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Joined: Feb 2001
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Campfire Outfitter
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Campfire Outfitter
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I bought a copy somewhere in the early 90's Don't remember how much I paid.
Threw the dustcover away, but the book is like new. Have read it twice. GREAT book!
Wonder what it's worth?
Thanks! Virgil B.
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Campfire Tracker
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Campfire Tracker
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I have the inexpensive reprint - and the wisdom is still invaluable.
Ignorance is not confined to uneducated people.
WHO IS JOHN GALT? LIBERTY!
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Campfire Sage
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Campfire Sage
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Campfire Oracle
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Campfire Oracle
Joined: Oct 2005
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"Hell, I was There", always provided some good laughs.
In one part, Elmer talks about a riderless mule that came buckin' into town.
Everybody came out of the saloon to see what was going on.
There was a saddle on the mule and a burlap sack thrown across the back of the saddle.
Turns out, there was a golden eagle in the burlap sack and it had arched it's talons through the sack and sunk them into the flank of the mule,..causing it to pitch a fit,..naturally.
Elmer,..being Elmer, shot a couple of rounds from his revolver into the sack and sent the eagle to the choir eternal.
Some wag who hung out at the saloon decided to disinfect the mule's wounds by pouring whiskey on them.
"She sure did bray!", says Elmer.
A while later the mule's owner camp limping into town.
When the eagle took an attitude and dug its talons into the mule, the mule had dislodged its rider directly into an outgrowth of prickly pear,..and his butt was covered with its thorny splines.
They took him into the saloon,..layed him out on the pool table and began extracting the prickly pear thorns from his butt.
When they were finished,..the same saloon wag who had poured whiskey on the mules wounds walked up and poured whiskey on the guy's prickly peared ass.
Evidently,...he didn't think any more of the disinfectant procedure than they mule did.
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Joined: May 2004
Posts: 2,675
Campfire Regular
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Campfire Regular
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MIckey,
He was shooting at a wounded deer running away, about to head over a hill. The deer had been wounded by another hunter.
Looking back at the bullets they had back then versus what is available now, I can see his point regarding the .270, particularly when you realize that they made all kinds of raking shots to put an animal down. This wasn't sport hunting, this was putting up meat to survive on.
He wrote about a lot of bullet failures, stuff that we just don't see these days.
Ed Shooting at a wounded deer makes all the difference. I can't help but wonder at the shooting ability of the "old shooters" if they wounded that many deer. Truth be told, I suspect the modern shooter wounds just as many. I lost all respect for Dan Lilja when I read of them setting to shoot elk at 1000+ yards. Too many variables for wounding an animal just to be shooting. Not anti hunting but if you're going to hunt/shoot an animal you owe it to the animal and your honor to kill it as quickly and humanely as possible. You and I are on the same page on that one. Somewhere well before that you cross the line from hunting to shooting, IMO.
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Campfire Kahuna Emeritus & Campfire Outfitter
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Campfire Kahuna Emeritus & Campfire Outfitter
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Posts: 8,423 |
Elmer was one of the good buys. He surely befriended a young gunny teenager .... me Steve
"God Loves Each Of Us As If There Were Only One Of Us" Saint Augustine of Hippo - AD 397
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Campfire Oracle
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Campfire Oracle
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Joined: Aug 2003
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Campfire Ranger
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Campfire Ranger
Joined: Aug 2003
Posts: 17,491 |
While looking around at the Kalispell gun show, I happened across this book in excellent condition. It is a signed copy in mint condition with the original jacket, autographed by Elmer, himself. I paid $35.00, is that a good deal???
"Who the hell is Elmer Keith?" Perhaps that's why you got it for $35. As I recall, my copy came to me via the Outdoor Life Book Club......for a song, but unsigned, of course. GFY, the de-deflavinated version of course...(Good For You)
Sometimes, the air you 'let in'matters less than the air you 'let out'.
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Joined: Feb 2002
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Campfire 'Bwana
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Campfire 'Bwana
Joined: Feb 2002
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I loaned my copy to a friend and he lost it . Been looking for a replacement for a while. Yes it was worth it.
A Doe walks out of the woods today and says, that is the last time I'm going to do that for Two Bucks.
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Campfire Ranger
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Campfire Ranger
Joined: Nov 2003
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outstanding deal, ive seen copies like that go for upwards of $600 on a good day, $300 all week long.....seen asking prices higher but have actually seen more than one copy sold for around $600....
Last edited by rattler; 03/30/13.
A serious student of the "Armchair Safari" always looking for Africa/Asia hunting books
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Campfire Regular
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Campfire Regular
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I have 4 of Elmers books, bought each of them from him back in the 70's & he signed each one for me, the ultra rare one is Safari, very few of them ever made it to the public. Your buy for $35 is a real bargin. I still remember standing on his front porch the first time, I was shaking a bit at the thought of meeting the old master, it was very interesting visiting with him & Lorraine although she didn't say much. Her & my wife talked sewing. I remember Elmer had a re-caped Stone sheep in the front room, along with a Sable & a very large set of Elephant Ivory's, the tusks were arched over the couch. Everything else was out back in his converted garage/writing room.
Dick
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Campfire Tracker
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Campfire Tracker
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I too have the Outdoor Life book club edition. Time to read it again.
