DURING a hunting career spanning 68 years I’ve encountered some really difficult conditions — deep snow and ice, wet underbrush and forest canopies that drop a deluge of water. Extreme climatic and challenging weather conditions have to be contended with all over the world. You can go from extreme heat in the Northern Territory and Equatorial Africa to extreme cold in the Victoria alps and the Arctic.
Conditions that are hard on the hunter are always doubly hard on a rifle slung on the shoulder where it is exposed to the elements.
A rifle doesn’t get damaged on a foot or backpack hunt unless you tackle steep, rough country which is physically difficult; your rifle gets knocked against a rocky outcrop or you slip and fall on top of it, or ride it down a rocky slope, as I once did.
Years ago I took wood-stocked rifles all over the world to places where they never should have gone. The French walnut and fancy figured-maple handles got dented, scratched and scarred. Metal surfaces showed a lot of wear. Admittedly, the damage could be termed honourable battle scars,
