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I enjoy Eastman's. The stories are all by the hunters, about their hunts.

Writing quality varies - some hunters write well - others don't. But they're from the gut. These are stories that the guys toiling up the slopes, spending hours and hours glassing, moving camp after disappointment, and finally making a killing shot on big game tell. They're worth reading.

It's not the quality of writing we expect from polished writers, but it's full of good stories from good guys and gals who put it all together out in the hills and tagged their game. Yeah, I like Eastman's.

Heck, sometimes they hardly even mention the rifle, scope or load used. Kind of refreshing.

FWIW, Guy

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My thanks to you all.

You want those kinds of stories back? Bombard the magazines and newspapers with your wants. Be relentless. Kidnap their first born. Threaten to take out alternative citizenship. Write letters. Emails don't get the job done. Do what the city boys do: be a pain on their Facebook pages and threaten the advertisers that you will stop wearing pastels.

Write the publisher, then write the editor. Stop watching hunting television. Stop buying Japanese made pickups! (I just bought a Ford F150 SCab).


Safe Shooting!
Steve Redgwell
www.303british.com

Get your facts first, then you can distort them as you please. - Mark Twain
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Steve, that was great!

Part of the reason I switched from trying to write as a career to writing for my own enjoyment is precisely this. No one wanted to spend money on character development anymore. Nobody seemed to care about working a plot line. I do not think it was the readers, but it certainly was the editors. Even good non-fiction should have these things-- especially non-fiction if you are going to give an accurate portrayal. Mule Deer's right; it's become all about the cargo and not the trip.

I was thinking about McManus the other day. That is about all I miss of Outdoor Life since I gave up my subscription over the Zumbo fiasco. I always wanted to write more like him. Somebody wrote me the other day and said he thought I wrote like him, and it made my day

It matter a whit if you're shooting 30 WSM or 30-06, but if you can catch your guide slyly telling the other guy he's a doofus, and the other guy is too dense to pick up on it-- that's almost better than nailing any deer. Painting that picture and giving it honorable treatment is where it's at. At least it is for me.

As to McManus, he was the one thing I miss about Outdoor Life since I gave up my life-long subscription over the Zumbo incident. I always wanted to write like him. Somebody, the other day, wrote me and said I reminded him of McManus. I wrote back that he'd made my day. It does not match Steve's piece about his Grandfather, but here's something that might have caught me trying to channel McManus:

O.D. and Playing the Wind

I've decided to chronicle my doings with my neighbors, O.T. O.D., and O.P. and the others here in the Trans-Bluegrass. Kentucky is the land of 4 million people and 5 last names. In our county, the deer probably outnumber the people 2:1.









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Thanks Steve. That's exactly what I was asking about!


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You know Shaman,you have some pretty good stuff on your website, I like it. keep up the good work.

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Thanks folks. A couple other things. Don't just write one letter. Write often, and don't stop. Get friends to do the same. For many months. Twice a month. Communicate. Do it often. Do not stop.

Remember Miracle on 34th Street? I'm thinking about the court case where thousands of letters to the post office are dumped on the judge's desk. The judge declares Kris Kringle to be the real Santa Claus. He wasn't going to dispute the post office. Volume wins!

Write the advertisers. For many months. Twice a month. And your friends too. Get your kid's class to write. Name drop. Tell them it's too bad that the folksy and/or funny stories have disappeared.

But do it with real paper, not just emails. It's actually easy. Write the email. Save the email. Print it. Make it look like a properly written letter and mail it.

Name drop. If you remember Gramps and the kid going bird hunting with an 870, tell Remington. For many months. Twice a month. And your friends too.

Remember, all the big companies are ruled by old, fat white guys who only care about money. If you can convince them that people will spend their money after reading things like this, they'll change.

It won't happen overnight. When it does happen, continue to write them. Tell the boardroom how great it is to read stuff like that. Stroke their egos.

Above all, bombard them with paper letters just as much as emails.

Where did I put my anti-psychotic meds again?


Safe Shooting!
Steve Redgwell
www.303british.com

Get your facts first, then you can distort them as you please. - Mark Twain
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Steve, you have a rare gift. Thank you for the telling.

Dan


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Concerning the difference between man and the jackass: some observers hold that there isn't any. But this wrongs the jackass. -Twain


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Thanks T-zoner for putting your finger right on it and Steve Redgwell for giving a prime example of it. Conscious of it or not I think we all need to be part of this, the hunt ,the experiences shared and the camadrie of it all in the field. Techno geek articles leave me without the feeling of being there with the teller way to many times. We've all seen a few posts so well done about hunts we will never make, that we felt we were actually along on. Sheep hunts, bear hunts Mackay's 12 yo daughter doe deer hunts and Northern Dave's deer camp. These are the tales we relate too and can appreciate.. Magnum _Man

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Alas, the fact is that Ernest Hemingway, Robert Ruark, nor William Shakespere himself, couldn't sell a "Me and Joe" piece these days. Also, trying sell a piece on anything - from gigging frogs to building a thermonuclear bomb - that is longer than1200-1500 words, would drive a Baptist preacher to drink. It matters not what the readers want to read, it is what the publishers/advertising guys/gals want to publish. There are a couple exceptions, but not many. That is a major reason why most of the outdoor magazines these days suck big time. I am really glad that I am in the twilight of my career and not trying to start out.

