Lynn Bogue Hunt was born in Mineola, New York, and spent much of his adult life living and working in New York City and Long Island. He is famous for his outdoor and wildlife genre illustrations in magazines, books and other print publications. A sportsman from an early age, he hunted and fished throughout his life. However, he was also an advocate of conservation, supporting catch-and-release fishing techniques and habitat restoration. His passion for wilderness and outdoor recreation enabled him to intimately observe the wildlife he so accurately represented in his illustrations.

Growing up as a young boy in the rural town of Oneida in upstate New York, Hunt was an avid explorer of nature. He kept wild animals as pets and collected snake skins and animal pelts in his room. His childhood bedroom, as did his studio in New York City, resembled a natural history museum. His interest in art was encouraged by his mother and from an early age he sketched the creatures in which he surrounded himself.

Hunt moved to Albion, Michigan in 1890 at the age of 12 with his mother and siblings when his parents separated.  It was in Michigan that Hunt received his first 12-gauge shotgun and began to learn the trade of taxidermy. The practice of taxidermy allowed him to understand the anatomy of the animals he painted. While he dissected the birds, animals and fish he learned their physical structure and was able to paint the objects he studied true to form. His love of waterfowl commanded both his gun and his paint brush.

His first illustration published in a magazine appeared in Sports Afield in 1897 when he was a free lance sporting artist in Michigan. Hunt moved to New York City in 1902 where he received formal training at the Art Student’s League before he became a full-time free lance illustrator.  He became a staff artist for the magazine Field & Stream and drew more than 100 covers for the publication. In addition, his works appeared in The Saturday Evening Post, Better Homes and Gardens,  Natural History, Country Gentleman and others. Throughout his 54-year-career as an illustrator, he made a name for himself as a leading wildlife artist in magazine publication.  His realistic style, accentuated by vibrant colors, defined his artistic style.

Hunt was known for his print illustrations, but he was also commissioned by private clients and corporations to create sporting art paintings.  He illustrated over 40 books and completed over 250 cover paintings for nearly 40 different magazine publications. His paintings vary in size from a 1939 Migratory Waterfowl Stamp to large wall murals.  His work as a magazine illustrator will always mark an era of the union between sporting art and American magazines.