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Hey, guys--it's been a while. My apologies, have been mostly on the road last few months and never seem to catch up. I am aware of the nasty little thread that was on here a few weeks ago...I was not in a position to chime in myself, but I think my good friend Conrad did a most eloquent job and, like me, he isn't afraid to post under his own name. The thread was disturbing for three reasons: First, it had absolutely nothing to do with African hunting, which I always thought to be the subject of this forum. I am thus disappointed that a purely personal attack unrelated to the subject at hand was allowed to run. Second, well, you can't please all the people all the time, so while I appreciate the numerous positive messages, and have enjoyed meeting many of the great folks on this forum in various places, in my line of work I understand that there will be a few "haters" out there. But, as I've said before on this forum, it disgusts me when attacks are made by people who hide behind their internet "handles." In this case, the individual needed to be so anonymous that he obtained a new account and handle just so he could launch his diatribe (which tells me pretty much all I need to know). Third, and by far most important, somewhere in the thread someone stated something like "an Australian outfitter told me that Boddington did an illegal hunt in Australia." If true, this could be the end of my livelihood; if untrue, it is actionable libel. So, while I have no desire to "shoot the messenger" for passing along a tall tale, I would like to put this to rest. Australia has a small outfitting industry that seems more rife with outfitter jealousies than any African country (which is saying quite a lot). The specific allegation passed along to me (this was the third time, all second- or third-hand) is that "I shot a banteng illegally." This irks me; breaking game laws goes against everything I stand for, and I have no patience with it anywhere in the world. Also, does it really seem credible that I would be so stupid as to risk a career that has done well by me for 40 years? C'mon! Last August I hunted with Greg Pennicott, a good outfitter who has been in business a long time. I don't claim to know all the nuances of Australia's rules with their introduced animals, but I do have a good sense of geography, and I am firmly and completely confident that the hunt was absolutely legal in the area where it was conducted. When hunting far afield we do have to put some degree of faith in our guides and outfitters. The Lacey Act is a great law with sharp teeth that makes it a federal offense to transport illegally taken wildlife across a state line, or into the U.S. from a foreign country. In the U.S. lack of knowledge of the law is no excuse, fair enough, but when hunting in a foreign country there's an interesting nuance to the Lacey Act: In order to contravene the Act it has to be established (either by confession or jury trial) that the person KNOWINGLY broke the law, which seems incredibly fair to me. However, although I trust Greg Pennicott completely (and intend to hunt with him again!), in this case it is absolutely impossible that I hunted illegally because: I DIDN'T HUNT BANTENG,DID NOT SHOOT A BANTENG, WAS NOT PRESENT WHEN A BANTENG WAS SHOT, AND I DIDN'T EVEN HAVE A FIREARM IN MY POSSESSION DURING THAT PORTION OF THE HUNT. The banteng is a great animal and I'd like to hunt another one someday, but they're a bit pricier than water buffalo...so the only banteng I have ever taken was clear back in the 1990s. I assume that isn't the banteng this "Australian outfitter" is referring to...so I can only conclude that he's talking out of his nether regions. His motivation probably isn't directed against me; more likely it's one of the Aussies' endless turf wars over hunting areas. Even so, in my business this is a very serious allegation, so I would love to have this clown's name. I have it narrowed down to just a couple of likely culprits--so if anybody has a genuine source of such a rumor I'd be grateful for a Private Message. Meantime, it's safari season, so I hope all of you have good hunts in the works. All best, Craig Boddington | ||
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Lot's of haters and jelous people out there Craig. Thanks for straightening out the buffalo (banteng) deal. I look forward to watching your hunting show. I do miss seeing you and Ivan together. Good luck in the future!!!!!!!!!!!!! All the best, Chuck | |||
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Thanks craig for clearing all that up. i have been a big fan of your writing for years. i have been taught if you can not say something nice don't say anything at all. good hunting .. lee barnett | |||
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Thanks for taking the time to respond to one aspect of what was posted previously. My recollection is that the main concern many expressed on the prior post was what struck a number of people as the poor taste of selling off used articles of clothing to finance a relatively modest amount to fund a personal website. Care to respond regarding the appropriateness and advisability of such financing efforts? Mike | |||
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I was not a part of the previous thread however I did read it. As far as I am concerned, handles are fine and dandy. However, if you are going to accuse someone of illegal activity, you should have the stones to do so with your real name placed right under the accusations. | |||
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Right on! Thanks for clearing that up. By chance is the shirt you wore in Australia still for sale? I'm kidding of course | |||
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Hopefully that puts it to rest. | |||
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Hey Craig, RIGHT ON! ....Mac >>>===(x)===> MacD37, ...and DUGABOY1 DRSS Charter member "If I die today, I've had a life well spent, for I've been to see the Elephant, and smelled the smoke of Africa!"~ME 1982 Hands of Old Elmer Keith | |||
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Very clear and articulate explanation of the facts behind this "story." Thanks. Norman Solberg International lawyer back in the US after 25 years and, having met a few of the bad guys and governments here and around the world, now focusing on private trusts that protect wealth from them. NRA Life Member for 50 years, NRA Endowment Member from 2014, NRA Patron from 2016. | |||