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Steve,
That article really touched me. Thanks so much!
dae

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Get the Ted Trueblood Hunting Treasury. Even the instructional chapters (actually articles) are told in an artful storytelling kind of way. I am reading it now, and every chapter is an absolute treat. They just don't write many articles like that anymore.

I will say that grabbing and reading old outdoor magazines is fun, but some of the writing is bland, uninspiring, and sounds like ad copy. This is similar to today's magazines, although I agree with John that the article as an infomercial concept has gotten worse.

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I think Ed Zern would starve today. It's sad that we've lost the humor and fascination with the sport and trekked out of wild places and into the realm of expensive gadgets. frown


Hunt with Class and Classics

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Acquit v. t. To render a judgment in a murder case in San Francisco... EQUAL, adj. As bad as something else. Ambrose Bierce “The Devil's Dictionary”







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Originally Posted by tsquare
Alas, the fact is that Ernest Hemingway, Robert Ruark, nor William Shakespere himself, couldn't sell a "Me and Joe" piece these days. Also, trying sell a piece on anything - from gigging frogs to building a thermonuclear bomb - that is longer than1200-1500 words, would drive a Baptist preacher to drink. It matters not what the readers want to read, it is what the publishers/advertising guys/gals want to publish. There are a couple exceptions, but not many. That is a major reason why most of the outdoor magazines these days suck big time. I am really glad that I am in the twilight of my career and not trying to start out.


More's the pity. I doubt the average internet user could maintain focus for more than 6-8 paragraphs today.

We have devolved into the age of "ICS" as it relates to hunting/shooting today...tactICS, ballistICS. There are even ICS to help you hear in the woods and keep you in a scent-free zone but l forget the names.

Hunters today seem to want this stuff. They are a grim and determined bunch....camo clad, running through the woods staving off wolves with high tech bows and treating the experience like a tactical maneuver instead of a recreational experience. Judging from the advertisements.

I am not sure they are enjoying themselves...they never smile. This machismo must appeal to someone because they sre selling lots of stuff.

Older magazines showed tired beat up huntrrs s ith simple gear but who smiled and looked happy enjoying the experience.

How you can be happy on a mountain with a 13# rufle and all the stuff you have to carry to keep with all the ICS is beyond me.

I can't imagine many of these guys sitting through The Road To Tinkertown


but maybe they could .

Last edited by BobinNH; 10/29/14.



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One reason for no hunting stories is there are no stories. I went to MY land and carefully snuck in so I wouldnt move deer to someone else. I stood in a stand for three days and shot a deer that came to my baitpile. The end. So much hunting has become about the gear, my land and ME the stories have died. Sorry for my early AM cynicism!!!










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Nice story Steve

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This isn't going to come out exactly how I mean it but I don't know how else to say it. To go along with Bobinnh's post, equipment has become more important than knowing how to hunt.




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Originally Posted by Dillonbuck


One reason for no hunting stories is there are no stories. I went to MY land and carefully snuck in so I wouldnt move deer to someone else. I stood in a stand for three days and shot a deer that came to my baitpile. The end. So much hunting has become about the gear, my land and ME the stories have died. Sorry for my early AM cynicism!!!




Leave out the baitpile, and you pretty much have my hunting season. I am not going to argue that after 13 years it could all run together, but a good part of why I write is to keep it from doing so. 13 years on the same land can be a bore, but it also open up possibilities.

For instance, I am now hunting the great-great-great grand kids of the deer I first hunted in 2001. Over time, you begin to see patterns. I grew up the son of an apartment landlord. The idea of hunting and eating the tenants and their progeny with impunity is something my father could only dream of. I am living that dream.

There was raising the kids. The whole idea of getting this place was so that the kids would not grow up as suburban mall rats. I have succeeded. My youngest is hunting as an adult for the first time this year. I now have a grandchild coming on line. I am already planning her yute gun.

Most important to me, has been the evolution of our deer camp. It isn't about just hunting. All my old hunting buddies died off 30 years ago, and I set out to start over and make my own camp, filled with my own progeny. It took 30 years and two wives, but I got there. My stories are the pay-off.

As to the style of hunting you describe, I could not agree more. Things change. I hunt in an extremely . . .

. . . oops gotta run. More later.




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The how to hunt story with a Joe and I are the ones I liked. Fur fish and game still has those, sometimes.

I enjoy the more pragmatic articles on loading and shooting, but the "better gun" articles aren't in that vien. Most of the true things I learn about firearms these days are from people who love what they do, and are old and wise - not much of them left either.

