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With Mrs. Wootters’ blessing, we’re bringing selected works of John Wootters together in a new Gun Tales book. Now you can have John Wootters back in your hands—and help make sure his work stays there for the next generation. A lot of things had to fall into place for a project like this to leave the runway—especially in a world of trademarks, intellectual property law, and an infinite number of people determined to make a few more bucks. But as we progressed through the research phase of this seemingly impossible publishing endeavor, we discovered something familiar—the gun writing community is full of incredible people. It all started because Shane remembered a conversation from long ago, when Mrs. Wootters remarked that she's always wanted to publish a book to preserve John's legacy. Up that point, her hopes had been dashed as several publishing companies tried and failed to provide a pathway to the book she hoped for. After the success of Gun Tales: Volume 1, we saw an opportunity to make her dream become reality, and Shane contacted Mrs. Wootters. With her blessing, we quickly found that the folks at Petersen's Hunting magazine and the West Kerr Current were as excited as we were. With their permission to republish the famous writings of John Wootters, a book was born. —Matt Before I got in the writing business, there were four established writers that I really enjoyed reading. They were Elmer Keith, Skeeter Skelton, Bill Jordan...and John Wootters. I met John in the 1990s when he invited me to write up a Ruger .44 Special that had been done for Skeeter and now belonged to John. We became friends from the get-go and John became something of a mentor to me, opening a lot of doors for me in the writing business. John was an intelligent man who took hunting and the writing craft very seriously. But he was also a man who enjoyed life and the friends that he made along the way. He was the source of great outdoor/hunting knowledge and he was also just a hoot to be in camp with. He was my friend and I miss him. Gunwriters who are remembered well long after they depart from this world are a fortunate lot. These men made their mark on the literary outdoors world because they knew what they were writing about. They lived it. Men who had been there, done that. They also wrote with informative and entertaining prose that made the reader feel like he was right there beside them during their adventures. Many of these men were pioneers in various facets of the gun world. John Wootters was a forerunner in today’s widespread practice now known as Modern Whitetail Deer Management. His extremely popular book, Hunting Trophy Deer, helped spark the whitetail craze that sends anxious hunters to the brushy thickets each fall in search of mature white-tailed bucks. Wootters was a great storyteller, accomplished big game hunter, handloader, handgunner, and by all accounts, a good man. Mrs. Wootters has afforded us a treasured opportunity to pay tribute to her late husband. We’ve been granted permission to reprint some of John Wootters’ best writing in book form. His articles are timeless. We are excited to share with you a variety of topics, and we’ll travel from the prickly pear flats of south Texas to the wait-a-bit thorns of the Dark Continent. Get ready, boys. This is going to be fun! If you liked Gun Tales: Volume 1... ⭐Rediscover Wootters' unforgettable stories, practical wisdom, sharp opinions, and unmistakable wit, gathered into one 275-page book ⭐ 22 classic articles from the pages of Petersen’s Hunting ⭐ Real adventures from a lifetime in the field—from dangerous Alaskan moose hunts to rogue bulls along the Rio Grande ⭐ Dozens of rare, reconstructed photographs—now in full color.

by Jim Wilson The kind of gun I have in mind is one that a friend of mine up in Idaho called the Perfect Packing Pistol. Skeeter Skelton often called it a Woods Gun. And I just call it a usin’ gun. A fellow who lives in rural settings often puts a gun on in the morning without knowing what it will be called on to take care of that particular day. He may have to use it to dispose of sick or injured livestock. He may get a shot at that chicken-stealing coyote. Or he may have to protect himself from dangerous animals or equally dangerous people. He never knows what the day may bring and there will rarely be time to run back to the house to get a special gun.

by Fermin Garza I was friends with Rob Leahy for a long time before we finally met in person. We often spoke by phone where I discovered he had a great sense of humor. That worked great for me because I love pulling his leg. Sometimes I worry because I can get him laughing so hard he might actually break a rib. I always admired Rob and his business model. He works very hard to build the best possible product that fits in your budget. He is also a huge supporter of our troops and especially our Wounded Warriors. Keep that in mind when shopping for a new rig.