Being creative with facts is fine as long as it is well done, and Mr Lake does it well. I assure you I was not complaining. Artistic license is important in writing as well as telling tales around the campfire. I believe it was Ruark who wrote the telling about it was just about as important as the event. In fact it was OK to lie shamelessly afterwards. If it was not for good story telling by others , I would probably have spent my life ball room dancing and playing bridge instead of adventuring around the world.
I would have participated in these comments earlier, but was busy delivering serum by dog sled during a blizzard to Inuits beyond the Arctic circle when my lead dog died. But that's another story.

To Amflyer: Nope, not Jeff Cooper. That story was told me by a fellow named Bob Zwirz, long departed.

To Huntslow: Are you sure I was referred to SD, and not BC? If so, that is simply a case of failing memory. Permit me do quote Walt Whitman: "Do I contradict myself? So be it. I encompass millions."

To Longhunter: Louis spent his army career fighting exhibitions at Army camps in the U.S., but as far as I know he never went overseas. I believe he is the greatest heavyweight of all time, and the second greatest fighter of all time just behind Sugar Ray Robinson.

Lee Marvin (actor), Warren Spahn (baseball LHP), Bob Feller (RHP), Ted Williams (the last guy to hit over .400), James Stewart (actor). They all fought in WW2, and by that I mean fought. Maybe not all of them were exposed to gunfire, but that was by sheer luck, they all served in combat assignments. Bob Feller was so angry after Pearl Harbor he enlisted at first opportunity. Jimmy Stewart may look gentle and like he couldn't harm a fly, but he flew bombing sorties over Nazi Germany and was decorated for his service. Ted Williams, after hesitating initially, served his country twice, the 2nd time as a fighter jet jock. There is no prouder, freer American than the Splendid Splinter, and he used that freedom well, he "chose" to serve.

There is another boxing story from WW2. When Tony Zale, who was Zaleski in real life, enlisted in the Navy, the enlisting officer noted that he was a boxer and said you're going to have some company, they say Tony Zale is going to enlist, too, and he's a great, tough fighter. Zale, who shunned the spotlight, must be grinning inside when he heard that.

Dave: Joe Louis sighned up for the Army in 1942 and did box while he was in the service. Is it possible that the gun writer had met him during that period of time? Just a thought as I will readily admit that I do not know where he was stationed. Joe was a true American, courageous, humble and a great fighter. It would have indeed been a priviledge to spar with him.

Jersey Joe Walcott appeared to have underachieved because most of the time he was hungry. Like literally, one meal in a week or something at the worst. Those were hard times, and even harder for black folk, even those with athletic ability, because major league football and baseball were still closed to them, and boxing was the only pro sport where they could play to white audiences. Few invested in him early in his career because he often appeared to be taking it easy. He was merely conserving energy.

Jersey Joe was hired for a week to spar with a young but bright prospect named Joe Louis while the latter prepared to face a German named Max Schmelling, and according to the story, he was fired after he dropped Louis twice. Jersey Joe would recount later that Louis was easy to hit and predicted the German would win. Schmelling knocked Louis out, capitalizing on Louis' tendency to drop his left arm after a jab. To be fair, Joe Louis did win the rematch in less than one round.

When Jersey Joe finally faced Joe Louis in a competitive fight, he so dominated the fight, knocking Louis down twice, that Joe Louis was already on his way down the ring, knowing he'd lost. The judges gave Louis the victory. Again, Louis did better in the rematch, knocking Jersey Joe out.

Jersey Joe was also leading Rocky Marciano until Rocky hit him with that right hand in the 13th, leaving him trapped on the ropes like a fly on a spider's web, according to one sportswriter.

Jersey Joe had hard luck.

George Foreman was never counted out in The Rumble In The Jungle. The fight is on DVD, so it's easy to verify this. He was up by the count of nine, but the referee, perhaps sensing the crowd was already celebrating an Ali victory, and that Ali's entourage was already going up the ring, pushed Foreman to the corner and waved the fight off. Bert Sugar thinks Foreman was beaten mentally, which was why he didn't protest. He should have been allowed to continue.

Don't get me wrong, Ali-Frazier III was the first thing I ever watched on TV, and I admire Ali as a boxer. Ali's main fault as a boxer was that he never learned to slip and duck punches. He relied on his legs in the 60's. In the 70's, when he could no longer move away fast enough, he relied on his arms and chin. But what an amazing chin! Foreman said he could see Ali getting glassy-eyed, going to sleep, everytime he hit him with those monster punches, then seconds later, Ali would wake up and taunt him again. For all of the praises heaped on his genius, it was Ali's physical gifts that made him great. And his pride.