I guess you can tell I don't get as many trade rags as I used too, one more friggin article on the evil black rifle.... Vs. creating a legacy buy inspiring anyone to hunt.

This year I took a buddy and kids Pdog hunting, and we've going after elk here this next week thanks to some help of fellow fire members. I'm also helping a guy at work learn how to deer hunt. That is a heck of a lot funnier than reading about new gun. SO as part of the training there are NO go read this magazine recommendations.

Yes, I work overtime and don't have as much down time as I'd like to hunt, which tends to only leave enough time to research gear and shop a bit, but that doesn't keep me coming back to the articles now does it. Seems everyone is after the fast buck, vs. long term value these days - gotta love bank investors.

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We tend to rehash these observations every once in a while. Here are a few jumbled thoughts about our brave new world.

The way humans communicate and learn has changed. The days of waiting for a monthly magazine to arrive in the mailbox are pretty much gone. Searching online is the norm now. Instant gratification is the thing.We don't rely on paper magazines anymore to show off new products or check out reviews. More's the pity.

I just bought a new truck. Before the purchase, I searched the Internets and read the online reviews. I looked at pix. I went to several forums for personal experiences. It dawned on me after a couple of days that I should actually go to the car lots, touch some, sit in them and form my own impressions.

Online opinions? I could read about pickups, but had to be very careful. I did not know or trust the people that wrote them. Opinions are like a$$holes, everybody's got one. Virtually every new vehicle smells nice and thoughts about someone's new ride is almost always glowing. In other words, not very helpful.

The same goes with rifles. Rather than rely on a bunch of online reviews posted by strangers, try going to the gun shop. Pick one up and work the action. Fondle it. Ask some questions. Gather your own evidence and form your opinion based on personal experience. You can supplement what you've learned with online experiences.

Trust has to be earned, and is based in large part on observations formed over a long period of time. We used to have that with writers whose work we read every month for years. To a lesser degree, newspaper columnists who wrote about the outdoors. They have less influence these days.

I never rely on a handful of opinions, good or bad, that are gleaned from the Interwebs. Much of the online chatter about products is regurgitated by people who read about it somewhere else. They go to another forum and re-post it to sound knowledgable, but what do they really know? Good Lord, do you trust them?

Years ago, we read a handful of writers and valued their opinions. We were not overloaded with technical information, glitzy pics, satellite delivered hunting shows or bombarded with thoughts posted by "Internets experts". Once upon a time, we had to wait. The upside to waiting for a monthly magazine was that you had a while to think on things before you took out your wallet.

I know, we didn't have much of a choice, and I'm not saying the online experience is all bad. The trick is to find a balance. I like the animation and videos posted about new products. Being able to read industry news or communicate easily with others is nice. Still, you have to be careful. Unfortunately, one of the casualties of the new reality is the loss of reliable, knowledgable people whose words we can trust.

The computer is just another tool to gather opinions. The Internets can be valuable, but should never be the only place to look and learn. Get out of your chair!

That's the way life and learning has shifted. People want instant info and get it from the Net. People are less inclined to read magazines. Cute or funny stories about the outdoors have a tough time finding an outlet. People want more video and less of the written word. Show me the vid! If they want entertainment, they have youtube, Netflix or satellite television.

I offer a belated welcome to the new reality.

[Linked Image]

"In a different reality, I could have called you friend...�


Safe Shooting!
Steve Redgwell
www.303british.com

Get your facts first, then you can distort them as you please. - Mark Twain
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OK. I'm back.

Things change. I hunt in an extremely condensed environment-- lots of deer and lots of hunters. On the Opener, I may hear 3 shot strings per minute for the first 4 hours. My parcel of land is 200 acres. Around me, there plots of 18 to 300 acres. I figure there is 1 hunter per 4 acres on average. There are also a lot of deer. We are in Zone 1, which means take as many doe as you want, but just one buck per year. Safety alone dictates that you are careful where and how you move during season.

My point in bringing this up is that this is the reality of deer hunting, at least in my part of the world. It probably does not sell magazines, but what I write is an honest portrayal.

With that number of hunters and that many deer. We also have to be careful with how we use the property. Most of my neighbors ( I call them the Orange Army) mount up on ATV's and ride everywhere. My crew walks, and we use a 4X4 pickup judiciously. About 9 AM the Orange Army cranks hops on their ATV and rides out for coffee and that is when our hunting really cranks up.

I'm explaining all this, because that is what the "Me and Joe" story has morphed into on our ridge. There is not a whole lot of tech involved, unless you want to discuss which bullet out of a 30-06 kills a deer inside 50 yards. Innovation? We haul the deer back to camp and gut head-up. Why? Because it is the fastest we found and we have to get our deer out to the processor before his cooler fills up. Strategy? In a nutshell: Make your resident doe happy and then use them for bait during the rut. After the rut, top off the freezer with pampered doe.

Exotic? No. However, it is fun and exciting for me and mine, and I love writing about it.




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