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Campfire Ranger
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Campfire Ranger
Joined: Feb 2011
Posts: 17,790 Likes: 1 |
Idaho, that is how I felt when I met Elmer for the first time..He was without a doubt a gentleman..and as honest as they come..I am certain he was a very, very bright man..As for his writing, it seems he just typed on..a few strike overs, but little if any corrections..Have some of his letters, they are gems..Also have a book of his letters, and several small books from people who knew him.. We tend to forget in this day, that hunting was not so much for trophies for Elmer, but for meat..In once case they hunted for 30 days before getting elk in the position to shoot..I can see why he favored heavy rifles..One of the old stories he tells of walking seven miles in the dark BEFORE he started hunting..Certainly a different breed of man .. As for the shot at the mulie at 600 yards..He actually fired several shots, and didn't realize until about a mth later when the started to use the buck for meat that he had hit the buck at such long range..He used his first 44 mag. with Rem. factory loads..He wanted to kill a buck with it, but wasn't having any luck..It was the last day of season and they spotted a band of deer with a nice buck...Since it was so far away, with little chance of closing the distance before quitting time he ask his pal who had a .300 H & H, to kill the deer for him for meat..Anyway, as others have said the buck was wounded and getting away before Elmer took a hand..He did succeed in hitting the buck several times at that distance..Quite an event..But we must remember Elmer praticed all his life with a handgun at long range..He was prepared.. Someone mentioned going over to Salmon..It has to be one of the most beautiful spots I have ever visited..But I am sure my admiration for Elmer has something to do with it..Great read..Hope you enjoy the book..The letters in the back are also great reading..
Molon Labe
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Campfire Outfitter
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Campfire Outfitter
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Shrap, clean out your pm box.
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Campfire Tracker
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Campfire Tracker
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There are and were legends out there that surpass Jack and Elmer,the guys that are not gunwriters but took them and others on there hunts or the everyday guy that just lived it.
Gunwriters appeal to concrete cowboys that don't live the life and belieive what they write is golden.And the legends prevail with a gift of gab..Elmer and Jack were great writers for those that like to here there experiences but the unforgotten people that took them on there hunts and taught them,remain unknown....
I no one that took Jack many times hunting and another that fed Elmer shine on his trip down the Salmon river and they both said,what they write is not what they are......
But this is the net and hero's are hero's,for those that need hero's.................Slam away..............
Jayco
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Posts: 69,275 Likes: 12
Campfire Kahuna
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Campfire Kahuna
Joined: Apr 2011
Posts: 69,275 Likes: 12 |
"Hell I Was There" is still one of my favorite books. First read it in High School, and countless times since. It's still one of the best handgun books I've ever read.
Elmer was a man's man & lived a in a life & time the rest of us can only dream about. I only wished I would have had the privelidge of meeting him. Some of you fellas are really lucky! God broke the mold when he made Elmer Keith.
"Allways speak the truth and you will never have to remember what you said before..." Sam Houston Texans, "We say Grace, We Say Mam, If You Don't Like it, We Don't Give a Damn!"
~Molɔ̀ːn Labé Skýla~
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Campfire Regular
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[/quote]Like HawkI... I, too, did some corresponding with Elmer Keith in the 1960s and found him quite literate... certainly NOT the "crude cowboy" some apparently jealous newer gun-writers attempt to make him out to be. I found him refreshing honest and forthright, but he was no man's fool and I seriously doubt that the man lied as he has so often been accused of doing concerning his 600 yard killing shots on that deer with a 6-gun so often given by some doubters as an example of an outright lie. I believe Elmer Keith was a "diamond-in-the-rough", and the man could certainly write a fine, interesting story. He seemed to me to be a very sincere and a relatively humble man in spite of his fame as one of " THE" top gun-scribes of the American 20th. century. At least, that was my "take" on Elmer Keith. Strength & Honor... Ron T. [/quote] I've seen a few letters too, and that's my take also, as well as that of the fellow who shared the letters with me. Agree on Hell I Was There, great book. My copy was not much more than $35, but it's beat up and doesn't have a signature, though I do have a 1917 with Elmer's stamp on the stock.
Last edited by chesterpulley; 03/30/13.
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Campfire Regular
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Campfire Regular
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Here's a link to Elmers write up on the 600 yard shot. he knew that he hit him a couple of times that day. Once in back of the jaw and once through the lungs. Doc http://www.handloads.com/articles/default.asp?id=34
"No free man shall ever be debarred the use of arms. The strongest reason for the people to retain the right to keep and bear arms is, as a last resort, to protect themselves against tyranny in government." Thomas Jefferson, 1776
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Campfire Sage
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Campfire Sage
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If you wanna make some real money just sign it yourself.
Travis You coming back down for another slaughter??? Absolutely. But I'm getting married this weekend. Travis
Trump being classless,tasteless and clueless as usual. Sorry, trump is a no tax payin pile of shiit. My young wife decided to play the field and had moved several dudes into my house
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Campfire Sage
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Campfire Sage
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Shrap, clean out your pm box. Pretty sure that's Rick's responsibility. Travis
Trump being classless,tasteless and clueless as usual. Sorry, trump is a no tax payin pile of shiit. My young wife decided to play the field and had moved several dudes into my house
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