But he got away with a lot of bad stuff, those decision victories over Norton and Jimmy Young. He ducked Doug Jones, after Jones made him look bad (Ali still won). But worse are the things out of the ring that he got away with, especially his racist taunting of Joe Frazier, who by all accounts, was a genuinely good man. That "Ali boomaye" (Ali, kill him!) chant by the crowd in Zaire wasn't spontaneous, days before the fight, he asked the locals for the words for the phrase, then encouraged them to shout it.

I wonder why the black community never censured Ali for his racial abuse on opponents, quite the opposite, they worshipped him and condemned those he ridiculed as Uncle Toms. I can only guess that they didn't want to destroy their bigger-than-life hero. Can you imagine any athlete today getting away with calling his competitor "gorilla"?

You have to admit those earlier writers got the attention of wide-eyed 13 yr. olds, like me. Russell Annabel made me want to hit the high trail to Alaska and become a trapper. The 1984 Jack O'Connor book "The Last Book- Confessions of a Gun Editor" goes into more detail about what Mr. Petzal talks about here.

You writers for this magazine exhibit an uncommon level of truthful journalism. That's why I waste so much time on this site. I learn something new all the time here.
As for my favorite lie.. "I'm from the government and I'm here to help."

Whatever happened to ethics in print and broadcast journalism? With biased reporting rampant, with special interest viewpoints the norm, was it any wonder people grew more skeptical. When was the last time you saw a "reporter" give you "just the facts" of a story? In my opinion, if you took the combined sense of ethics of some of our larger broadcast networks and newspapers, rolled them into a ball and shoved said ball up the fundament of a gnat, it would rattle like a BB in a boxcar. When an outdoor writer "stretched the truth" or "exagerated" somewhat, was it done to be entertaining? Or was it done to advertise and/or promote a product or service?

When we read stories by Corey Ford or Patrick McManus, we did so to be entertained. When you write an article, Dave, or broadcast a segment on The Gun Nuts, you are educational as well as entertaining. The real problem may be that not everyone was brought up or educated to respect the truth the way you were.

God help me, that should be "I referred," and "to quote."

Unless the writer is talking about a product endorsement or historic event a little poetic license is allowed. As long as the story is within reason and entertaining who cares if the shot is 500 or 700 yards. If anything it will start a debate and sell the writer's next publication. I think most Raconteurs follow the last line of The Man Who Shot Liberty Valence "when it comes to printing the truth or the legend, print the legend".

Davidpetzal,
Cannot imagine a race like that would work, think of the harsh climate and isolation. For example when my noble husky died in his gallant effort I had a terrible logistical problem getting flowers for his bereaved ----- mother.

Davepetzal,
Our comments on writers reminded me of an experience of a few years ago. I had loaned to a. Friend my copy , The Book. of The Rifle, by Jim Carmichel and it was not returned. A few years later at SCI Convention I dropped by a booth, asking if they had a copy. They indicated they had one second hand copy available, but it was full of hand writing, front, back and in the margins, so gave it to me for a few bucks. Later examination showed an inscription from Mr Carmichel to his friend George Hoffman, the African hunter and writer. The interesting interior notes were both critical and complimentary, giving the appearance he was planning a long letter to Mr Carmichel. Wonder if he did so before his death.

Actually, this post would have been much more interesting had it included a picture of Megan Fox...

these are facts. when i read an article written by David Petzal, i believe it to be true. on the other hand, i have not believed anything that has come from the government since Ronald Regan left office. it is a sad country that can believe the people who write about sports, but can not believe ANYTHING that their government tells them.

If that don't beat all. Wondered what happened to ol' Bob. He wrote for Gun World? or was it Guns. I met him at the 1979? NRA convention in KCMO. Same day I met Elmer.
Dave, is it Gen. Billy Mitchell? Been there just not sure if I can remember. Arlington is an awesome place full of my heroes.

Why was I thinking of Elmer Kieth? I think O'Connor was mainly honest but I do remember him saying something about hitting running deer from around 200 yards.

The greatest was Muhammad Ali. End of discussion.

I'm so glad you're being truthful but I never suspected any BS..... I'm especially glad that my 'breeding' just finally improved!!! :-)

Dr. Ralph,

Muhammad Ali(then still Cassius Clay)'s wide-eyed, loud claim "I must be the greatest!", part of his now famous "I shocked the world" post fight "speech" after stopping Sonny Liston, was essentially mirrored by Mike Tyson after the latter defeated Trevor Berbick. I would chalk it up to exuberance of youth, in both cases. Ali would not become the greatest until the 1970's, when he finally faced fighters his own size who also edged him in power (Ken Norton and Foreman) and still overcame them when nearly all of his 1960's foot speed was gone. When he could no longer backpedal away from punches, he absorbed them.

