Woodsman

The word woodsman, meaning man of the woods, can be applied to any person coming from or living in a wooded area. Woodsmen is the plural form.

Woodsmen are stereotypically nature-wise persons who hunt for their food and live simply. They are often portrayed as male, bearded, knowledgeable about plants and animals, and possessing highly developed tracking and survival skills. Characterized by their log cabin homes, woodsmen are also sometimes stereotyped as old fashioned, possibly eccentric.

Woodsmen and hunters were placed in special military units in many armies up until modern times. In many cases, the names of these units are still used today.

The image of the woodsman, with his full, thick beard, flintlock musket, and hatchet, is often romanticized in movies and books. The 1980s movie Continental Divide made fun of these stereotypes in the context of a love story.

Television shows that featured woodsmen include the 1970s show Grizzly Adams and the 1960s Gunsmoke.

See also

• Mountain men