Alright OL forum folks, it is time to stir up the writers. If you could pick one OL writer to hunt/fish with who would it be and

[Happy Myles]

Land-cruiser,
If my unreliable memory serves me correctly, Jack O'Connor was an atheist. You may have to adventurously broaden your hunting horizons. Kindest Regards

[Kody]

So, the Captain is trying to stir up some trouble..as one who frequently makes inflammatory comments I am just the guy to join in this discussion. First of all, I must discount the Captain's choice of Gayne Young. No offence Gayne but you Texans stick up for one another no matter what. Perhaps you are the guy but his selection is prejudiced by his Texan conditioning and is fundamentally flawed. Besides, it would be unfair to others in your hunting party as you guys speak a different language than the rest of us.
Charlie Elk, I hear you my friend but I suspect you can walk any of these fellows into the ground regardless of those aging knees. I know that I would try to do just that no matter how much Advil it took!
With all respect to Jack O'Connor and the Jim Corbetts of this world I will choose my hunting companion from the living.
I am going with John T.... not because he is practically begging for a place in the running. No, I am not taking pity on John T., I have money riding on this guy's judgement. I bought the Sig 3000 Patrol Rifle based on his recommendation. (If it shoots poorly I may have to withdraw my vote.) His videos are good and he seems alright to me. In addition, if I happen to accidently insult someone in one of your Southern drinking establishments John appears to be a big guy so I have factored that into my choice.

[Kody]

Opps! I am really sorry John T but I looked back at the videos that had got my attention and... you are not the guy. His name is John 'Snow'. Damn, I give you a vote of confidence (with some reservations) only to take it from you. John Snow is my choice. My reasons are as previously stated but being a Canadian I am particularly impressed with his good humor while shooting in cold condition. John Snow please assure John T. that he would be welcome to come along. Try to console the poor guy as he seems like the sensitive type.
Thank you to Charlie Elk for including me in his hunting adventure back to Alaska. As you must recall I lived for years in Alaska. Most thoughtful of you, if only as something imagined.

[the captain]

Alright Kody, I understand that you are still miffed as Canada is not as big as Texas (nobody bother fact-checking that as I assure you it is true). You need not discriminate against Gayne with such vigour (see I can place an unnecessary letter "u" in a word as well).
Good pick with Snow. I would still love to get in a hunt with you and Charlie Elk.... and McKean could even come along if he wanted.

[charlie elk]

Gotha love that inflated TX ego it even dwarfs the land mass of TX. But as you request I'll avoid fact checking that. Popping that ego would most likely cause a terrible windstorm.
later,
charlie

[Kody]

Now you have done it Captain. You went looking for trouble and guess What! The Editors are probably bickering over who is best. John T is mad at me and I blame you for that as well. You have aroused Charlie Elk from that deep sleep well before folks in his vicinity are prepared to be awakened. You are stealing 'vowels' that have no business being abused that far south of the border.
I am not sure how comfortable I would be hunting with fellows with genuine credentials like the Outdoor Life Editors. Like most hunters I talk a better hunt than the real thing... in this way the hunt just gets better with time and the retelling. A guy should feel free to take a few liberties when telling a hunting story without being professionally critiqued. It is real pleasure to have a hunting friend who like yourself is gullible enough to accept most of what you say as gospel. It is a quality of which most wives are lacking, mine takes delight in questioning every embellishment of a story. Great, now I have offended the wives out there....I blame you for that too Captain.

[DSMbirddog]

No one wants to hunt with Pat McManus? Maybe I'm a glutton for punishment but I think it would be a great time!

[the captain]

Oh no! I have incurred the ire of Kody. Watch out folks, you know how terrible the wrath of the dreaded Canadians is... eh!
DSM, I was concentrating on current writers, but I would love to hunt or fish with McManus. I think I own all of his books, to include his instructional writing pieces.

[HuntingEditor]

Shoka - I'm still waiting for that preferential treatment... Ok, I'm gonna give you guys the inside scoop, the pros and cons of the whole OL crew:

- John Snow: Pros: As Shooting Editor, he will shoot the lights out of any game inside 1,000 yards. Cons: And also the guts, the rump, and the backstrap...

- John Taranto: Pros: As Gear Editor, JT brings the snazziest gadgets. Cons: It's hell on his morale outhunting him equipped with a 1981 frame pack, Red Wing boots, and Carhartt jacket.

