Making his rounds on horseback, he carried most of the pelts in a sack, but tied the fox skins to the saddle to show that his business was doing well.

The instant success of the Hunter-Trader-Trapper magazine was due to the instructional nature of the contents on the subjects of hunting and trapping, information previously shared only between friends and family members, and in most cases kept secret by outdoorsmen.

The magazine was largely composed of letters written by the readers, longer articles by experienced hunters and trappers, and news concerning the fur trade and current prices.

A. R. Harding sold the Gallia Times newspaper in 1904 and moved his operations from Gallipolis to 326 East Broad Street, Columbus, Ohio.

In 1908 Harding moved his operations to the Columbus Savings and Trust Building, and that year released three more books: Ginseng and Other Medicinal Plants, Land Cruising and Prospecting and Bee Hunting.

In 1914, due to poor health, Harding sold the Hunter-Trader-Trapper magazine, but continued to sell his books while adding more titles.

When the owners refused to sell he purchased instead the publication Fur News, which included information along the same lines, and changed its name to Fur-Fish-Game.

The plain language of his magazines, with personal instructions and actual experiences written by the readers, made it a favorite of the average hunter, trapper and fisherman, who gained access to information about new equipment and better methods.

Harding's national magazines were the first to let trap and gun manufacturers and fur buying houses advertise directly to their main customers.

He fought to make the game laws fair and consistent, and opposed the federal government's use of poison to kill wolves and coyotes.

Harding's motives for supporting this business were not entirely profit-driven: he believed that fur farming would help reduce the pressure on wild populations, which were being destroyed through habitat depletion, and save the furbearers from extinction.