Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Ask The Gunwriters "Gun Writer" Backgrounds

Wow, I have been a member and poster here for several years and I just now saw this thread. I almost never come to this forum because I thought it to be a place where people hoped to get answers only from the full time gun writers that post here. I have not considered myself to be in the same class of experience and knowledge as our own John Barsness and Ken Waters or Aussiegunwriter even thought I have two published articles (WOW a whole TWO! ) Not even close enough to be mentioned in the same paragraph! Saw the thread on recoil induced concussion and opened this up to find this interesting thread. I don't mind posting up my experience as an avid hunter, hunt booking agent focused on Africa , unofficial helper on a few safari's, oft times gun show table renter and horse trader of firearms and long time gun nut with an affiinity for nice looking rifles but do not consider myself to be what one would call an 'authority' on much of anything except the depravity of man, most assuredly including yours truly, and Gods amazing grace.

Gun Writers & the rest of us:

I have started this thread 3 Xs and other threads distracted me & I forgot to finish. This week I started the 4th X and finished it.

Well, I could say too much but I promise to be reasonably short.
Some of our GWs I do not know at all and that's MY LOSS from the past. Some of you I haven't figured out. Aussie GW is NEW to me and I'm happy to know YOU and I appreciate your posts that I have read.

Let me digress about my mag. history. After Shooting Times & Peterson's Hunting went into the dumper (IMO) I didn't find other mags that interested me. I didn't stumble onto Sports Afield, heard about it here. All that figured in, I quit reading gun mags for several yrs. Part of that was due to the fact that MOST of what I saw I had ALREADY read or put into practice.

JB (MD), I vaguely remember some of your writing before I got out of the habit BUT you have EXPERIENCES and ACCESS to things that us lay shooters don't. I have come to have a GREAT APPRECIATION for you. THANKS.

Phil S., I din't know who you were HERE, but I remember your writing and I'm glad you participate.

Another of our GWs contacted me personally in a friendly way. We discussed an issue & I was humbled and honored that he would take the time to talk 1 on 1 w/me. He knows who he is. THANKS more than I can say.

We all have personalities and sometimes personalities CLASH. We have discussed other GWs that don't participate on the "fire". Of all those, 1 GW has never impressed me, then he WENT or was PIGEON holed by editors, into a genre of our sport that DOES NOT INTERST ME. That's not a bad average, 1 of how many?

Rocky R, I almost forgot. I don't know if I know you from previous writing but THANKS SO MUCH for your input and gun industry connections. I enjoy your posts and informed opinions.

THANKS GUYS, kudos! I haven't found ANY other forum NEARLY AS GOOD as the Campfire.

JWALL
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VEGETARIAN........Indian Word For Poor Hunter

I can't believe I just waded through this whole thread. Frankly, there is one gun writer whose name I will not give out that I consider a total pompous ass. I had the displeasure of talking with him and while I don't claim to know it all, I sure as hell did not like the way he talked down to me as if he was doing me a favor. I can say without hesitation that I was shooting gun while he was still rattling the bars of his crib.
Last off, I will say that he is NOT one of the people here in this site.
This is a standing offer to Mule Deer and all you other writers that if you're ever in Tucson, look me up and we can share a cup ot two (I make a really mean cup of coffee.)and if time allows, a free meal at one of our local Mexican restaraunts. There's a fantastic one just a mile from the house. I'm glad I took the time to wade through all this.
I never had the chance to talk with the likes of Keith or O'Connor but though this site I have been able to "talk" with some of you writers and I will say the pleasure is all mine.
Paul B.

I've met a number of writers and (by and large) they are decent folks if you meet them under the right circumstances. But, many times the meeting is not under the "right" circumstances:

- They may be having a bad day.
- They�ve been hassled by folks who are "always wrong and never in doubt" who tell them that they don't know what they are talking about.
- They are a at gun show as a celebrity and after shaking hand and making nice for hours, they are tired.
- Maybe, they are just cantankerous folks (but this does not affect their knowledge or experience).
- AND possibly, you are the pompous know-it-all that is irritating them!

