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Robert Ruark, “Bwana Ndege!” the Bird Master
Make no mistake, writer Robert Ruark was a bird hunter long before he even pulled the trigger of a rifle. The shotgun was the instrument that emotionally connected Ruark when he was a young boy hunting quail, ducks, and training dogs, with his grandfather. Though he is more well known for his wild exotic hunting exploits, much…
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The Southerner’s Guide to Safari: Accommodations
As someone who has traveled to Africa, I often get asked where to stay and if bathrooms are available. This is a reasonable question, especially for those planning to travel or hunt in the remote regions of Africa. We have grown accustomed to certain comfort levels in today’s modern world. It may surprise some that even in some of the…
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South Africa Warthog Adventure
It was day four of my African safari and I had already taken three of the animals on my Most Wanted list. The only thing remaining standing between me and hunting a bushbuck was a boar warthog. I bang-flopped my blue wildebeest on Day 1 but Nic, my Professional Hunter, had me put an insurance shot in…
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Ode To A Chesapeake
I walked behind her as she drove back and forth through the milo. She worked ahead of us, moving in no real pattern, but we had a routine, her and I: She would get twenty or so yards ahead and then look back at me; I would whistle to bring her close, and…
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Fly Fishing in the Pyrenees
Brian Smith, a Bohemian adventurer, went fly fishing in the Pyrenees mountain range in Spain, inspired by Hemingway's classic novel "The Sun Also Rises."
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A Tar Heel Aboard Titanic
Twenty years ago, then North Carolina Governor Mike Easley declared November 24, 2003, Oscar Scott Woody Day. The day was set aside to honor someone that few people in North Carolina had heard of. Someone whose life probably would not have made it into the pages of history had it not been for the fateful night of…
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Sheep Hunt for a Flatlander
There in the scope of my .30/06 were the two rams we had seen two days and two mountains back: both past prime breeding age and fine trophies. As I lay there on the side of a grassy mound, I hesitated. Not only for the purpose of taking a careful shot. Many other thoughts raced through my…
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Afghanistan Duck Decoys
I deployed to Afghanistan in December of 2001 and was operating out of Bagram Airbase. Bagram was a former Soviet airbase and the scene of intense fighting as the Taliban retreated under pressure from the Northern Alliance with the help of United States Special Forces.
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A Good Day
“Come on, let’s go get in the truck,” I say as I grab Shiner’s leash. His ears perk up, and his tail wags as he rushes to beat me to the door. It’s early, probably too early for what we’re going to do. Most wouldn’t wake up at 4:00 and drive the better part of three hours…
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Gray Ghosts of Sonora
The first time I saw a mule deer trophy mount I couldn’t look away. I was awestruck by its bulk and antler mass. To my surprise the deer was from Sonora. I was mesmerized by that buck and I knew one day I had to go there.
