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magnum308
.275 member


Reged: 19/05/04
Posts: 52
Loc: Brisbane, Australia
ELGIN GATES??
      #15743 - 12/06/04 12:01 PM

Hi, I'm from Brisbane, Australia and new to this forum. I got a book many years ago called "Trophy Hunter in Asia" by Elgin Gates. I was facinated by it and this trophy hunter's exploits. I understand he has also authoured "Trophy Hunter in Africa" as well. He is (or was) a facinating hunter having collected more game species than anyone else at the time and he is reputed to have opened up unhunted (by western trophy hunters) game fields in Asia and Africa. He was also a (and the youngest at the time) winner of the Weatherby Big Game Award. He is also credited with the 7th best Elephant of all time, see http://www.safaripress.com/page51.html, taken with his favourite rifle, a 300 Weatherby!!

I hear he had one of the finest trophy rooms in the US (if not the world) and he died in 1988. He sounds like a man of great passion for the sport of trophy hunting and with an unusual drive to do what he has done.

I'd like to know more about him, pictures of his trophy room (which I heard was destroyed by fire before he died) and converse with anyone who knew him or about him.

Magnum308


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____________________________________________
Life is too short to hunt with an ugly rifle


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ovis
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Reged: 26/01/03
Posts: 216
Loc: Homer, Alaska
Re: ELGIN GATES?? [Re: magnum308]
      #15758 - 12/06/04 06:27 PM

magmum308,

In the book "Spiral Horned Dreams", Terry Wieland talks about Elgin Gates and, I believe, his Mountain Nyala hunts in Ethiopia along with mention of a couple of other hunts. Very interesting man Elgiin Gates.

Joe

--------------------
"Where there's a hobble, there's hope."


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luv2safari
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Reged: 09/11/03
Posts: 1408
Loc: United States
Re: ELGIN GATES?? [Re: magnum308]
      #15813 - 14/06/04 01:55 PM

Elgin Gates was the real deal...He crossed a 20,800 foot elevation ridge in -14F winds to take a great Marco Polo back in 1959...without benefit of all our great new light weight gear and clothing.



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Hunt with Class and Classics


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Boghossian
.275 member


Reged: 23/01/04
Posts: 93
Re: ELGIN GATES?? [Re: luv2safari]
      #15851 - 16/06/04 06:37 AM

I have only read his book on African hunting, and he is (was) the real deal. Went to unhunted areas in Sudan, CAR etc and really strived for good trophies. He shot a 300 Weatherby most of the time, and I remember him shooting a crop raiding bull with what he calls the .300 Super (378 necked down to .30 sound familiar? 30-378??) but I think his biggest elephant was shot with the .378, although I may be wrong.
There is a picture of his trophy room in the book and it is truly amazing. Considering at the time you had to hunt hard for a full room, not just spend a few weeks in an exotics ranch!


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allenday
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Reged: 18/04/04
Posts: 318
Re: ELGIN GATES?? [Re: Boghossian]
      #15959 - 19/06/04 09:22 AM

Sadly, Elgin Gates' fabulous trophy room was destroyed in a tragic fire.

ADay


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magnum308
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Reged: 19/05/04
Posts: 52
Loc: Brisbane, Australia
Re: ELGIN GATES?? [Re: Boghossian]
      #19113 - 10/09/04 08:29 AM

I got his book "Trophy Hunter in Africa" from Canada. As soon as it arrived my wife snapped it for a birthday present (she held it for about a week). On the day, yesterday, I was presented with it in its orinigal packaging from Canada but gift wrapped. Can you imaging my delight when I unwrapped it to reveal a (looked like) new 1994 2nd edition volume. It now sits by a much thumbed "Trophy Hunter in Asia" by Winchester Press (I bought in the mid 70s when I ran a gunshop in Brisbane) on my bedside table. My Elgin Gates big game hunting library is now complete.

Although he hunted extensively in north and south America he has never written a book about these hunts, though he might have written some magazine articles while he was writing for Gun World and as Big Game Editor for Guns & Ammo during the 70s. So I am very interested in anyone who might have some of these articles.

Sadly, he died in 1988 at the young age of 66 from a massive heart attack. He is a giant in the big game hunting world, during a period of hunting, particularly in Africa, that can never be seen again.

Magnum308

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Life is too short to hunt with an ugly rifle


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Boghossian
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Reged: 23/01/04
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Re: ELGIN GATES?? [Re: magnum308]
      #19133 - 11/09/04 07:16 AM

Keep a napkin close when reading that book, you WILL be drooling. It is almost annoying how often he shot HUGE record size trophies. A great hunter AND writer that added to my desire to hunt anything/anywhere more than any shitty hunting video. By the way, what is your take on the kudu taken in Mozambique? I still find it hard to believe such a great hunter would need to cheat/lie!

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mickey
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Reged: 05/01/03
Posts: 4647
Loc: Pend Oreille Valley, Idaho
Re: ELGIN GATES?? [Re: Boghossian]
      #19138 - 11/09/04 02:50 PM

The kudu was mounted in Seattle by Klineburgers. Some length was added. You will never see a picture of the dead animal, only the mounted one. Many very good hunters view taking the largest of something as a mark of their ability. It is more often a mark of their luck and money.

I would have liked to meet him. My father knew him in Idaho a bit and he seems like a fascinating fellow.

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Lovu Zdar
Mick

A Man of Pleasure, Enterprise, Wit and Spirit Rare Books, Big Game Hunting, English Rifles, Fishing, Explosives, Chauvinism, Insensitivity, Public Drunkenness and Sloth, Champion of Lost and Unpopular Causes.