An enjoyable thread..nice to hear about you fellows...someone ask and others may be interested about Bob Hagel's resting place..I was there this summer..it is in Gibbonville, Idaho ..as you enter the cemetery it is on that side and to the right as I remember..nearly to the end of the cemetery..his wife rests beside him, and an elk adorns his stone...one of the most unique spots I have ever visited..Also stopped by ONeil's grave in Superior, Montana..he, Keith and Hopkins had the OKH rifles...

deleted - wrong forum

Big Red... duh, say what? Did you turn left when you thot you turned right?

Maybe you're at the right church but in the wrong pew? ?

What does PF vs CRF have to do with "Gun Writer" Backgrounds?

Duh, oops. Wrong forum. Uh huh, yep. Sorry.

I visited the Gibbonsville Cemetery in 2007 and did not find bob Hegel�s grave - someone told me he was buried in Salmon (Elmer Keith is buried in Boise, I believe). I did visit the Gibbonsville "museum" in the old school house though. I'll pass through Gibbonsville in 2012 following the smokejumper reunion in Missoula and will definitely visit the cemetery again. Thanks for the update.

I remember the sign as you enter the town: "No shooting in town." Neat!

Looking for a marlin 39 century 22 lever action, anyone know where I can find one?

All I can say is thank you to all you professional gunwriters. You've made hunting and love of firearms much more enjoyable for me. I like some of your writings better than others, but together you do us sportsman proud. I remember years ago reading the writings of as writer who was one of the first to hunt with a handgun. I believe he was killed in a plane accident in Alaska. Anyone remember his name?

I just did remember his name. I have an autographed book by him. His name was Alfred J. Goerg. Wrote the first books on handgun hunting in North America.
I can't imagine not having gun and hunting writers. How else would I be able to enjoy the things I'll never get, or the places I'll never see.
Thanks again you writers.

I believe you wrote a deer hunting article in Petersons Hunting years ago titled "Yellow Number 7". One of the best I have ever read.

Hmm. Could it have been "Old Number 7"? That's the only Number 7 that rings in my memories--the 7th deer that Eileen killed, back in the late 80's. It might not have been in Petersen's, either.

This was about a deer that had been tagged at a young age and had come in and out of the writers life illuding him each year with heavy antlers (he saw it every year) and then he never saw it again around year number 10. No one had reportedly shot it.

I'm a "newbee" here, just found the site before Christmas. I've been reading Mule Deer's articles wherever I can find them for a long time, so when I found out he visits here, I knew I had found a new home. To all the other writers - thank you for your contributions, it really makes this a special place, unlike "other" forums.

Ain't that the TRUTH !! That's not a ? in the South.

And Yes we have some OTHER GREATS here too.

I 'repeat', THANKS for letting me participate.
Jerry

I believe that was Wooters who you're referring to. If not, he chronicled a buck in similar way on a lease he frequented in Texas. Anyway, in reference to backgrounds, I can attest to the fact that Spomer is a solid and stand-up guy. There's no pulling punches when it comes to the way he articulates how he feels and what he knows, that's for sure.

I didn't want to babble about myself here, and still abhor the idea, but now it looks like I hafta say something.

A number of the fellows have been asking what I've written � especially what books I've written.

Forget it!

I haven't kept track and wouldn't go back and compile a list if I knew how to do that. I've been writing since 1946, published since 1947. The dozens, possibly hundreds, of books that I've done were almost all about stuff so seriously classified that I wasn't qualified to read 'em (no "need to know") after they were published. All that I'll say here is that they covered several kinds of materi�l and techniques from outer space to deep-ocean "exploration."

I usually didn't know what agency or what ultimate use they were really for. Only lately have I learned that some of 'em, for example, were for the CIA. I don't even remember the title of one big work, the encyclopedia of biological and chemical warfare. Some of the superclassified weapons systems that I did the books for are now obsolete. One was so tightly classified that I was one of only four people on the proving ground who were privy to all the details of it � what the thing was, its target effects, how to deploy it, how to counter it, etc. Everybody there worked on it, but each group was privy to only its own rigidly compartmented mission. Not even the commanding officer was allowed to know all that we four were required to know.

My clearances have all expired, but I still consider myself under oath, so I'm not about to reveal anything that I swore not to.

So forget it.

I have always enjoyed reading John Taffin's articles. I am curious about his background and would like to learn more about his background. I understand that he is a retired teacher, but that is the extent of my knowledge about him. Has anything biographical been written about him?