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Craig, Thank you for clearing this matter up. | |||
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Craig, you are, and always have been, a class act. As I said in the thread in question, Conrad seems like a true friend, and no honorable man throws a true friend to the wolves. One might, however, kick his dumb ass in private. No confirmation or other comment necessary. And I never gave the Aussie crap any credence. Anonymous accusers carry no weight with me. Keep up the good work. Mike Wilderness is my cathedral, and hunting is my prayer. | |||
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When I first saw the topic title I decided immediately to pass it up. Sorry you had to take the time to refute the BS. Brice (My real name) | |||
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Good on your outright reply Sir...without doubt you put everything in perspective...as you know this is the internet...just a public forum...alot of bashers for whatever reasons they serve their own interests!...lots of nit-wits here and there for certain! I'm glad you came to state your views makes the mouthys shut-up! | |||
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Craig, there is nothing like a straight up answer to set things right,pure & simple,nice to have you respond,thanks. DRSS | |||
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To MJines: Uh, no, I would just as soon not. Conrad said it well. But I will say: Conrad Evarts is a true friend, like a little brother I never had, except a lot smarter and a lot more computer-literate than me. He is assisting us with some marketing. Some ideas are better than others. What he said was true: I was out of the country, it was his concept. I am told similar concepts are being used to finance all kinds of stuff in the entertainment industry: albums, movies, tv shows. If I had understood it (or, better put, taken time to understand it), I might have suggested caution...but I refuse to throw him under the bus. Conrad and I have worked together for about 10 years now. I trust him, and in this new context of him actually doing some work for us, I don't want to second-guess him, especially in stuff that he knows a lot more about than I do. There is always value in lessons learned, even in hard coin. However---you guys will find this hilarious--what really shocked him about the whole thing was, despite my (maybe too subtle?) warnings, after a decade of filming together he genuinely didn't realize that there are some people out there who absolutely hate me. Now he knows, so a business model that works very well for some people simply may not be practical for my brand!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Uh, what a fun thing to come home to........... Cheers, C | |||
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Craig, Firstly, I'm not hater. At a couple of Dallas shows, you spent a little time chatting with my young son. He is 13 and has read ALL your books on Africa. He was thrilled to talk to you, and I really appreciated that. Secondly, Conrad Evarts may be your best buddy in the world, and may be the best camera man in the world, but you may not want to utilize his "talents" in your marketing efforts, (at least not unsupervised). Given that AR has a fairly high concentration of potential customers for your future books, videos and other endeavors, it is probably not advisable for your marketing rep to come on this board to threaten people and call everyone old "douche nozzles". I am an oil trader, not a marketing professional, but I doubt that is good for your brand. Go Duke!! | |||
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if Conrad's qualification to being a marketing genius is the $120 he raised offering used clothes for sale (before he pulled the plug on the whole concept), i wouldn't want him managing my fund raising efforts... Vote Trump- Putin’s best friend… To quote a former AND CURRENT Trumpiteer - DUMP TRUMP | |||
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Craig, I've spent a number of hours talking to you at various conventions, shows, etc. At no time have I considered you anything but friendly...even when your wife and daughter kept putting books under your nose to autograph! Good luck on future endeavors. Max .395 Family Member DRSS, po' boy member Political correctness is nothing but liberal enforced censorship | |||
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Guys, I have said all I'm going to say. I was hunting in 3rd world jungle when all this went down; I never saw what was posted, never saw what was pulled, don't want to see it, refuse to make further excuses or apologies for my friends, who, like me, have tempers...but at my age I have (almost) learned to curb mine. There are lessons learned. That's enough, thank you. | |||
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I think Craig is just being kind to Conrad. Conrad has absolutely no clue how hunters like us think. A shame really as he seems to have been working with real gentlemen like Craig. Forget the idea of selling used shorts, but the way he came on here with his attitude straight from the gutter, attacking everyone who saw his "modern" idea of collecting donations as totally repugnant. Add to that him coming back and deleting everything he had posted, tells me a lot about him. | |||
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Gents: It's great Craig put in his comments and distanced himself from the original childish post. As to the rumor of CB shooting illegally, well anonymous crap is posted-said-written of often regarding well known personalities. Kind of reminds me of a well known gent and PH in Tanzania who folks trash without facts... Sorry this happened, CB. In your case and the one mentioned above, I suspect jealousy is the motive. Monumental day here in Alaska. First 60-degree day! Cheers, all. Cal _______________________________ Cal Pappas, Willow, Alaska www.CalPappas.com www.CalPappas.blogspot.com 1994 Zimbabwe 1997 Zimbabwe 1998 Zimbabwe 1999 Zimbabwe 1999 Namibia, Botswana, Zambia--vacation 2000 Australia 2002 South Africa 2003 South Africa 2003 Zimbabwe 2005 South Africa 2005 Zimbabwe 2006 Tanzania 2006 Zimbabwe--vacation 2007 Zimbabwe--vacation 2008 Zimbabwe 2012 Australia 2013 South Africa 2013 Zimbabwe 2013 Australia 2016 Zimbabwe 2017 Zimbabwe 2018 South Africa 2018 Zimbabwe--vacation 2019 South Africa 2019 Botswana 2019 Zimbabwe vacation 2021 South Africa 2021 South Africa (2nd hunt a month later) ______________________________ | |||
