Craig Boddington was born and raised in Kansas, where his early big-game experience, in the mid-1960's, included pronghorn and mule deer in Wyoming, whitetail and mule deer in Kansas, and mule deer in Colorado.  When not involved with hunting and shooting, much of his early years were spent in Boy Scout activities.  At 14 he became an Eagle Scout, at 16 received a Silver Palm on his Eagle, and at 17 was the youngest person to become Activities Director at his regional Boy Scout camp.  A member of Phi Delta Theta fraternity, he attended the University of Kansas on an NROTC scholarship, graduating with an English degree and a regular commission in the United States Marine Corps.  His outdoor writing career began in college and continued while on active duty.  After leaving active service in 1978 Boddington 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, GUNS & AMMO magazine;  Editor, GUNS & AMMO Specialty Publications;  Executive Editor, Petersen's HUNTING Magazine;  and from 1983 to 1994 Editor of Petersen's HUNTING Magazine.  His current position with  Primedia (former Petersen's) is Executive Field Editor Pimedia Outdoor Group, including GUNS & AMMO, Petersen's HUNTING, and RIFLESHOOTER.  He also serves as a consultant to SureFire LLC, and is a member of Gander Mountain’s Elite Pro-Staff.

WRITING EXPERIENCE:  In excess of 3000 magazine articles published.  Author of 19 books on hunting and shooting:

AMERICA--THE MEN AND THEIR GUNS THAT MADE HER GREAT (Collection, Caroline House, 1981)
CAMPFIRES AND GAME TRAILS (Winchester Press,1985)
FROM MT. KENYA TO THE CAPE--TEN YEARS OF AFRICAN HUNTING (Safari Press, 1987)
DEER HUNTING COAST TO COAST (with Bob Robb, Safari Press 1989) 
SHOTS AT BIG GAME (Stackpole, 1989)
SAFARI RIFLES (Safari Press, 1991)
HUNTER'S HANDBOOK (Mallard Press, 1992)
AMERICAN HUNTING RIFLES (Safari Press, 1995)
WHITETAIL MEDICINE (Derrydale Publishing, 1995)
WHERE LIONS ROAR (Safari Press, 1997)
MAKE IT ACCURATE (Safari Press, 1999)
SEARCH FOR THE SPIRAL HORN (Safari Press, 2002)
THE AFRICAN EXPERIENCE (Safari Press, 2001)
THE PERFECT SHOT (Safari Press, 2002)
AFRICAN HUNTER II (with Peter Flack and others) (Safari Press, 2004)
FAIR CHASE IN NORTH AMERICA (Boone and Crockett Club, 2004)
A LIFE ON SAFARI (by Geoff Broom with Craig Boddington) (Mission Trails, 2005)
BUFFALO! (Safari Press,2005)
LEOPARD (With Tim Danklef and Dave Fulson) (Mission Trails, 2007)

PUBLISHED IN GERMANY, SPAIN, ENGLAND, AUSTRALIA, SCOTLAND, CANADA as well as the United States.

INAUGURAL RECIPIENT of Peter Hathaway Capstick Literary Award from Safari Club International, 1997.

SHOOTING SPORTS WRITER OF THE YEAR, Outdoor Writers Association of America, 1999.

RECIPIENT, Leupold “Jack Slack Writer of the Year” award, 2005.

PRESIDENT, Roy E. Weatherby Foundation International (from July 2004), Selection Committee, Weatherby Big Game Trophy

SERIES EDITOR for Derrydale Press "WHITETAIL SECRETS" 12-volume library;  freelance book editor for Woodbine Publishing Company, Safari Press, Derrydale Press.

NEW PRODUCTS EDITOR, SAFARI Magazine.

REGULAR CONTRIBUTOR to FAIR CHASE, the magazine of the Boone & Crockett Club.  Consultant to Boone & Crockett's Publications Committee.

EXPERT WITNESS on firearms-related cases.  Offered expert testimonial in state and federal courts.  References from legal firms available on request.

NORTH AMERICAN HUNTING EXPERIENCE:

Hunted big game in 29 American states, seven Canadian provinces, five Mexican states in all regions of North America.  This experience includes nine Alaskan hunts, 22 Canadian hunts, 12 hunts in Mexico, whitetail deer hunting in 20 states, and extensive experience in the western U.S. for 30 years.

Successfully hunted all varieties of North American big game except jaguar, walrus, polar bear.