I agree that Ali was the greatest heavyweight, but maintain that Sugar Ray Robinson was the greatest fighter of all time, regardless of weight division.

As for the "best" heavyweight, Larry Holmes had a stiffer jab than Ali, and not only could Larry block Ali's jab, but he could counter it with a quick right hand that Ali often didn't see coming. And that was when they were still sparring partners, in Ali's early 1970's condition, that is, post-incarceration but before the effects of Parkinson's, so still in good shape. Ali had more charisma and grace, and Holmes often looked like a craftsman next to Ali's artist, but Holmes technically, in my opinion was better.

To O Garcia: Watch films of the young Joe Louis and you will see a virtually perfect prizefighter, without Ali's flaws. At any rate, here's a Tony Zale story.

In 1955, when the movie Somebody Up There Likes Me (the story of Rocky Graziano) was being filmed, Paul Newman played Graziano, and in the scene where he fights Tony Zale for the middleweight championship, Zale played himself. As they got in the ring, Newman took one look at the expression on Zale's face and said, "F*** this, that guy wants to kill me," and got out of the ring. Finally, the director managed to convince Zale that he didn't have to beat Paul Newman to death, and the show went on.

Fight Game: Louis the best. Really showed courage and skill after loosing to The German. Ali IMO was the best tactician and strategist as was shown in his Forman match. Leonard probably best all around boxer in his prime. Still can’t believe he beat Hagler.

I think that Joe Louis was the greatest heavyweight of all time and could have taken Ali prime vs prime. Sugar Ray Robinson thought so and even said that the often over-looked Jersey Joe Walcott would have given him issues. Larry Holmes was another great but never received his due after Alis reign. Sugar Ray Robinson was the best pound for pound and I though that after him Roberto Duran was amazingly talented. Boxing, I am sorry to say seems to have lost much of the charm that it used to have.

MReeder- You used SHOTGUNS?? How very unsporting of you. Ducking, jumping, twisting cottontails out of the back of a pickup with .22s is the way to practice. At night, of course. Gotta keep those little rascals in the headlights to get a shot. Anything but head shots is frowned upon, and considered city slicker stuff.
For long range practice, jacks and armadillos out on the mesquite flats just at sundown are the way to go. With a .222. 'Dillers are never still. A few second pause is a long time. Jacks are about the same, but tend to sit for a few seconds after moving. Behind a prickly pear, or mesquite bush, of course.

I am of the opinion that the truth is whatever you believe it to be. Even in this day and age when information is so readily available, it doesn't me that the information is good or reliable. One person may say that they have seen a mountain lion, an government internet source may say mountain lions were extirpated several years ago and do not exist in the state, and a trail camera photo of a mountain lion circulating through people's email may state that the photo was taken in the nearby area. Which source of information do you believe? There's nothing wrong with a healthy dose of skepticism, but there are times when people think the actual truth is a complete lie and cannot be convinced otherwise.

Boxing is hardly a gentlemanly sport, not much different from MMA and WWF in its heyday. Off to mowing the back forty.

DEP,
Now that is classic Ed Zern!

Then Dave, you must be a charter member of the Madison Avenue Rod and Gun Club.Thanks for the info.

To Happy Miles: I can ask Jim the next time I see him. A military historian of my acquaintance told me that one of the worst things that had happened to libraries was computer indexes. The old card files, he said, contained generations of notes scribbled on them by researchers that were often very valuable. "This book is generally accurate, but his account of the Battle of Blood River contains serious in accuracies."

That sort of thing. Have you ever been to Ishandlwana?

Being sort of a history buff, have also visited the sites of Rorke's Drift, and Blood River.

Pack your bag. June 12 leave for Cameroon's deep jungle after Forest Sitatunga. Most folks get one in 3-4 days, this will be my third attempt for this elusive critter. If, on my way, I survive downtown Douala the jungle should be a piece of cake.

The_UTP beat me to it - the lies have all moved en masse to reality TV (in all areas of it, not just hunting).

DP said: " When was the last time someone from the government, or from a corporation, or the military, or from the news media, said something and you flat-out believed it?"

Maybe not the government, corporations, military or news, but have the NRA say something and most posters here will cling to it like flies on you know what! LOL

Douglas, Have you read an article by Bob Marshall? Full of mistruths, half truths, with plenty of BS to fill in the space between what he wants everyone to believe! Then again there are plenty of people here that DP described in his article that just take his words as facts.