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Thanks, Cal, we were just hunting on Admiralty Island...aweseome weather (for Alaska)!!!!! | |||
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The records will in the end be set straight, all the trash wiped away, and a Marine last man standing. Way to go Craig DRSS: HQ Scandinavia. Chapters in Sweden & Norway | |||
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Well Craig had some great shorts (outer wear) he lift a pair in one of our camps & I wore them for a couple of seasons till they wore out, I would like a couple more pairs of them, look to be surplus ! | |||
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Mike I know you and I have butted heads in the past, but I hope you won't take this as a personal attack.... But I have to point out that it is odd that you of all people would have a problem with anyone selling used clothing, seeing as you had about a dozen threads going in the classifieds in which you were selling used clothing. Why is it wrong for CB to do what most all of us do? Isn't he "one of us"? I know Conrad's marketing was off key but..... Jason "You're not hard-core, unless you live hard-core." _______________________ Hunting in Africa is an adventure. The number of variables involved preclude the possibility of a perfect hunt. Some problems will arise. How you decide to handle them will determine how much you enjoy your hunt. Just tell yourself, "it's all part of the adventure." Remember, if Robert Ruark had gotten upset every time problems with Harry Selby's flat bed truck delayed the safari, Horn of the Hunter would have read like an indictment of Selby. But Ruark rolled with the punches, poured some gin, and enjoyed the adventure. -Jason Brown | |||
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Saeed, "Conrad has absolutey no clue how hunters like us think." Are you saying all hunters that post on AR think alike in any way? Find me 2 that will agree on every thing. | |||
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Not at all Ed. And differences of opinions do educate us and we do learn from them. But, Conrad could not wait to come here and sort us out. And by the silly and feminine language he posted tells me that he did not think much of us at all. He got just what he deserved, as not many here seem to have liked him either. | |||
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Craig, You didn't have to come here and offer any explanation. The fact that you did supports my longstanding view of you. You are a class act. Anyone who I know who has spent even a small amount of time with you echoes the same. As for Conrad, he has some incredible writing skills. I can imagine he might be an interesting guy to share a campfire with. I wish he would have come to AR under different circumstances. We could use a bit more of his brand of comic relief around here. Stay well. | |||
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+1 Semper Fidelis | |||
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I am, thankfully, not someone with a public persona. Reality is there are things that I can do that it would be unseemly for persons with a public persona, and playing off of their public persona, to do. For example, would you not think it odd and unbecoming for the President to sell his used socks on EBay to fund a retirement compound for when he leaves office (frankly I would be inclined to buy a dozen pair or so if for no other reason than to try and hasten his retirement but that is another issue)? No one said it was wrong, the feeling was that it was embarrassing and tacky, and frankly beneath the person it was associated with. Mike | |||
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JBrown, This is not exactly an apples to apples comparison. Selling used hunting clothes at market value is a very different thing than leveraging your celebrity status to sell used t-shirts above original cost. And like Mike said,.... it is not wrong, just tacky. Go Duke!! | |||
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Thanks Craig,For setting the record straight. | |||
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It would be nice if Craig Boddington came on here just for the sake of talking guns and hunting and not to just trying to sell something or clear his name from rumours... | |||
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He does come on here to talk guns and hunting. Go Duke!! | |||
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You make a good point....Craig are you reading this?? I can't think of any living hunter, PH's included, that have your experience and I too wish that you would post/respond here more often. | |||
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Why would he bother when he gets treated this way? | |||
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Craig, Great posts, thank you. I bought one of your shirts and along with your book, Boddington on Buffalo, am giving it to my nephew for his high school graduation gift. He's already a hunting fanatic and dreams of African safaris. The shirt is signed, thank you, and we will see you at one of the shows and you can sign his book in person. I sure am glad he's not an LA Lakers fan and an admirer of Kobe Bryant, his shirts are expensive. "If you are not working to protect hunting, then you are working to destroy it". Fred Bear | |||
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Craig, I don't think that anyone who has actually met you, hates you. Most are just so jealous they can't stand it. Keep up the good work and don't worry about the jealous critics. IMHO you're the greatest hunting writer ever. No biases or BS, I like that. velocity is like a new car, always losing value. BC is like diamonds, holding value forever. | |||
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Smartest thing said about this entire mess. | |||
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+1 | |||
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