Bert John Popowski was born in Grafton, North Dakota on February 15, 1904. He lived in Grafton throughout his elementary and high school years. He attended South Dakota State College in Brookings, South Dakota and graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in printing in 1926. He married Harriet Seymour of Aberdeen, SD in 1930. They had two sons, John Seymour and Jerome Bert.
Bert John Popowski was born on February 15, 1904, in Grafton, North Dakota, where he spent his childhood and completed his elementary and high school education. He attended South Dakota State College in Brookings, graduating in 1926 with a Bachelor of Science degree in printing. In 1930, he married Harriet Seymour of Aberdeen, South Dakota, and they had two sons, John Seymour, and Jerome Bert.
Throughout his life, Bert lived in various parts of the United States and held a range of jobs, including high school principal and associate editor for Look magazine. From 1951 until his passing in 1982, he worked as a freelance writer, author, and contributing editor for numerous publications. Over the course of a prolific career spanning half a century, he authored more than 2,300 articles. His first feature story appeared in Outdoor Life in 1931. He served as a contributing editor for The American Rifleman, writing the "Dope Bag" column, and contributed columns such as "Hunting" for The Outdoorsman, "Guns and Ammunition" for Hunting & Fishing, and "The Shot Tower" for Guns and Hunting. He gained national recognition for his classic book Hunting Pronghorn Antelope and authored several other major works, some of which were translated into Spanish and Japanese. An award-winning photographer, Bert often illustrated his articles and books with his own images.
In his early years, Bert became known as an expert varmint hunter, and his books helped popularize this type of hunting. In 1932, he built a log cabin near the Narrows on French Creek in Custer State Park, where he weathered the Great Depression and focused on his writing. In 1949, he won the National Crow Shooting Championship, using crow calls of his own design to best 51 other contestants. Beyond hunting, Bert was deeply interested in natural history and wildlife management.
In 1979, Bert donated a collection of his books, original manuscripts, and photographs to his alma mater, South Dakota State University. He was honored at the Outdoor Writers Association of America convention in Rapid City when the State of South Dakota presented him with a special award as the "Dean of South Dakota Outdoor Writers." In the 1980s, Bert battled cancer and suffered a stroke that led to his hospitalization. He passed away on February 14, 1982, leaving behind a lasting legacy as a writer, photographer, and advocate for wildlife and outdoor pursuits.
