Can anybody on here match or exceed this?

"Over the last dozen years, I have been on possibly twenty safaris. That's to say, I've hunted twice in India, once in Alaska, four times in Mozambique, once in Australia, once in New Zealand and about ten times in Uganda, Kenya and Tanganyika. I have shot three elephants of over a hundred pounds per tusk, killed a couple of lions and attended the deaths of a dozen others. I lost count on leopards -- maybe twenty -- and have no idea about buffaloes; maybe a hundred. The small game -- zebra, impala, Thomson's gazelle, Grant's gazelle, wildebeest, gerenuk, oryx, duiker - in general, must run into a thousand. I have shot three tigers, been severely mauled by a leopard, shot gaur and water buffalo, cheetah cat and chital deer, wild dogs and hyenas and guinea fowl and sand grouse and bustard and francolin (all white meat, even the legs, a lovely bird , the francolin), and I have had cerebral malaria, infectious mononucleosis, and have been poisoned by tsetse flies and maddened by mosquitoes. I have walked a thousand miles, Jeeped a hundred thousand and have rung up another hundred thousand in light planes on homemade airstrips in deep bush. I have slept in tents, as well as ron-dawels and native huts, and I have also slept on the ground in pouring rain. I have eaten elephant, snake and fried grubworms. I have drunk native beer, palm wine and a tasty mixture of blood milk, cow urine and wood ash."

How much of this is bockmist? I don't know, but I question saying he survived cerebral malaria.

Who?

Who wrote that? Impressive if even half true.

I would have said Robert Ruark until he got into the India hunting.

It was Ruark

I kinda thought everybody would know, or guess, who wrote this. Yes, it was Ruark, penned in an article in 1965 (the year of his death) published in Playboy Magazine, entitled "Far-Out Safari." I copied it out of the book Robert Ruark -- The Lost Classics, compiled by Jim Casada.

Yes I knew Ruark killed 3 hundred pounders with Harry Selby in the Northern Frontier District (Kenya)and that he hunted with Wally Johnson in Mozambique at least 3 times.

Yup. Ruark!

He and Wally JOhnson hunted a bunch...Wally and Wally Jr even made a trip to Spain to visit Ruark at his place there.

Ruark!

"Artistic license" comes to mind. Ruark did live at a time when if you had enough time and money you could do SO much hunting in such exotic places.

Mark

Ruark definitely got things the way he wanted them: He died young, famous, and bankrupt.

Tim

quote:

Originally posted by Safari2:
I would have said Robert Ruark until he got into the India hunting.

Ruark hunted Tiger and a lot of other stuff in India. Tiger, if memory serves right, was in Madhya Pradesh (Central India).

Lived Fast & Died Realtively Young!
As much as I enjoy reading what Ruark wrote, I do not enjoy reading about him as much.
IMHO he had too many internal demons that wrecked his personal life, & that makes me sad for someone that was one of the driving forces that turned me on to Africa.

Sad thing too is Virginia, his wife, also died at 49. I think Bob ultimately regretted the divorce from her and in the end knew it. But i think he had to try to live a certain lifestyle and that led to many other problems. She sent a very sad cable when Bob died and it was clear that she was happier with him than without...

Me before my passing and reincarnation as retreever.

Mike

quote:

Originally posted by Tim Ferrall:
Ruark definitely got things the way he wanted them: He died young, famous, and bankrupt.

I can certainly think of many worse ways to go broke.

Didn't Ruard spend most of time drunk?

quote:

Originally posted by Saeed:
Didn't Ruard spend most of time drunk?

Sadly yes.

Rather pathetic life in many ways.

Richie's book about him is worth reading.

quote:

Originally posted by Saeed:
Didn't Ruard spend most of time drunk?

only after about lunch time

quote:

Originally posted by GAHUNTER:
Can anybody on here match or exceed this?

"Over the last dozen years, I have been on possibly twenty safaris. That's to say, I've hunted twice in India, once in Alaska, four times in Mozambique, once in Australia, once in New Zealand and about ten times in Uganda, Kenya and Tanganyika. I have shot three elephants of over a hundred pounds per tusk, killed a couple of lions and attended the deaths of a dozen others. I lost count on leopards -- maybe twenty -- and have no idea about buffaloes; maybe a hundred. The small game -- zebra, impala, Thomson's gazelle, Grant's gazelle, wildebeest, gerenuk, oryx, duiker - in general, must run into a thousand. I have shot three tigers, been severely mauled by a leopard, shot gaur and water buffalo, cheetah cat and chital deer, wild dogs and hyenas and guinea fowl and sand grouse and bustard and francolin (all white meat, even the legs, a lovely bird , the francolin), and I have had cerebral malaria, infectious mononucleosis, and have been poisoned by tsetse flies and maddened by mosquitoes. I have walked a thousand miles, Jeeped a hundred thousand and have rung up another hundred thousand in light planes on homemade airstrips in deep bush. I have slept in tents, as well as ron-dawels and native huts, and I have also slept on the ground in pouring rain. I have eaten elephant, snake and fried grubworms. I have drunk native beer, palm wine and a tasty mixture of blood milk, cow urine and wood ash."

