Name and birthplace?
Born 12th March 1943. Named Norman Edward Mitchell, but always known as Ted or Teddy.
When did you first start hunting?
I suppose it was when I stalked and shot the family dog with a bow and arrow at around 9 years of age. Then at age 14 years I bought my first rifle, a Slazenger .22 from the local corner shop and that was it: I was firmly hooked from then onwards and now I’m still just as bad at age 72.
What are your three favorite species to hunt?
My three favorite species are wild boar, deer, then the next place is hard to pick from scrub bulls and buffalo or wild dogs. Really I enjoy every species I hunt nearly as much as each other – and that even includes rabbits and foxes.
What’s your favorite hunting technique?
Stalking very slowly when chasing pigs, buffalo or scrub bulls in likely country. For deer and wild dogs a slow stalk to a good vantage spot where I can sit quietly and glass a large area. Sitting patiently and watching often works far better than stumbling around leaving scent all over the place.
What’s your favorite hunting destination?
The Northern Territory and Cape York are my favorite destinations. I enjoyed hunting in Africa and New Zealand, but would still rather do my hunting here in Australia.
Tell us about the top three favorite firearms that you own (or bows).
My favorite firearm is the one I designed and had made myself, the .358 Mitchell express. With it I have taken many wild scrub bulls and buffalo and also many wild boars and deer. Lately I just like to hunt everything with that rifle. The other top two rifles I own and love to hunt with are my .300 Weatherby Magnum and my .257 Weatherby Magnum. All my rifles wear Swarovski scopes as having one blind eye I need the very best in optics and find them the very best in my humble opinion. Before my accidents and injuries I always loved to shoot a longbow and shot just about every species of game in Australia with them from rabbits to buffalo.
When did you start writing for Sporting Shooter?
The first article I wrote for Sporting Shooter was way back, I believe in the mid to late 1960s, about a .222 rifle. After that there was quite a break from rifles as I wrote a lot for archery magazines. Then came more articles written about hunts over quite a few years, the stories and articles seem to be something I just love doing. At times I also like to write about how to do and make things, and really hope that some of my articles may have helped others to have a go at making knives and so forth themselves. I also like to encourage other people to have a go at writing about their hunting exploits, as articles in magazines can only help promote our chosen sport.
What do you enjoy about writing for a hunting magazine?
The enjoyment of reliving a great trip always inspires me to write an article about it. Being a bit of a story teller I love to write and tell people about the great times and things we do. By doing this, the hope is always there that it will also encourage others to get out and hunt and hopefully write about their success, or even their failures, for others to read and enjoy. Being a hunter, I am just that. I enjoy the hunt even if I go home empty handed. To me taking nearly everything I can away with me after a successful hunt is important. The meat from the animals I hunt feed me and my family, and often a few friends. The antlers, horns or tusks are taken too. In actual fact I believe I am a far better conservationist than many of the so-called conservationists out there now. Many times I look at an animal and try to take its photo, and then turn and walk away. I like to shoot the old or infirm animals that are past their breeding stage, or a younger animal primarily for its meat. I am not a tally hunter and don’t shoot for numbers, what I hunt is not wasted. Naturally I don’t eat cats, foxes or wild dogs, but to me they are a predator that needs to be culled as they are wrecking our ecosystem by killing far too many native animals.
What is the best or most satisfying article you have written for Sporting Shooter?
That’s a really difficult question to answer, as I feel very satisfied with any and all of the articles that I write.
What advice can you give anyone wanting to get in to hunting writing?
Just sit in front of your computer and write down the hunt as it happened. Then read it through a few times to see how it actually reads. Add and subtract bits that make it read better. The main thing is to have very good clear photos, as a crappy story with good photos is changeable and able to be printed with a lot of editing. A great story with crap photos is useless. One other thing is to always show the animal the respect that it deserves in the photos, and also the way you hunt and shoot it. Try to get photos without a lot of blood showing, too.
Please supply three of your favorite hunting photos from past or present.
Ted shot this wildebeest at 320 yards (ranged) with a 150 grain Barnes projectile fired from his.300 Weatherby Magnum. It dropped on the spot.
This scrub bull charged Ted for no reason but he was lucky enough to spot him in time to turn and shoot him. It was a pretty close call.
This good buffalo dropped with one shot from my .358 Mitchell express.
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