This collection documents the career and work of Bert Popowski as an author, hunter, and photographer, highlighting his contributions to the fields of hunting, wildlife, and conservation. The materials span from 1935 to 1978, with a significant portion consisting of articles authored by Popowski on topics ranging from big game and varmint hunting to conservation and safety. The research material series is the largest, containing published articles in various hunting and wildlife publications, including an autographed copy of The Outdoorsman (June 1947) featuring his article “Off-Season Duck Hunting.”

The collection includes a wide range of manuscripts accompanied by correspondence with publishers, records of submissions, publication status, and payments received. Manuscripts cover diverse subjects such as hunting techniques, firearms, wildlife, and conservation. Materials also relate to Popowski’s books, including illustrations by Gordon Elliott for Crow Shooting (29 ink drawings) and photograph proofs for Hunting Pronghorn Antelope (37 pages). Additional artwork features a mat board drawing of a fireplace, believed to depict Popowski’s cabin, created by C. Greenidge.

General materials include correspondence from 1942 to 1956, as well as photographs, illustrations, and a phonograph record titled Crow Calling, which features Popowski demonstrating crow calls. The photographs include black-and-white images of wildlife and hunting, negatives, and a set of 22 matted and signed photographs that won first prize at the Iowa State Fair.

Another unique feature of the collection is Popowski’s contributions to the Japanese magazine Modern Hunting (1968–1970), which includes translated articles and writings on hunting techniques. The phonograph record and international publications further illustrate Popowski’s expertise and contributions to hunting practices.

The collection provides a comprehensive record of Popowski’s career, offering insight into mid-twentieth-century hunting culture, techniques, and the conservation movement through his writings, photographs, illustrations, and artistic collaborations.

program

This collection is composed of material published by the South Dakota State University Department of Wildlife and Fisheries Sciences. It includes brochures, newsletters, programs, guides, announcements, photographs, and reports that document the department's outreach, research, and educational activities. Notable items include the Buffalo Banquet program—an annual awards event sponsored by the student Wildlife and Fisheries Conservation Club—and Wildlifer’s Log, the department’s newsletter. Materials such as the Wisdom Wednesday Series announcements and departmental brochures reflect ongoing public engagement and student involvement.

The collection also includes the South Dakota Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit annual report, the American Fisheries Society Fisheries Management Section newsletter, and publications such as Wetland Resources of Eastern South Dakota by Rex R. Johnson and Kenneth F. Higgins, which contribute to the documentation of regional environmental research. The Habitat Management Guides, issued by the Soil Conservation Service in Huron, South Dakota, offer applied wildlife management strategies for species such as pronghorn antelope, wild turkey, and ring-necked pheasant.

This collection provides insight into the department’s role in wildlife conservation education, student engagement, and regional ecological research. It is particularly valuable for understanding mid-to-late 20th-century wildlife management practices and institutional outreach in South Dakota.

brochure

fact sheet, brochures

newsletter

lecture, announcement