Neal Bolton grew up in an ideal world – ideal that is for a boy who loved to hunt. Growing up a gunsmith’s son, Neal has been an avid hunter for well over 40 years. He started working in his father’s shop at a young age, mounting scopes, fitting stocks and best of all – test firing all those repaired guns - hundreds and hundreds of them. Mostly they repaired guns, but there were always many custom guns in some stage of creation. In fact, Neal still uses the 7x57 sporterized model 98 Mauser the he and his father built when Neal was 11.
“Many of my fondest memories are of working in the shop with dad. Late summer and fall were very hectic times as we worked late into the night on those last minute repairs and upgrades.
Often enough there were other guys hanging out in the shop too. Some working harder than others you see, because a gunsmith’s shop isn’t just a place for repairing or building guns: it’s also a clearing house of information. And as busy as we’d get, there was always time for storytelling.” Writing these books he says, “Has been like sitting down with some old friends.”
I’ve had the privilege to live in some of the most amazing places in the west: California, Montana and Idaho. Currently we live at the end of the road in a rural area of California’s Sierra Nevada Mountains, sharing habitat with bears, deer, bobcats, mountain lions and a great variety of other wildlife. I’ve been fortunate to be able to travel and hunt in many places throughout the west, including California, Montana, Idaho and Arizona.
Creating this Hunting Handbook series is the natural evolution of a lifetime spent hunting.
"If you are an avid hunter, great. If you are considering learning to hunt …or if it’s been a while, find an opportunity to start spending time in the field …and bring a friend or two. I’ll see you out there.”
- Neal Bolton
Our Hunting Heritage
Hunting has been a part of our human culture throughout history, yet only a small percentage of hunts were actually recorded. Most – whether successful or not – were considered a normal part of life. So much so that people thought no more of documenting them, than they would to record a trip to the corner grocery store.
Hunting was simply a part of life. However, a few hunts – perhaps some of the more memorable ones – were recorded in one form or another: on cave walls; in modern magazines; on video; …even in the Bible. And, of the many hunting stories available, some of the most interesting – and most colorful – are from this past century. Writers like Ernest Thompson Seton, Jack O’Conner, Francis Sell, …even Teddy Roosevelt, tell of hunting as an honorable and exciting activity. They speak a love of the outdoors and respect for wildlife.
But today, too much of our culture has mistakenly bought into the idea that we humans are interlopers, somehow disconnected from the natural world. This train of thought is propagated by many people who may themselves be unfamiliar with nature …and so assume that everyone else is too. Not so. True hunters are as much a part of the wilderness as a deer or bear.
