Elmer revisited.

[tom black]

Yesterday I had a chance to re-read some of Elmer Keith's book "Big Game Hunting" and was amazed at how things have changed over the years. He sort of complains about Alaskan guides making $15 a day and this was in 1937. And talks of going to Alaska for 1-2 months to bear hunt. I can't imagine being able to take off work for that long to hunt. Can you imagine what a hunt like that would cost in todays dollars? He talks of hunting with Winchester Model 86's and Model 95's in 405 WCF. His suggestions for gear was pretty neat. I mean compared to all the camo crap and water proof stuff we have today plus all the freeze dried food. Not to mention all of our hi-tech guns, huge scopes and heat seeking bullets that the manufacturers tell us we can't go into the woods without. It was a pretty interesting read. This old world will never see the likes of Elmer or Jack O'Connor again.
Tom Black

 

[CraigC]

This old world will never see the likes of Elmer or Jack O'Connor again.

Ain't that the truth! Though I think we've had it pretty good with John Taffin, Ross Seyfried and Brian Pearce plus a few others. Times have certainly changed but we don't have to, if we so choose. I have an unmeasurable amount of disdain for camo, the latest belted magnums, stainless synthetic rifles with big scopes and all the rest of the crap they market to us these days. Were I to go on a bear hunt tomorrow, I'd just install the peep sight I've got for my late model Winchester 1895 .405WCF, load up some Woodleigh soft points and head to the airport. :wink:

 

[Hammerdown77]

Did the Indians wear camo?

I always like seeing these guys in $1000 worth of camo made out of space age material, then wearing a BRIGHT orange vest and cap over them that can be seen from low earth orbit...

 

[CraigC]

I always like seeing these guys in $1000 worth of camo made out of space age material, then wearing a BRIGHT orange vest and cap over them that can be seen from low earth orbit...

Do they just never stop to think about what they're doing???

One of the best articles I ever read about hunting attire was by Seyfried. He basically said to leave the cotton at home. Use silk for your drawers and wool for everything else. I found that you can replace a lot of cotton and synthetic clothing with just a wool coat and sweater.

 

[Chief 101]

Did the Indians wear camo?

As a matter of fact they did. Usually in the form of a hide imitating a non threatening critter like a deerhide. They didn't have to bother with the ninja-turtles, or other hunters shooting at them from long range by accident. Their prey was very close range anyhows, at least till close to the 20th century when the white guys invaded.

 

[TiteGroups]

Take a lever gun in the woods around here and people would laugh at you, only an "Idiot" in their minds would hunt with anything less than the most expensive and trendy rifle that they can put on their credit card. Hunting is more of a fashion than function. "Did you see my new $1500 pair of binoculars? Water proof to 330ft." Great, why don't you just go away.

 

[tom black]

I still hand gun hunt some but about the only thing I hunt with any more are my obsolete Winchester lever actions or my flintlocks. I am eye ball deep in 1770's reinacting and last November I killed a doe with one of my flintlocks and took her out here to the Amish butcher shop. I killed her while dressed out in my 18th century clothes and normally I stop by the house and change into my jeans and shirt before going out there but this time I wore them to the butcher shop. There were 4 camo clad deer killers in the office when I walked in and one of them says, "And I thought the Amish dressed funny." After a few minutes one of them comes over and asked me if I really did kill deer while dressed like this. I assured him that I did and almost reverently goes "Wow!" IMHO todays hunting shows are sending the wrong message to new hunters. I am very old fashioned in my hunting and for the life of me I don't know how anyone can call a compound or a inline a primitive weapon. But to each his own.
Tom Black

 

[texaswheelgunner]

How 'bout all the "tactical" stuff we can't do without? If I see another product come out with "tactical" on it, I'll take a "tactical" c***.

 

[Chuckbuster]

Compound Bow = "ALD"

Arrow Launching Device

 

[TiteGroups]

How 'bout all the "tactical" stuff we can't do without? If I see another product come out with "tactical" on it, I'll take a "tactical" c***.

I'm with ya on that, I own a few plastic guns and that's enough. Kinda like new cars, pretty much look all the same anymore. Give me some wheelguns so I don't have to chase my dented up brass. Life seemed simpler and less stressful before the advent of cell phones, I personally don't feel it has added much to my quality of life, quite the opposite.

 

[Rainman]

I had the opportunity to see Elmer Keith in person when the NRA annual meeting was in Atlanta many, many years ago. He was quite a character! If you haven't read his "Hell, I Was There" book, it's a classic. It will make you envious of what he experienced compared to today.

I agree with you guys, my two deer rifles of choice are a Marlin 1894 (Davidson's special) in 44-40 and a pre 64 Winchester 94 in 30-30. I've gone the race gun route before but prefer the old stuff anyday.

