Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Ask The Gunwriters The Big Book of Big Game Hunting

Geno,

Glad you're liking it! Good luck with the new bookshelf.

Oddly enough, contrary to what some people believe, over the past three years there's been a drop in sales of electronic books and an increase in the sales of traditional "paper" books, despite the "inconvenience" of turning pages and building bookcases. One reason has been suggested by reader surveys: Many people look at computer (and other) screens during most of the day on their jobs. As a result, when not working they prefer to relax with an actual book, rather than staring at yet another illuminated screen. (Of course, this doesn't apply to those who prefer to stare at their smart phone rather than look at any other part of the world.)

Been enjoying mine. Even realized I was wearing my rifle looney hat while reading it the other day

Thanks for an inspiration!

As an option, we could offer one of those tiny clip-on "headlamps" for our Rifle Loony hats, so people could read late at night in hunting camp, without disturbing their snoring buddies.

Hence a land line and, as my brother calls them, an Amish phone. Black. Flip it open, make your call, flip it shut, stuff it in your pocket. Done. And, back to reading a book or magazine.

I'm going to have to remember "Amish phone"!

That's exactly what I have. We first tried cell phones here around 2000, and the only places that weren't "dead zones" were the local so-called big towns, one 32 miles away and the other 70. I could sometimes get semi-connected from our house by standing on the back porch, which wasn't pleasant during blizzards and caused several misunderstandings.

Around 2009 a cell tower went up about dozen miles north of here, and after confirming we now had cell-sercive I bought a flip-phone at Wal-Mart for $14.99. Have been using it ever since, even though it doesn't take photos and texting is about as slow as an Amish Corvette. Tracfone service (which works just about everywhere in the Lower 48 a call phone can be used) costs just about $100 a year.

I have enjoyed this book very much. The story about Easterner moving West (and others thinking about doing so) hits a little too close to home for this DC-area reader.

Glad you're liking the book. Hope "Becoming Western" didn't offend you.... :-)

No offense taken. I may just need to cancel my cowboy hat order.

As I noted in the book, most working cowboys wear baseball caps....

That's what I was referring to:)

John,

Got my copy and am reading along in the evenings. I will echo all the praise you are receiving for TBBBGH, and add that there aren't any whitetail in California as you surmised. Well, there was one in the San Diego zoo, but it passed on years ago I suppose.

The inserts tucked into the book were useful as I called Eileen and ordered two old cookbooks to complete my collection of her cooking work. I did not know people collect cookbooks until I read about one in the Wall Street Journal, and that motivated me.

jim

The only person I can think of that wears a cowboy hat day in and day out is my aunt's husband who happens to be from the U.K. Several years ago he decided to raise minature mules for sale. He drove all over the state buying brood stock. It was several months before anyone broke it to him that two mules don't make more mules

My order was placed.

gotsarock,

Some baseball-style caps are more western than others, among them a "King Ropes" hat from their store in Sheridan, Wyoming. But I have known a few western hunters who wear "Rifle Loony" hats as well. (Of course, I've also known a few hunters who wear Rifle loony hats east of the Mississippi, and even in Africa.)

Skatchewan,

Your book's going out this afternoon. I just saw Eileen filling out the form for mailing it across the medicine line. Thanks!

Thanks John. I'll file that away for future reference. Can I get by with a Stormy Kromer?

Yes indeed. In fact many Montana hunters wear Kromers, or Kromer-clones.

Among many other hunting hats I have a genuine Kromer, given to me some years ago by a friend from Wisconsin, who has since moved on to the big hunting camp in the sky. I wear it in colder weather every fall, usually in November and December.

Remembered that my Kromer appears in the book, on pages 32 and 178! Both deer were taken west of the Mississippi....

After enjoying JB's last book, I ordered The Big Book of Big Game Hunting last week so it's on the way; I'm looking forward to reading it .
Once I'm done reading it, it will join it's predecessor next to my two Finn Agaard and several JOC books; pretty decent company I think.

StarchedCover

I had no idea what kind of hat you guys were talking about, even living on the east side of the Mississippi, so I looked it up. Pretty fashionable.