Sportsman writers top notch but aging

A couple of months ago, I received an email from a reader who was interested in writing for South Carolina Sportsman. He said he felt like most of our articles were well-written, but he questioned the overall field knowledge of our writing staff.

I was absolutely stunned. I look at the freelance writers who produce most of our articles and columns from the other end of the spectrum. I doubt we have any Robert Ruark’s in our pages, but I can doggone sure guarantee that individually and as a whole, they absolutely know what they’re talking about. I can safely say that few groups of outdoor writers contributing to one publication have more time in the field under their belts.

Without naming names, here’s a little background on some of the writers who produce stories for the magazine. They include:

• A dog trainer who has had numerous field-trial winners;

• A recently retired wildlife biologist;

• A full-time wildlife biologist and forester;

• A part-time freshwater fishing guide;

• A manager of a private hunting plantation;

• A trapper for the USDA’s Wildlife Services division;

• An instructor in fly-tying, survival skills and woodsmanship;

• A frequent fly-fishing clinician;

• A retired upland game/Orvis fly-fishing guide;

• A Bassmaster Classic champ and Bass Angler of the Year;

• A former Southern Kingfish Association angler of the year.

I feel like a bookworm desk jockey compared to most of them. What I do remember, however, was what a newspaper editor who hired me as his outdoors editor back in 1985 said. He told me it mattered less what I knew about hunting and fishing than who I knew. In other words, let the experts do the talking. That’s one thing mentioned in a set of guidelines each prospective writer gets when he or she inquires about the magazine. Except in columns, no one weighs in with only their own experiences.

That’s not to say that we’re ever satisfied; we are constantly on the lookout for new blood. Quite a few members of the previously mentioned group are into their 60s and beyond, and several more have left 55 behind. And the normal proving grounds for outdoor writers — the sports section of your local newspaper — no longer has the room or the funds to cover hunting and fishing. In short, there’s no longer a “farm system” where outdoor writers can be groomed.

My boss and I talked a while back about how and where we’re going to find the next generation of outdoor writers, the guys who will replace the graybeards among us. Frankly, neither of us had a good answer. Fewer and fewer jobs in this field are full-time; the future seems to point to writers from other fields who want to supplement their primarily income by writing about hunting and fishing. There will be no shortage of opportunities. The main requirements: a love for the outdoors and the ability to tell a story. Come find us.