Just a note about this month's issues of these magazines - both chock full of Africa related article. Tis the season I guess. I've got subscriptions to both so I don't know if they've hit the shelves yet, but they are worth reading. And I know the American Hunter is sometimes difficult to find if you don't belong to the NRA.

I know a lot of people don't like Boddington, but in the Sports Afield, he has an excellent article on the realities of hunting southern Africa, especially concerning the fenced/unfenced issue. There is a neat article by Jim Shockey in the American Hunter on "sleeping/nightmares with lions in the camp".

Was disappointed in one of the articles in the American Hunter - as usual they spent a major portion of the article shilling for their advertiser. I don't have a problem with Dakota rifles - but put your gushing report on the company in a sidebar!!!

I liked the general's article. However, I think that a US deer hunter on their first hunt is likely to notice the PH sooner than they'll notice the fence. They also are used to seeing more animals in agricultural land than old-growth woods.

Dan

Some good articles in both magazines. Seems that we're seeing many more Africa articles than we used to see, which is just fine with me.

Sports Afield is one of my favourites.

The AH short on advice for potential first time African hunters is good. We all get the questions, it should help a lot of guys who don't know someone to ask. Hopefully it will add a few clients for some of our friends. That said, I too hate all the built-in sales pitches inherent to most American sporting articles.

In the American Hunter there's even an article about hunting in Africa with rimfires. Somebody shoots a Thompson's Gazelle with a .22 mag.

It's not that people don't like Boddington it's that they envy him.

For 2 reasons, he is a Brigadier General in the USMC!

And he has hunted more and played with more expensive guns and optics that all of us put together.

Make my life as a Petty Officer in the US Navy who hunted Africa once, Spain, Turkey, and Alaska, and lived in 5 foreign countries pretty tame.

And I bet my life makes 90% of yours look super tame.

I think he is a good writer, and I envy his job.

99.9 percent of you are the same.

Not just American Hunter and Sports Afield -- NRA's "Free Hunters" also had a number of articles (that's where the article about hunting dg with a single shot came up).

Dan

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It's not that people don't like Boddington it's that they envy him.

You may envy him but speak for yourself. I personally don't envy the man. I can't imagine the hectic life he must live. I prefer a slower pace.

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For 2 reasons, he is a Brigadier General in the USMC!

I don't think that is correct. According to his Bio he retired a colonel. He was selected for promotion to Brigadier General USMCR but have never heard or read if the promotion ever went through. Not that it really matters but it is what it is.

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And he has hunted more and played with more expensive guns and optics that all of us put together.

I doubt that.

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I think he is a good writer, and I envy his job.

Of course he is a good writer. But how much can one man write about the same subjects over and over and over and over and over and over again and still be interesting? I respect the man for his military service and work ethic but am burned out on his writing.

I just read Jim Shockey's article Fear the Darkness in American Hunter. It is a great article! You guys have to read it. You'll love it.

Just read the NRA issue on Africa and enjoyed several of the articles. Shockey's story was quite enjoyable as was the article on using rimfires on Africa's small game.

The articles on Buffalo hunting were great but the constant pimping of the products of the sponsors who probably paid for the trip (Dakota Arms and Remington) get a little tired. Can anyone remember ever seeing a negative review about any firearm in the NRA magazine or from a writer?

I haven't seen an American Hunter for 20 years but I once hunted with George Martin who was the Director of Publications back then and also with Earl Shelsby who was the editor of the American Hunter and a good writer to boot. Back in those days both the American Hunter and American Rifleman were pretty objective.

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Originally posted by M16:

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It's not that people don't like Boddington it's that they envy him.

You may envy him but speak for yourself. I personally don't envy the man. I can't imagine the hectic life he must live. I prefer a slower pace.

I had noticed on an african hunting show last night that he used a single shot (Ruger #1? Dakota #10?) to take a kudu. I was curious about the gun and tried to find out more info. Didn't see any reference on his home page. I did see some of last year's schedule: Africa, Alaska, back to Africa in what looked like 1 month's time. The trip to Africa is a haul. Going back and forth and back and forth looked like hectic to me.

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For 2 reasons, he is a Brigadier General in the USMC!

I don't think that is correct. According to his Bio he retired a colonel. He was selected for promotion to Brigadier General USMCR but have never heard or read if the promotion ever went through. Not that it really matters but it is what it is.

He was reactivated as a general and has been serving off and on in the middle east. There had been some press releases involving his actions issued in '03.

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And he has hunted more and played with more expensive guns and optics that all of us put together.

I doubt that.

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I think he is a good writer, and I envy his job.

Of course he is a good writer. But how much can one man write about the same subjects over and over and over and over and over and over again and still be interesting? I respect the man for his military service and work ethic but am burned out on his writing.

One thing I've noticed is that his views have changed over time -- and he's been quite open about that. He doesn't hide the shots he missed. I respect that... he comes across pretty honest. Further, it is easier to immagine ones-self in some of those situations. As long as he can keep that up, he won't go stale. Taking his kid hunting, playing with that .405 win, etc, is a part of keeping fresh -- its still the kind of thing he enjoys. He did admit in something I saw recently that the writing and the volume of hunting he writes about does take some of the joy out of it. Much more of it comes out of his pocket, and represents a sacrifice, and sacrifices aren't so much fun. I remember that going around on the campfire forum, but he answered the question on one of the tv spots he's been doing (said the question was a *little* rude, but a good question).

