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, Popowski lived in various parts of the United States and held a range of positions, including high school principal and associate editor for Look magazine. From 1951 until his death in 1982, he worked as a freelance writer, author, and contributing editor for numerous outdoor and sporting publications. Over a prolific career spanning fifty years, he authored more than 2,300 articles. His first feature story appeared in Outdoor Life in 1931. He later served as a contributing editor for The American Rifleman, where he wrote the “Dope Bag” column, and contributed regular columns to other magazines, including “Hunting” for The Outdoorsman, “Guns and Ammunition” for Hunting & Fishing, and “The Shot Tower” for Guns and Hunting.
Popowski gained national recognition for his book Hunting Pronghorn Antelope, along with several other major works, some of which were translated into Spanish and Japanese. An accomplished photographer, he often illustrated his own articles and books. In his early years, he became known as an expert varmint hunter, and his writings helped popularize this form 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 devoted himself to writing. In 1949, he won the National Crow Shooting Championship, using crow calls of his own design to defeat 51 competitors. His lifelong interests extended beyond hunting to natural history and wildlife management.
In 1979, Popowski donated his books, manuscripts, and photographs to South Dakota State University. He was honored the same year at the Outdoor Writers Association of America convention in Rapid City, where the State of South Dakota recognized him as the “Dean of South Dakota Outdoor Writers.” In his later years, he faced health challenges, including cancer and a stroke, and passed away on February 14, 1982. His legacy endures as a prolific writer, photographer, and advocate for wildlife and outdoor pursuits.