Craig Boddington

Craig Boddington is a multi-media outdoor journalist, TV show host, author and retired Marine.

Boddington has been described as "one of the country's foremost authorities on African safari hunting" by ESPN, "one of the most prolific writers in the outdoor genre" by Petersen's Hunting, and "one of the most experienced hunters of his generation" by Outdoor Channel.

Boddington has written over 5,000 magazine articles and 30 books on hunting and firearms, and he has hosted six outdoor TV series.

Biography
Craig Boddington was born in Kansas in 1952. His early big-game experience included pronghorn and mule deer in Wyoming, whitetail and mule deer in Kansas, and mule deer in Colorado. A notable portion of his early years was dedicated to Boy Scout activities. At the age of 14, he achieved the rank of Eagle Scout, followed by earning a Silver Palm on his Eagle at 16. At the age of 17, he became the youngest person to serve as activities director at his regional Boy Scout camp. Boddington attended the University of Kansas on a NROTC scholarship and graduated with a degree in English and a regular commission in the United States Marine Corps. He was a member of Phi Delta Theta fraternity.

He retired from the USMC Reserves in 2005 with the rank of colonel after service in the Gulf War in 1991 and Kuwait in 2001.

Career
Whilst at college, Boddington began writing and continued while on active duty. In 1978, he left active service and worked as a hunting consultant/booking agent for International Hunting Consultants based in Santa Monica. In 1979, he joined Petersen Publishing Company, where he served as associate editor for Guns & Ammo, editor for Guns & Ammo Speciality Publications, field editor for American Blade, executive editor at Petersen's Hunting magazine and editor of Petersen's Hunting magazine from 1983 to 1994. His current position with Intermedia Outdoors (formerly Petersen's) is Executive Field Editor, Intermedia Outdoor Group, including Guns & Ammo, Petersen's Hunting, and RifleShooter. He is a member of Gander Mountain's Elite Pro-Staff and also serves as a consultant to SureFire LLC. In 2014, Craig Boddington Endorsed Outfitters was established, an online platform featuring ethical and big game international hunt providers. Boddington has written over 4000 published magazine articles on hunting and firearms. He is the author of 28 books and has been published in England, Australia, Scotland, Canada, Germany, Spain, and the United States. He is a regular contributor to Sports Afield magazine and Fair Chase, the Boone & Crockett Club's magazine. He is an editor at Safari magazine. His writing frequently includes technical firearms subjects and evaluation of firearms, optics, and ammunition.

Boddington has made appearances in more than 500 television episodes on Outdoor Channel and Sportsman Channel. He served as host of Dallas Safari Club's Tracks Across Africa on Outdoor Channel and co-hosted Hornady's The Boddington Experience alongside his daughter Brittany on the Sportsman Channel, and is also co-host of Guns & Ammo TV and Petersen's Hunting Adventures. He has been a featured speaker for numerous shows and organizations, including for the NRA's Great American Hunters Tour, International Sportsmen's Expositions, Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation, Foundation for North American Wild Sheep, and Dallas Safari Club, and in many hunting videotapes, such as Boddington on Buffalo and Boddington on Elephant.

Boddington has hunted on all continents except Antarctica. His first international hunt was in British Columbia in 1973 and his first safari to Africa occurred in 1977. He completed Africa's Big Five game of elephant, rhino, lion, leopard, and buffalo in 1986 and hunted all nine principal spiral-horned antelopes. Boddington is one of two hunters reported to have taken all of these species twice. He holds the Capra Super 30; Ovis Super 20, two North American grand slams, and the North American Super Slam from Grand Slam/Ovis.

Awards

 * Inaugural Recipient of Peter Hathaway Capstick Literary Award from Safari Club International, 1997.
 * Shooting Sports Writer of the Year Award, Outdoor Writers Association of America, 1999.
 * Recipient of Leupold "Jack Slack Writer of the Year" Award, 2005.
 * Safari Club International's CJ McElroy Award, 2008.
 * Chancellor Foundation "Conservationist of the Year", 2008.
 * Conklin Award, 2009.
 * Zeiss Writer of the Year, 2010.
 * JJ Malek Golden Award, 2010.
 * Weatherby Award, 2017.