Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Ask The Gunwriters Capstick story

Trying to track down a story i read MANY years ago. Written by Peter Capstick it was about hunting boar in central or south America with dogs and a knife and to me anyway was absolutely hilarious!
I know some have questioned the accuracy of his memory of the facts but still my favorite author for pure hunting entertainment value.
Thanks for any help.

Seems that I remember that also.....went through some of my Capstick books, but didn’t find what I was looking for. I may have read it in a magazine! memtb

funny....I did the same......specifically a passe where he talks about getting kicked in the forehead.....had myself and my father in tear s reading it....

I never read capstick in magazines was only his books

Pretty sure I have that story . I’ll dig for it

In death in a lonely land he wrote about Baker hog hunting..not sure if that’s what you seek

I believe the book was called "Death in a Lonely Land". Unfortunately, I don't have a copy and you'd probably have to search an online used bookstore to find one.

It was probably originally a magazine article with a different name, so that might give you a lead for searching for an online version.

Good luck!

I've read a number of times that Capstick would hang out in bars with pro hunters listening to their stories. Then he'd retell them with himself in them, along with a fair amount of embellishment. I have no idea if that's true, but the end result was a good story nonetheless. He could spin a great yarn.

No matter how one cuts the cake.....Capstick was a good read....he made some great videos as well with a guy named Wilson.....great entertainment for a guy that isn't at all interested in absolute correctness.

like I said initially.....best hunting stories for ENTERTAINMENT value. No computer generated ballistics tables blah blah blah.....STORIES! STORYTELLING! ENTERTAINMENT!
We have some great educational informative instructional writers today but I don't see the story tellers....yup, like the term Spin A Great Yarn

thinking your right CZECH1022, Lonely Land, must be it cause its the one I don't seem to have!

I read/heard quite some time ago, from someone who purported to have first-hand knowledge, that a friend bumped into PHC somewhere and remarked on a vicious bruise that PHC bore. PHC purportedly responded that he'd recently been gored by an enraged rhino and was lucky to have survived the ordeal. Turns out that, in fact, PHC fell off a bar stool somewhere and bruised himself when he hit the floor.

I do not pretend to know the truth of the foregoing anecdote but, as my mom used to say, "Facts have no business getting in the way of a good story." Mom's observation is true with regard to the actual facts behind PHC's literary works, as well as the wonderfully entertaining works themselves. Irrespective of their literal truth, PHC was a gifted and entertaining storyteller.

I have about all of his books, if the stuff in them ain't true, it should of been. Gives wannabe's like me something to fantasize about!

They are fun to read, I can just see that .470 double doing it's dance. Here the old Mod. 70 in Three Seven Five as he runs the bolt, heck ya!

I can taste them sundowners, it all makes me want a smoke a cigar.

The other side of the coin is the guy who is always filming himself facing down charging animals with his clients. Can't believe he is still alive!

I have or had all his books, started reading them in Jr High, great entertainment. I’ve heard and believe due to the shear volume of incidents that he may have been an embellisher but he was a great storyteller. His G&A articles on shot size did change the way I look at shotgunning. He did a good 2 part article on buckshot too.

i have also watched most of Capstick`s firms all were very enjoyable to watch. i favorite is the big bull elephant hunt when he uses his 470 double rifle.

I have always enjoyed his books and IIRC bought most of them from The Outdoor Life Book Club. I'm about to re read one on Elephant hunting as I'm almost done with Months of the Sun by Ian Nyschens. True or fiction PHC is always entertaining as is Russell Anabel. IMHO he's the Capstick of Alaska

Hell, if you want to go hog hunting with dogs and a knife you can come down south where folks do it all the time.

My youngest son did the dog and knife hog hunt a few times. Not my bag. I'm a rifleman, not a kniferman. And around this part of Texas going out chasing dogs that are chasing hogs at night isn't particularly my cup of tea. Too many rattlesnakes and other things that bite and stick are out waiting for you at night to say nothing of 40 million thirsty mosquitoes. I don't get off on the idea of stabbing a pissed off pig either. I'm not Tarzan. In my mind guys with short Penises do stuff like that to get over their short comings, no pun intended. I do hunt hogs at night but from a blind with a rifle. Yeah Mosquitoes still harass you inside the blind but it's not near as bad as running through the grass stirring them up.

I do love Capstick though, and especially his writings about Africa. He told a story of him visiting one of his PH buddies in his African home. He noticed the couch had a big chunk of wood missing from the top of the back. When he asked his friend what had happened, his friend said one night his wife and baby were sitting on the couch after supper and he was in his nearby easy chair when he looked up and here crawling along the back of the couch was a Black Mamba only a short distance from his wife and baby. He said he had his shotgun close by his easy chair for just such occasions, so he slowly picked up the shotgun and dispached the snake taking a big plug out of the top of the couch. I always wondered if that story was BS. But like was said, whether true or not, it was a good story.

One of my favorite stories is the one about the bwana blowing up the crapper.