Pioneer Life, Or, Thirty Years a Hunter

Known as the Pine Creek deerslayer of the Alleghenies, Philip Tome was a pioneer farmer who turned to deer hunting for survival. Hunting the headwaters of the Pine, Kettle, Sinnemahoning, and Allegheny Rivers, he shot with a .45 caliber Kentucky-style Flintlock rifle and practiced fire hunting, stalking, hounding, and stand hunting over salt licks. He also captured elk and hunted panthers and bears. The early beginnings of hunting conservation can be seen in Tome's changing emphasis from the kill to the outdoor experience. In addition to his reputation as a hunter, he was an interpreter for Seneca Indian Chiefs Cornplanter and Governor Blacksnake.