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Thank you sir.

Experience with your previous books makes me fully convinced that the book is worth the $32, but I had to ask.


Order No. 9233 on the way.

Just received mine in the mail today. Have only read a couple of chapters so far. Well worth the money!

Thanks for another good read John.

Regards, Guy

Agreed this is an excellent read.

Then again there are many excellent reads as this one is and some not so good as this one is not. I couldn't say this is a better read than Elmer Keith but I can sure say that if you are paying attention you will learn a lot more from this book. Maybe there's more recent material brought more quickly to market than we see from traditional publishers.

I'd say what the new or inexperienced might learn is different from what I to my sorrow observe - though there is useful material for all of us. Nobody today should take Elmer Keith's comments on bullets literally. I think we can all take Mr. Barsness on bullets literally and should. Inspiring as it can be to read classic works from classic writers the lessons of say Shots at Whitetails are seldom directly applicable.

But what I am reminded of most is that as ever the times they a'changing. Speaking of access, long ago I got access to land because as the landowner said: my cousin married your father's older sister that's close enough to hunt family land. All those people and many more have left the range.

It's been a long time, maybe 20 years, since Mike Venturino did a column in Guns where he wrote it was too late for an eastern boy like him to move west and get the access he got that allowed him to make his career.

This is a great snap shot of hunting (and shooting gear) as it is in the second decade of the 21st century either as a guide or as a memoir.

Looks like the power of suggestion is...well, powerful. Just ordered it myself and bought into Rifle Loony News, too. I know John's book will be great, I have several already. But RLN is great, too. Glad I sprung for it!

Order Number:
9269

Look forward to reading it.

Mine arrived yesterday! It will be read and reread many times. Great job as usual, John.

I received my copy on Monday. I am taking my time reading it. It is full of insight.

I am learning a lot about hunting in places that I used to dream of hunting but now know I never will. If I do get one special hunt, I learned that a hunt in Africa might be the most value and that I would not need another rifle for the game I would seek..

The chapters on muskox and pronghorn brought back memories of my one trip out West to Wyoming in 1972. That alone was worth the price. I needed to be reminded of what a surprised pronghorn looks like at fairly close range through a 4x Leupold, head down, shoulder muscles working to propel him at speeds where a 30/06 was not fast enough.

I have now finished The Big Book of Big Game Hunting. After reading the last chapter, I now feel that John Barsness is a friend of mine, even though I have absolutely no justification for such a statement.

That's very nice to hear! Thanks.

I finished reading my copy shortly after midnight and enjoyed it.

Your friend, "Young Eli", shooting farm ground whitetails from the driver's seat of his pickup, see page 374, reminded me of my FIL punching the majority of his Nebraska whitetail tags in the same way. He was sure to wear his orange vest and hat and to have the engine turned off before he squeezed the trigger so that he'd be legal. A procession of COs tried to catch him breaking the rules, but they never did and I think that he enjoyed frustrating them in their cat and mouse game. His rule for deer hunting was that you shouldn't shoot a deer that you couldn't drive a pickup to unless was a trophy worthy of hanging on somebody's wall.

I particularly liked Chapter 33 and applaud you for giving Francis Sell credit for his understudy rifle philosophy.

Am ordering my copy this morning.

I liked the book so much that I ordered 5 copys for five hunting buddies.

It's a great book and my buddies can use all the help they can get!!

Actually, they are highly skilled hunters who will very much appreciate the book.

Steve

Steve,

And thanks very much!

One comment we received is that many experienced hunters find it entertaining....

Though today we got a (very nice) letter from a customer who mistakenly ordered THE BIG BOOK OF GUN GACK. He sent a very funny letter about his mistake, along with a check for the big game book.

But he already had a copy of GACK, so Eileen said to just send the second GACK back (ain't that poetry?). In the meantime we'd send a copy of the new book--and tear up his check. We both understand "old timer's disease"....

Just ordered a copy John. I am looking forward to it.

"September in the Selous" - what a chapter!

It's a well founded feeling.

I am enjoying this book as much as anything else that John has written. At this point, if he wrote a Puch moped manual I would likely buy it...

Just placed my order! (9758) Looking forward to this one.

Mike

revorg,

That's one of the most unusual, yet very appreciated, reviews any of my books has received--though I do admit Googling "Puch moped" to find out exactly what you were talking about. Thanks!

Might quote you on our site, or elsewhere--but will probably include a photo of a Puch just so people know what it is.

Started reading mine and was swept-away by the Introduction "Window Seat" - a particularly elegant and evocative piece - on how a hunter views the landscape; tinged with an echo of Ortega y Gasset but with a more pleasing flow of words. Excellent writing and in less than a week while busy visiting my son, read that part three times because I enjoyed it so much.

I've read several other chapters as well and enjoyed them and learned much. p.s. I know what a Puch moped is (yes I'm even older than John!)