Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Ask The Gunwriters Who was not influenced by Jack or Elmer?

Jack and Outdoor Life? A lot.
Elmer? Not so much.

I started reading Outdoor Life in the barber shop in 1965. I was 7. I know that for a fact, because that was the year my home town celebrated their Centennial, and there was a lot of hoo-haw going on over the parade. Bud Scholl was my barber. He was a drummer in the local big band orchestra. The guy at the next chair was the colorful Johnny Wade. Johnny was an "artiste." He took an hour to do one head of hair, and took three smoke breaks. I had Johnny for a barber for a few years, and then started with Earl Rachel. Everyone in that shop grew an elaborate beard for the parade.

This is probably the cover of the first issue I read:




I don't remember much about Jack O'Connor at first, but I do remember discussions among the barbers and the patrons. Everyone had an opinion on 30-06 vs 270 WIN, even though Ohio was a shotgun-only state. As I remember, most guys went to Michigan to hunt deer.

We moved out in 1969, and I started getting Outdoor Life at home-- by then I was hooked. Earl moved to-- opened a store a couple of miles from our new house. I was still having him cutting my hair until about 20 years ago.