Dear fellow AR forum members,
A little over 1 and 1/2 years ago I was searching the net for a new varmint load and found Accurate Reloading Forums. Having found a couple good loads I started reading some of the other threads. I looked under the African Big Game thread and didn't really know what to expect but I read some of the posts and found them very interesting. Then one night I read a report of a buffalo hunt by JudgeG. I remember actually smelling the smells, hearing the sounds and feeling the excitement of the hunt. I thought boy this guy has really got it made, going to Africa and hunting there.
It was just a couple days later someone started a thread about why more Americans don't hunt Africa. Someone said something about a lot of fear. Fear of it being too much work to go being the main thing and I thought that's where I fit in. Then someone said a lot of people make excuses why they can't go and that they were the ones that didn't. But, the ones that do go are the ones that say what do I have to do to make this happen? This my friends has changed my life. I have a plainsgame hunt booked for this April in RSA and hopefully buffalo in 2006 or 2007.
Now what does all this have to do with JudgeG? Well none of this would be happening if I wouldn't have read that one buffalo hunting story. Since then I always check to see if JudgeG has written another story. I've read a lot of books and magazines but I've never read anyone that can make me feel like I'm right next to them the way JudgeG does.
So this is my feeble attempt to convince JudgeG to print all his stories and send them to a publisher or whatever you have to do to get a book published. JudgeG has done the writing now he just needs to get someone to put it in into a book.
JudgeG, you truly have a God given gift for writing. Please don't take a chance on not having it published. Now all those forums members that would like to see this happen please step forward and say "Aye".
Sincerely,
Joe

Aye.
JudgeG is gifted.
He could probably have kept up with Capstick at Harry's Bar in Maun too, had he been given the chance.

Aye

Aye

Hog Killer

I agree. I had the great fortune to spend several hours driving with the judge and listening to his countless stories and anectdotes about hunting and life in general this past August. It was a genuine pleasure and beleive me his storytelling in person is every bit as eloquent and when he pens it out for us. I would certainly encourage everyone here to bug the heck out of him untill he agrees to start the book.
If anyone would like his home phone number to call him at all hours of the night and ...... no that might be too cruel.
I have just the photo for his cover and I think 1115 has a really good one for the jacket as well.
Frank

Aye,

I agree 100% with this idea.

I've never met JudgeG and probably never will but I do know one thing for sure. Everytime I log-on to the AR site, I first check to see who else is online as well. I search to see if JudgeG is there and if he is, I check all the sites he frequents to catch up on his latest entries.

I've had the good fortune to hunt in RSA, Zim, Moz and Tanzania. Each time, I've made the trip by myself but have tried to write down my experiences in a journal from the inception of the planning stage until I got back home. My stuff look like the ramblings of a child especially when I read something written by the Judge. I enjoy going back and reading my journals to see what happened...but, when I read the Judge's accounts of similar situations, I can taste the cold Castle beer, smell the sweet smoke from the campfire and I swear, I saw what appeared to be blood on my Courtney's after reading his last buffalo story!

So I add my name to the list of subscribers who hanker for more of his writings. I encourage those of you who are closest to him to twist his arm each chance you get to do this. He probably wouldn't be interested in money but a good cigar or his favorite single-malt whiskey may help to turn the tide.

Judge, give it some serious thought. In fact, ain't it about time for another tale right now?

Bull1

Aye!

Much like bull1 my personal journals bear little resemblance to the well crafted tales of the judge.

mike

As I contemplate the kind words by you folks, alas, I have somewhat a problem.

I didn't save all of the stuff that I wrote for AR and would like to have some of it back to review and expound upon.. that is, if I'm going to try to put something together. If any of you, by chance, saved something I wrote, please e-mail it to me at properfistmele@hotmail.com. If I do put something together... and I now have the time to do so... and I have a quiet travel trailer in the river swamp.. I'll surely credit therein the savior of any ditty that I "lost" in the several cullings of AR by new program installation or by space limitations.

I am humbled, because I write primarily because I like to remember what I experienced, not because I think I do it any better than anyone else. Most of my Safari time has been alone and I wanted to share it with friends and my children, folks I missed "while I was there".
As an aside, this year I'll be with three other guys and I'm really looking forward to that (We're going to have some fun, fellows!)

.. so...

If you have saved on paper or somewhere in cyberspace anything I wrote, please send it back to me. If you need snail mail or fax, I'll give you those addresses. I've not yet figured out how to tell if I have a p.m. (and at my age, sometimes don't know when I've had a b.m., either), so please post here or go to my e-mail, above.

I appreciate the comments and think they might be useful to a prospective publisher (one that has a distribution network, vice a self-publishing effort).. to encourage him/her in accepting the book, kind of demonstrating that there is a market for the same. Did that make sense? In other words, both my ego, and my prospective publisher would appreciate any further comments and suggestions, I reckon.. so don't assume I'm doing this yet. Stroke me if you wish! Of course, I'll take constructive criticism, too.

Also, I will need several good African pictures to include and will look forward to reviewing stuff that is the product of your safaris.... I know that 1115 has some really beautiful and professional quality stuff, as does Mbogo375. I'll bet there are others. I'm not sure of the "pixel" requirement for publication, but I'd think that smaller pictures in a book could use stuff about 3.2 and up? (See, I'm a novice).

Yeah!!!!!

"Houston, we have a lift-off!"

Bull1

Absolutely AYE!

I always had a desire to go to Africa and back in the late 1980's I booked a hunt. Unfortunatly, due to my focus on work I had to cancel that hunt.

Like you, I came upon AR while attempting to find loading information, etc. Wandering through the African Big Game Forum and Big Bore Forum on AR renewed my interest in other things besides chasing "Big Deer". I decided to look into Africa again and thought about 2006. Then I came upon JudgeG.

I have never meet JudgeG in person but I know he is a man with a great passion for life, Africa, and helping people in general. I read his stories with great interest! and still do!

JudgeG assisted me greatly, renewed my desire to hunt Cape Buffalo, introduced me to Ray Atkinson and Pierre Van Tonder, and took as much interest in my plans to hunt Africa as I did! Well, 2006 ended up being September 2004 and that was largely due to JudgeG's stories and his interest! Thankfully, as the Judge would say, I am ruint! I am unable to think of a better place to hunt and enjoy than Africa and Cape Buffalo is at the top of the list!

JudgeG, I hope you do go ahead with a Book....I know I would like to be first in line to buy one! Thanks again! Jim

Aye. And, Judge G, if you need any help in getting it published, I have been through that and can give some advice.

You think he's sump'n, ya oughta meet his dog! but beware that he keeps the pen locked. Howsomeever, That really ain't no hill for a stepper..

Doing the writing thing is a lot like work! That being said, it would be very nice, and very useful for there to be a book published that wasn't the slightly vailed sensationalism of the Capstick stuff and delivered the true love and fun of the endeavor that the Judge does so well.

In other words ... Aye!

Write on Judge and put me down for the first copy.This is my official order for the book.So now you are not only being solicited,you are being offered currency.I await the finalized copy.........eyedoc

I will accept the second copy. Do it Judge!!

----- AYE ----- Few people can express themselves as well as Judge G, drunk or sober. His account of the Buffalo hunt gave me the nudge I needed to go myself and it will always be a highlight of my life. His toast to Ray at the birthday party in Dallas was a masterpiece that should go down in history, now what history is the question. Go Judge G and don't look back. Good shooting.