If it shoots or can be shot, Jim Carmichel has a wealth of knowledge about it. Here are 10 timeless Carmichel quotes that prove that point.

Jim Carmichel, former shooting editor of Outdoor Life, is universally known for his wit and wisdom. If it shoots or can be shot, Carmichel knows more about it than most could learn in ten lifetimes.

Thankfully, he’s a river of knowledge and not a reservoir unto himself. Through countless articles, Jim has shared his insights with the masses in what can only be described as truly creative writing.

Here are ten quotes from Classic Carmichel to prove that point.

“A man moving through this snarl of vegetation would have to fight for every step, but to a bull moose it was no more than lawn grass. As I watched, a second bull, nearly as big as the first, came plowing through the dense bramble as easily as a whale parts the seas.”

— “The Land of Giants”

“I want it . . . every bit of it. I want the hide tanned with the head on. If I can’t get it inside my house, I’ll leave it outside to scare away stray dogs and peddlers.”

— “The Eyes of Death,” when asked what he wanted to do with his crocodile

“To my mind, the invention of the bird dog is all the grander because it is the result of of many generations of humanity sharing a dream no less inspiring than those of the great artists, writers, and bridge builders. Even as we marvel at ourselves for piercing the heavens, spanning great waters, and creating worldwide communications, what other invention can we lay claim to that finds a quail with breathtaking precision, brings it to our hand, faithfully trusts and tolerates us in spite of what we are, and asks only in return the pleasure of our company, a scratch on his ear, and a murmured, ‘Well done, old boy.'”

— “Marvelous Creations”

“Some years ago, when I was a member of a panel discussion on gun collecting, someone in the audience asked me if I ever regretted selling any of my guns. ‘Sure,’ I said, ‘every one of them.'”

— “Guns as Investments”

“Dog snobs are friendly enough, but they can be a nuisance if you let them. The worst sort are those who are convinced that everyone loves their dog(s) as much as they do and share their delight when the unleashed beasts careen across the club grounds like predatory wolves, while they themselves alternately shout and blow their whistles until their faces flame like radishes.”

— “How to be a Shotgun Snob”

“The next morning, filled to the brim with eggs, bacon, and hotcakes, we saddled up and headed toward one of the major canyons leading into the Grand Canyon. . . . The gently rolling, juniper-dotted hills and knolls seemed to go on forever. Deer don’t hide here, I thought, they just get so lost no one can find them.“

— “Canyonland Trophy”

“Is this how it feels to die? I asked myself, opening my eyes for a moment to watch crystal bits of heaven do a ballet in the Alaskan night. . . . If I die here, will they name this mountain after me? I wondered. Not bad, Mount Carmichel—a place where wild sheep live. Better than Carmichel Street or Carmichelville.”

— “The Saga of the White Ram”

“His eyes are always on you, and you know that he knows exactly how he’s going to kill you. Loud snarls hiss at you like high-charged static, and at the moment he reaches for you, the world switches into slow motion. Clawing, ripping death becomes a slowly danced pantomime.”

— “When a Lion Comes to Kill You”

“Weighing close to a ton and born with a vengeful nature, the Cape buffalo has a well-earned reputation for being able to absorb a magazine full of thumb-sized bullets and still have enough meanness left to grind his adversary into the ground.”

— “The Great Buffalo Con Job”

“The recoil of heavy-caliber rifles has been described as a ‘push.’ With a .700 Nitro, such a silly description doesn’t apply unless having a 130-pound sandbag dropped on you can be called a push. There was also a momentary impression that my nose and jaw were no longer in alignment.”

— “The Day I Shot the .700 Express”

Classic Carmichel features nearly 400 pages of hunting adventures and firearms expertise by Jim Carmichel, widely acknowledged as one of the foremost experts on sporting arms.

Carmichel’s exploits and prowess had no equal during what is arguably the Golden Age of international hunting and shooting. These are not just stories by a well-traveled adventurer—they are pure literature, written with a style and eloquence that deserve inclusion in any collection of great outdoor books and writers. The big 9 x 10½-inch book will feature more than a hundred never-before-published photographs. Shop Now