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DPhillips
.375 member


Reged: 09/10/03
Posts: 819
Loc: Alaska
Re: ELGIN GATES?? [Re: mickey]
      #19139 - 11/09/04 04:11 PM

I've heard a couple of different versions of the story. One was that Gates was trying to play a practical joke on his good friend Don Klien, but the picture he sent got passed around and the story spread like wildfire, getting totally out of control.

There is a picture of Gates holding the Kudu by the horns, but his hands completely cover what was suspected to be the "joint" or where the other horns were slid over the top of the animals true horns. I can't remember exactly, but thought it was taken while Gates was in the field.

I have no idea of the true story, if Gates did actually try to pull one over on all others or if it was just a joke on his good friend.


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mickey
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Reged: 05/01/03
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Loc: Pend Oreille Valley, Idaho
Re: ELGIN GATES?? [Re: DPhillips]
      #19162 - 12/09/04 01:55 PM

The picture you are referring to was posed with the mounted animal.

--------------------
Lovu Zdar
Mick

A Man of Pleasure, Enterprise, Wit and Spirit Rare Books, Big Game Hunting, English Rifles, Fishing, Explosives, Chauvinism, Insensitivity, Public Drunkenness and Sloth, Champion of Lost and Unpopular Causes.


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Boghossian
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Reged: 23/01/04
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Re: ELGIN GATES?? [Re: mickey]
      #19172 - 13/09/04 12:39 AM

Hi,
I referred to him as a 'Great hunter' not because of his record book success, but because he often went into the wildest areas instead of following the tourist hunter prescribed route of Kenya safaris with well prepared British born PHs.
He shot big trophies because he was willing to let smaller animals go, he tells of going elephant hunting with the firm intention of shooting only a 120+ lb elephant, a great feat at any time in history (weighed 180+). He also stopped shooting lions as he realised (way ahead of time) that they were more vulnerable than leopards....


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magnum308
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Reged: 19/05/04
Posts: 52
Loc: Brisbane, Australia
Re: ELGIN GATES?? [Re: magnum308]
      #175822 - 19/02/11 11:37 PM

In my previous post I stated, "...his trophy room (which I heard was destroyed by fire before he died)."

This is incorrect. I saw it on another forum and just accepted it.

Gates's son, Randy Gates, has stated (on anther forum) that the house at Newport Beach was sold to John Wayne. This is confirmed in "Great Hunters and their Trophy Rooms" Vol 3 Safari Press.

My apology for the misinformation.

--------------------
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Life is too short to hunt with an ugly rifle


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4seventy
Sponsor


Reged: 07/05/03
Posts: 2210
Loc: Queensland Australia
Re: ELGIN GATES?? [Re: magnum308]
      #176088 - 23/02/11 03:59 PM

I've owned a copy of the Asia book of EG's for a very long time, and often pick it up for a re-read. Good book.
Elgin Gates also hunted in Australia more than once.


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gryphon
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Reged: 01/01/03
Posts: 5487
Loc: Sambar ground/Victoria/Austral...
Re: ELGIN GATES?? [Re: magnum308]
      #209677 - 31/05/12 07:19 PM

This thread started in 2004...I`m continuing it a little late with this ad for a book signed by EG`s


GATES Elgin T. Trophy Hunting In Africa

1988. Amwell Press. Clifton, New Jersey. 314 pages. b/w illus from photographs bound in full green leather, gilt buffalo to upper board within ruled border. Limited to 1000 copies, this being numbered 52 signed by Elgin Gates and Jim Rikhoff contained in original green card slipcase. Gates a highly respected hunter and award winner hunts big and dangerous game + kudu, ibex, sheep etc. A fine copy published African hunting heritage collection. [16230]

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500Boswell
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Reged: 21/07/06
Posts: 1276
Loc: Queensland
Re: ELGIN GATES?? [Re: gryphon]
      #209934 - 03/06/12 09:51 AM

What did Elgin Gates do for a living ? i just finished reading Trophy Hunting in Africa ,hard to put it down ,

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mikeh416Rigby
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Reged: 24/02/03
Posts: 6051
Loc: The beautiful Oley Valley, PA....
Re: ELGIN GATES?? [Re: 500Boswell]
      #209995 - 04/06/12 01:52 AM

Quote:

What did Elgin Gates do for a living ? i just finished reading Trophy Hunting in Africa ,hard to put it down ,




I may be mistaken, but IIRC, I believe he was the largest distributor of Mercury Marine Engines in the Western U.S.


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500Boswell
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Reged: 21/07/06
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Re: ELGIN GATES?? [Re: mikeh416Rigby]
      #210043 - 04/06/12 12:13 PM

Thanks Mike

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mikeh416Rigby
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Reged: 24/02/03
Posts: 6051
Loc: The beautiful Oley Valley, PA....
Re: ELGIN GATES?? [Re: 500Boswell]
      #210057 - 04/06/12 03:10 PM

Quote:

Thanks Mike




Here's some info on him:

After Googling him and tracking hard enough you find that he was the parts service guy/partner in an outboard dealer/racing group in Seattle in 1948/49 +/-. Then Carl Kekaifer (sp) took a shine to him and let him and someone buy the Merc. Master distributorship and MONEY flowed. He had a house at Newport Beach that he sold in 1964 +/- to John Wayne when John's house in Hollywood burned and moved back to Needles Ca. I think that was home. He also had a rare coin shop in Newport. He also served in the Army Air Corp in N. Africa in WW2.

If you will check Rowland Ward records he still has some #1 and 2 heads in some of the Asia/Africa classes.


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