Phil Bourjaily

Phil Bourjaily

Shotguns Editor

Phil Bourjaily is the shotguns editor for Field & Stream. He sold his very first outdoor story—a feature about snipe hunting—to Field & Stream in 1987. He became the brand’s Midwest regional editor in 1995, and the shotgun columnist shortly thereafter. He continues to write for the website, the digital magazine, and for other outdoor publications. He lives in Iowa City, Iowa, with his wife and two German shorthaired pointers. He has two grown sons.

Highlights

  • Noted expert on firearms and bird hunting
  • Co-author of The Total Gun Manual
  • Award-winning author and TV host

Experience

Bourjaily has written for numerous shotgunning and wingshooting publications, and appeared on Field & Stream’s Gun Nuts TV show, as well as on DUTV and Clay Target Shootout, which received a Telly Award.
He enjoys writing about shotguns and all forms of wing and clay target shooting and has traveled widely to hunt upland birds, waterfowl, doves, and wild turkeys. He also enjoys teaching people to shoot, and has coached scholastic sporting clays and trapshooting.

Education

Bourjaily graduated from the University of Virginia with a major in Art History. He also met his wife, Pamela, at college, so his years in Charlottesville weren’t entirely wasted.

FS Lightning Round

Last Meal Request: Whole roast Canada goose,
Items of Clothing Without GSP Hair on Them: Very few,
Walk-up Song: “Burning Down the House” (live version),
Wishes he Had Invented: Texas rigged decoys,
Dream Job (after F&S Shotgun Editor): Postal carrier with a walking route

Notable Work

Get latest from Phil Bourjaily

30 Best Gun Dog Names

30 Best Gun Dog Names

How to Tell If a Dog Is Dehydrated

How to Tell If a Dog Is Dehydrated

The All-In-One Frankenstein Gun

The All-In-One Frankenstein Gun

Buckshot vs Birdshot

Buckshot vs Birdshot

How to Name Your Dog

How to Name Your Dog

Shotgun History: From the 1500s to Today

Shotgun History: From the 1500s to Today

Who Killed the Dryden Buck?

Who Killed the Dryden Buck?

28 Gauge vs. 20 Gauge: Which Sub-Gauge is Better?
English Lab vs. American Lab

English Lab vs. American Lab

10 Gauge vs 12 Gauge: Do Waterfowlers Really Need 10 Gauges?
Pattern a Shotgun: How to Dial In Your Choke and Load Before the Season
A Few Words in Favor of Ugly Guns

A Few Words in Favor of Ugly Guns