- Gerry Bethge: Pros: Some of us run to the next hunt. Gerry walks, and then outhunts the rest of us combined. Cons: He also fills the rest of our bag limits combined.

- Alex Robinson: Pros: Energetic, dedicated, and hungry. Cons: Having to loan him your 1981 frame pack, Red Wing boots, and Carhartt jacket because he didn't bring any of his own gear. And loaning him all your jerky because he's, well, hungry.

- Natalie Krebs: And introducing our newest OL editor. She's so new that she hasn't started yet, but you'll soon see Natalie's byline in the magazine (you already see it on this site). She's the best hunter, the sharpest shot, and the best campfire bullslinger of the bunch!

So there you go. Now you can pick your hunting partner based on reality, not rank speculation...

-mckean

[Kody]

Dear Captain,
Looking back over the posts I see that you initially chose to hunt with Gayne. Since then you have express an interest in having Freel, McKean,Kody (me), Charlie Elk, Snow, McManus and a tenderfoot named J Carlin as potential members of the hunt. I know old habits die hard Captain but you are choosing a hunting party not assembling a platoon. Yes, we will all be carrying firearms but in this particular mission there is not necessarily safety in numbers. I envisioned a nice SUV cruising to the field with a fine hotel waiting at the end of each hunting day. You keep this up and we will be bouncing down the road in an old school bus and issued sleeping bags and canvas mats at day's end.
John Snow! McKean's comments are not exacting an endorsement for you, would you care to reply?

[charlie elk]

Well the inside scoop explains why Gerry never got to WI with Ray Eye for our Spring Chasing turkey hunt, apparently they're still walking.
I was surprised at how many writers were not on the inside scoop so I'll choose from the given list. My pick based reality is still Andrew McKean. In the new world of the specie specialist hunters he is still a generalist, if hunt is in the description he is ready for it. He enjoys the hunt for the sake of hunt. An added plus he uses a lot of the same gear I have just maybe not as worn out as mine. So McKean it is and for his preferential treatment I'll buy some extra gear and food for Alex to keep him energetic for packing out game McKean and I kill. If memory serves McKean can break down an animal fast, so can I so maybe we'll compete to see who's quicker. Alex you better make sure you have your track shoes to keep up packing out our cut meat.
I can come West or you can come here or we can meet in the middle. I'm a generalist too and just happen to have an excellent bird dog who can turkey hunt too. if it's big game bow, xbow, ML, rifle or handgun work for me.
Hope you were serious about this being reality and not just rank speculation.
later,
charlie

[charlie elk]

To the trouble making -the captain and kody the Canadian who has difficulty spelling, a warning; Listen for your phones to ring, now that charlie is awakened from his slumber; Answer if you dare one day it will be charlie challenging you guys to plan a hunt.
later,
charlie

[jcarlin]

A Great White Hunter I am not, but even in the good spirit it was offered, I'll balk at the tenderfoot label.(Might not mean I don't deserve it.) I hunt deer and small game, fish, camp, backpack, kayak, heat predominantly with wood I split with a maul, and keep small livestock. A cowboy hat would be a silly pretention, admittedly.
It's time and money to devote more time to hunting while balancing work and family that I lack. That being said, if I have 4 hours to myself, you'll find me in the woods or on the water, not on a golf course. I still look with some small wisp of envy at folks from the plains states and big mountains who have hunting opportunities and experience that I just don't, but not so much to leave my roots entirely behind.

[Gary Devine]

My dream is to bear hunt in Alaska so I pick all the Outdoor Life writers who live in the last frontier state.

[charlie elk]

jcarlin, You brought back memories of being where you are with family and precious little time to hunt in the "backyard" let alone travel out of state. Keep the goal and work towards it, the kids will grow up, you'll have more time and yes money too.
It's not so much about becoming the "Great White Hunter" as it is loving the hunt and then hunting whenever and wherever you get the chance. Keeping my goal of hunting in sight I have reached the point with employment were I can work hard in the off seasons then take off considerable time during seasons. You seem like a hunter who can do it too. My advice- keep the goal in sight, steadily put one foot in front of other moving towards achievement or whatever your satisfaction is.
I post about my hunting successes here and on other blogs including my own which may give the impression I am a better hunter than most. This in my humble opinion is not the case rather it is because I get to spend more time afield. Trust me on this; all the same unlucky stuff that happens to others happens to me. The difference in some cases? I have time to hunt more so that maybe next time the opportunity won't be whiffed. I suspect this is true for the outdoor pros too.
later,
charlie