Dan

 

[don44]

I hunt mostly with handguns and muzzleloaders any more.I just love being out in the woods and trying to get close enough to the prey and nature.

 

[EarlFH]

Did the Indians wear camo?

I always like seeing these guys in $1000 worth of camo made out of space age material, then wearing a BRIGHT orange vest and cap over them that can be seen from low earth orbit...

Fortunately the game is color blind, and see everything in shades of gray.

EarlFH

 

[pastorp]

Tom, you hunt in period clothing with a flinter but have your deer processed for you?

Regards, Byron

 

[CraigC]

Hey, there ain't nothing more "period-correct" than the Amish! :wink:

Life seemed simpler and less stressful before the advent of cell phones, I personally don't feel it has added much to my quality of life, quite the opposite.

I agree. While most treat them as toys and can't seem to keep their hands off them, I see them as a necessary evil in my line of work. I would certainly live without one if I could. `Course, like most things, it wouldn't be as bad if people were more considerate in their use.

 

[Pinecone]

Duck hunting story. Invited our squadron commander (a major) to go duck hunting with us back around 1970 when I was stationed at Loring AFB in Maine. When we showed up to pick him up, he was dressed in "BRIGHT RED" from head to toe! Well it took us about five minutes to stop laughing, (of course he took it well) and then we invited him back into his house to put on some olive drab "fatigues" which would suffice for a lack of "camo". All in all we had a good day duck hunting and "he" even shot a few ducks!................................Dick :wink:

 

[Lazy R]

My favorite thing along this line is on the TV hunting shows, the guy wearing head to toe camo, even a camo wallet (just in case), and they climb into a big square wooden tree house with a little slit in the side where they stick their 7 mag out and watch for deer to come into the feed plot. :lol:

I mean, come on, what is that. I'd rather see some schmuck like myself on TV trudging 15 miles in the badlands and shooting a 3x4 muley at 300 yards then almost die trying to pack it out.

 

[Yosemite Sam]

The ones that crack me up are the turkey hunters. Now, I realize not every area in the US is like here, and I imagine hunting the suckers is harder than local conditions might indicate, but really. Tree stands, camo, face paint, masks, all for the wily T-bird. Around here we have to sweep them off the stoop with a broom, and they're nearly as dumb as the domesticated ones. They certainly don't require any stealth to "stalk". More like reach out and grab one by the neck. The town next to mine almost voted them a nuisance species a couple of years ago, as they were getting into parking lots and pooping all over the place, like geese elsewhere.

Of course, there was similar back in the mountains of Colorado, about a week after the end of Elk season, here would come a herd of 25-50 Wapiti walking across highway 20 in Woodland Park. Almost every year, like clockwork. For my friends who just drove back from clear across the state, where they had camped in the snow for a week and came back empty handed, it wasn't quite as funny...

-- Sam

 

[TiteGroups]

Just marketing, got to do something with all those channels. Look what "American Chopper" did for the bike industry. See it, buy it.

 

[Tommy Kelly]

I think we all realize the err in our ways when we get older. I used to want the biggest baddest rifles made for whitetail deer. Now I use 30-30's and handguns for most of my deer hunting.

 

[tom black]

Pastorp,
Yes I know that sounds strange but my little blue eyed wife draws the line on the smelly, bloody deer meat being cut up in our kitchen back when I did the butchering. But then she'll eat the fried tenderloin like shes starving. Beats me.
Tom Black

 

[pastorp]

Oh, well that explaines it then............My wife won't even eat the deer meat.

Regards, Byron

 

[David LaPell]

I remember watching my grandfather go out in the woods with just a red flannel shirt and a pair of green pants that were as old as he was and come back with a deer. I think we have seen a desire with the ammo and gun companies to make the biggest and baddest cartridges the world can possibly see.
I killed my first deer in 1999 (late bloomer) with a .30-30, it dropped like a stone. I have no desire to own a handgun chambered in anything bigger than a .44 Magnum even though yes I know the .454, .460, and .500 can do the job, I see no reason to. I was in a gun shop the other day drooling over a sporterized .30-40 Krag rifle that has been overlooked by nearly everyone else imagining where that gun has been and what it has possibly seen. I love it when I can take out my .22 Hornet and whack a coyote or woodchuck when these guys bring out the noisiest possible cannons that blow the animal into smithereens and waste more powder and scare off everything in the countryside. I think the old timers like Elmer had it right. You don't need the biggest and the baddest to get the job done. Why kill a whitetail with the biggest uber magnum when the .30-30 has been doing it for over 100 years? Here's to you Elmer, Skeeter, and the rest that we will never see the likes of again.