Merganser--

You're showing your age--about the same as mine--when you talk about Jason Lucas. I came from a (salt-water) fishing family, where no one hunted, and was completely enamored of Lucas and his discussions of what were, to me, the strange and exotic pike, muskellunge and freshwater bass. I bought the "big three" outdoor magazines for the angling articles, read the hunting/shooting stuff just because it was there, and found that O'Connor (along with Russel Annabel's adventure stories) wove a web that drew me toward the shooting sports.

Blessed with a father who was able to overcome my mother's basic aversion to firearms in the house (and, perhaps, looking forward to an opportunity to pass on the skills he developed and taught as a noncom in WWII), I was introduced to shooting early, learned to hunt by making all my own mistakes (actually, still learning in the same old way), and became an O'Connor fan. It was his precise, somewhat technical style (yes, he sometimes seemed "full of himself," yet didn't talk down to the reader) that made him the standout gun writer of the era, and one that, in my opinion, hasn't been equalled to this day.

In the end, what makes both O'Connor and Lucas standouts is that their writing is, essentially, timeless. They didn't pander to the latest trend, but rather gave good, sound advice that serves about as well today (update for technology, of course--the .348 is no longer readily available as a top woods rifle, nor do we use linen fishing lines) as it did when written.

I just finished reading The Art of Hunting Big Game in North America for the nth time a couple of days ago. It was like a recent visit with an old friend.

I am 30 years old and grew up in Wyoming, Arizona, New Mexico, and Montana. My dad was a federal agent and we had gunbooks galore in the house. When I turned 20 I was stationed about 3000 miles from home and dad gave me "The Rifle Book" as a gift. That was 10 years ago and I still have it. I am always on the look out for first issue JOC books.

I can remember reading those 4 or 5 JOC books we owned as a kid. There was a line about using the 7x57 and the animals that he had used it on: giant oryx in SW Africa, red sheep in Iran, and tiger in India. (I know that's not the quote exactly but I am trying to prove a point). Those lines covered most of the world in hunting. I wanted to go where he went and do what he did.

I knew as a 8 or 10 year old kid that I wanted to do what O'Conner did. I have done quite a bit, but I don't think those India hunts will ever be repeatable.

Elmer was a good story teller, hell to read. "Hell I was there", is a great book none the less.

I think Craig Boddington is the only modern active writer that has the ability to tell a store as well as JOC.

G. Sitton was great, but he doesn't write anymore.