frontier history, and firsthand adventure.