Lots of times, I have not really wanted to meet famous people unless I'd have time to sit and talk, and would have something to talk about. There's been some musicians I'd have liked to jam with. There's been some folks I thought might be fun to hunt with. I suspect Boddington would be fun to spend a little time with and hunt with.

Dan

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Originally posted by M16:

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It's not that people don't like Boddington it's that they envy him.

You may envy him but speak for yourself. I personally don't envy the man. I can't imagine the hectic life he must live. I prefer a slower pace.

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And he has hunted more and played with more expensive guns and optics that all of us put together.

I doubt that.

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I think he is a good writer, and I envy his job.

Of course he is a good writer. But how much can one man write about the same subjects over and over and over and over and over and over again and still be interesting? I respect the man for his military service and work ethic but am burned out on his writing.

Of course all of us have our favorites, when it comes to those who write about our own interests. I see absolutely no reason one couldn't write for years about the same subject, and sitll be interesting, to a person with the same interests! I was already married and divorsed, and starting a second family before Bodington became well known,and had already hunted in several states, and three countries, on three contenants, and had taken several head of big game. Man! He sure passed me by in the next ten years! Still I have followed the writings from what I considered to be a kid, from his bigining.

His strugle with being left handed, in a world where all the best rifles were made for right handers. Because of that, haveing to use push feed crap simply because that's all he could find in big chamberings, from 375H&H up, tought him tollorance of all brands.

No matter which of his over 75 safaris in Africa, and hundreds of hunts in other parts of the world he writes about, they are all different in some way, and he can make you smell the smoke from his camp fire, with his discriptions. If you want to know who got under my skin very quickly, I have to say I got sick of Jim Shockey very quickly. He is funny, and writes well, but there is just something about the man that rubs me the wrong way. That isn't his fault,it is simply me, a little like your dislike for Boddington! Maybe it is that he shoots nothing but in-line muzzleloaders, an article that, in my opinion, is the devil's own piece of machinery!

Boddington is accused of pandering to the company who gives him a rifle, but I don't think it is pandering, but is the fact that Boddington, simply has a personality that tends to find the good in anything, rather than look for something to be wrong, and so, reports a possitive piece on the rifles he uses, no matter where they come from. I believe he simply likes all rifles.

Likeing, or dislikeing a writer is a personal thing, and nobody is forced to read all of them! With that in mind, I have always wondered why people attack writers, rather than, when asked, simply say I don't particularly like his writeing, and would rather read Joe Blow!

I admire many things about Boddington. He plotted a career that would result in his ability to hunt all the world's game. It certainly had its risks. And he has plowed most if not all of his military pay into hunting trips. And of course, everyone appreciates his service.

But I don't envy Boddington. The word "envy" means resentment. I don't resent the fact that he has shot more than most of us. I certainly don't envy his personal life. I am not a big fan of his product endorsement of Surefire. ("The only product that I felt good enough to endorse" - so everything else the guy has used isn't good enough? Gee, other PR people who supplied gear, hunts, etc. must love that line.)

HOWEVER, I would rather read Boddington ANY day on buffalo than a guy who has shot two or three. His advice is good, especially in his books, where the commercial endorsement stuff is not present.

But I will give Bruce Towsely (American Hunter) credit: he paid for the hunt that he wrote about, even though Linda Powell from Remington was there. That to me adds credibility to the story and makes it more interesting.

As I have said before, every writer should come clean about how the trip was financed. It would mean a lot more to most people. And it would benefit those writers who do pay for their own hunts.

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Seems to me that unless you are reading a technical journal, you best understand that fact, fantasy and fiction can and does enter the realm of journalism!! It sells magazines and books...and it's true with all of em!!... also it just ain't right to write bad things about guns and hunts that are provided for the purpose of getting free advertising...that said, readers oughta keep that in mind!! Fact, a good friend shared the same camp in Ethipoia years and years ago with one of the mentioned authors...seems the author had a fantastic hunt that in no way resembled the facts...the rest of the guys are still licking their wounds of a very expensive bad hunt in the forest for big elephants!!
That said, the best of the journalists do a good job of enterainting us...and Sports Afield ought to stick with the professionals or do a better job of editing the amatures...ie like the two recent articles by the M.e D.octor with all of the short and choppy lines and bunches of disconnected 50cent words sprinkled through!!

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Boddington is accused of pandering to the company who gives him a rifle, but I don't think it is pandering, but is the fact that Boddington, simply has a personality that tends to find the good in anything, rather than look for something to be wrong, and so, reports a possitive piece on the rifles he uses, no matter where they come from. I believe he simply likes all rifles.

I agree. I had the chance to peruse an old Outdoor Life magazine from 1965 a few months ago and chuckled out loud reading it...the gunwriter was hunting antelope with the NEW Winchester model 70 rifle. The best thing since sliced bread according to the gentleman. The "advertising" or "promotion" side of writing has been with us for a long time!

BTW, I enjoy Boddington's writings very much. He has been there, done that, bought the t-shirt! His articles are always a refreshing change from the "72 different ways to get a big whitetail in your sights this Fall!" articles since so many of his writings are international in flavor.

Please try to remember that publications are in the business of making money. Unless the publication is "Consumer Reports", the "Gun Rags" are Ad platforms for clients.

Writers for these publications are "employees" of the magazine, even on a "freelance" basis, and are given assignments to write about. These "assignments" are planned out months if not a year in advance. Most if not all involve a clients products for which they recieve promotional consideration. Wake up and smell the Ad space and per cap!

Once again we, as Diogonese, raise our lanterns high in search of the honest truthful African Hunting Writer.

Anyone can do a better job, Right? Go for it!