Ray Atkinson?

quote:

Originally posted by Tim Ferrall:
Ruark definitely got things the way he wanted them: He died young, famous, and bankrupt.

Tim

Those are the signs of a man who had failed.

Funny thing, I love reading books on African hunting, and have a library of several hundred old books just on this subject.

But, I never managed to finish reading any of Ruarks books, as I found them rather flat if not downright boring.

quote:

Originally posted by ForrestB:

quote:

Originally posted by GAHUNTER:
Can anybody on here match or exceed this?

"Over the last dozen years, I have been on possibly twenty safaris. That's to say, I've hunted twice in India, once in Alaska, four times in Mozambique, once in Australia, once in New Zealand and about ten times in Uganda, Kenya and Tanganyika. I have shot three elephants of over a hundred pounds per tusk, killed a couple of lions and attended the deaths of a dozen others. I lost count on leopards -- maybe twenty -- and have no idea about buffaloes; maybe a hundred. The small game -- zebra, impala, Thomson's gazelle, Grant's gazelle, wildebeest, gerenuk, oryx, duiker - in general, must run into a thousand. I have shot three tigers, been severely mauled by a leopard, shot gaur and water buffalo, cheetah cat and chital deer, wild dogs and hyenas and guinea fowl and sand grouse and bustard and francolin (all white meat, even the legs, a lovely bird , the francolin), and I have had cerebral malaria, infectious mononucleosis, and have been poisoned by tsetse flies and maddened by mosquitoes. I have walked a thousand miles, Jeeped a hundred thousand and have rung up another hundred thousand in light planes on homemade airstrips in deep bush. I have slept in tents, as well as ron-dawels and native huts, and I have also slept on the ground in pouring rain. I have eaten elephant, snake and fried grubworms. I have drunk native beer, palm wine and a tasty mixture of blood milk, cow urine and wood ash."

Ray Atkinson?

quote:

Originally posted by ForrestB:

quote:

Originally posted by GAHUNTER:
Can anybody on here match or exceed this?

"Over the last dozen years, I have been on possibly twenty safaris. That's to say, I've hunted twice in India, once in Alaska, four times in Mozambique, once in Australia, once in New Zealand and about ten times in Uganda, Kenya and Tanganyika. I have shot three elephants of over a hundred pounds per tusk, killed a couple of lions and attended the deaths of a dozen others. I lost count on leopards -- maybe twenty -- and have no idea about buffaloes; maybe a hundred. The small game -- zebra, impala, Thomson's gazelle, Grant's gazelle, wildebeest, gerenuk, oryx, duiker - in general, must run into a thousand. I have shot three tigers, been severely mauled by a leopard, shot gaur and water buffalo, cheetah cat and chital deer, wild dogs and hyenas and guinea fowl and sand grouse and bustard and francolin (all white meat, even the legs, a lovely bird , the francolin), and I have had cerebral malaria, infectious mononucleosis, and have been poisoned by tsetse flies and maddened by mosquitoes. I have walked a thousand miles, Jeeped a hundred thousand and have rung up another hundred thousand in light planes on homemade airstrips in deep bush. I have slept in tents, as well as ron-dawels and native huts, and I have also slept on the ground in pouring rain. I have eaten elephant, snake and fried grubworms. I have drunk native beer, palm wine and a tasty mixture of blood milk, cow urine and wood ash."

Ray Atkinson?

Now that's funny right there!! Except that I think Ruark actually did most of what he claimed!!

I enjoy reading Ruark. He was a very good writer and is still one of the benchmarks for African writing. His book "Use Enough Gun" was the very first book that I read on Africa when I was a young teenager. My dad had purchased it through the Outdoor Life Book of the Month Club back in the late 60's. I still have that original book in my credenza at my law office. Yes, he lived a tortured life, but he set into motion many of us on the road to experiencing and enjoying Africa.

Wally Johnson on Ruark:

"His death, despite the fact we knew he was a sick man, still came as a terrible shock to us. The world lost a great character and a wonderful talent in Bob Ruark. I'll always remember his sense of humor, his practical jokes, and his kindness. A hell of a guy."

Very few will remember or care how much money he made. The hunting fraternity will remember his hunts and writing forever. Cheers "Bob"!!!

come on guys : Ray and Ruark they have only the R in common ......

Well put Medved!

quote:

Originally posted by jdollar:

quote:

Originally posted by Saeed:
Didn't Ruard spend most of time drunk?

only after about lunch time

Yes but as Churchill famously said to a lady at a dinner party when she chastised him for being drunk:

"Bessie Braddock: “Sir, you are drunk.”
Churchill: “Madam, you are ugly. In the morning, I shall be sober.”