North American trophies qualifying for Boone and Crockett record book include:  Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep;  Alaska-Yukon moose;  mule deer;  Coues whitetail;  Sitka blacktail;  Alaskan brown bear;  Quebec-Labrador caribou;  muskox;  pronghorn;  black bear.

ASSOCIATIONS:

Member of Boone & Crockett Club; Foundation for North American Wild Sheep;  National Rifle Association;  Outdoor Writers Association of America; Professional Hunters Association of South Africa.  Past President, Board of Governors, Los Angeles Chapter Safari Club International;  consultant to Safari Club International Record Book Committee; Life Member, Safari Club International; Life Member, Dallas Safari Club.

SPEAKING/SEMINAR/FILM EXPERIENCE:

Featured speaker for numerous shows and organizations, including seminar on "Deer Hunting Coast to Coast" for NRA's Great American Hunters Tour;  featured speaker on African and North American hunting for International Sportsmen's Expositions;  keynote speaker for:  Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation, Foundation for North American Wild Sheep, Dallas Safari Club, M'Zuri Safari Foundation.  Featured in numerous hunting videotapes, including Swarovski Optics' "Affordable Africa" series, Weatherby's "Cape Buffalo" video, etc.  Co-Host of “Guns & Ammo Television” series, co-host of “Petersen’s HUNTING Adventures”, host of “SureFire’s Tracks Across Africa”, all on The Outdoor Channel.  With Safari Classic Productions, produced Boddington on Buffalo, Boddington on Leopard, Craig Boddington’s African Experience DVD’s.

INTERNATIONAL HUNTING EXPERIENCE

     --75 African safaris, including hunting in:  Kenya, Zimbabwe, Namibia, South Africa, Zambia, Botswana, Tanzania, Mozambique, Ethiopia, Central African Republic, Chad, Cameroon.

     --Only living American journalist who has hunted Africa's Big Five of elephant, rhino, lion, leopard, and buffalo.

     --Only living journalist who has hunted Africa's nine principal spiral-horned antelopes, consisting of:  greater kudu, lesser kudu, bushbuck, nyala, mountain nyala, common eland, giant eland, sitatunga, and bongo.

     --Only journalist to hold Ovis/Grand Slam Club’s World Slam of Wild Sheep and Capra World Slam of wild goats.

     --Collected more than 100 species of African big game,  more than 200 species worldwide;  including numerous Rowland Ward and Safari Club record book entries.

     --15 European hunts, including hunting in:  England, Scotland, Greece, Finland, Hungary, Spain, Austria, Switzerland, Czech Republic.

     --Additionally has hunted in Azerbaijan, China, Mongolia, Siberia, Turkmenistan, Tadjikistan, Turkey, Argentina, Australia, New Caledonia, and New Zealand.

     --Big-game hunting experience on all six continents.

ADDITIONAL HUNTING and SHOOTING EXPERIENCE:

Former All-American trapshooter.  Collegiate and inter-service smallbore and centerfire rifle and pistol competitor. Qualified "Marine Corps Expert" with rifle and pistol for 20 consecutive years.  Avid handloader since 1965.

MILITARY EXPERIENCE:

31 years service as Marine Corps infantry officer.  Served as infantry platoon commander, company executive officer, infantry company commander, headquarters company commander, battalion logistics officer, battalion operations officer, battalion executive officer, regimental operations officer, infantry battalion commander, Assistant Chief of Staff/G-3 (Operations) on brigade staff, Group commanding officer.  Military schools include Amphibious Warfare School, Reserve Command and Staff, Reserve Components National Security Course.  Activated in support of Operation Desert Shield/Storm in 1991 and Operation Vigilant Warrior in 1994.  Recalled to active duty for six months in 1997 and six months in 1998 to serve as Current Operations Officer for I Marine Expeditionary Force.  Recalled to active duty to serve as Marine Forces Pacific Liaison to U.S. Central Command from January through April 1999.  Recalled to active duty March-August 2000 to serve as Current Operatons Officer, I Marine Expeditionary Force.  Recalled to active duty March 2002—February 2003 to serve as Commander, Combined-Joint Task Force Consequence Management, headquartered in Kuwait. Decorations include:  Defense Superior Service Medal, Legion of Merit, Meritorious Service Medal (Gold Star in lieu of second award), Navy Commendation Medal (Gold Star in lieu of second award).  Promoted to Colonel USMCR October 1996.  Selected for promotion to Brigadier General USMCR in April 2001.  Retired September 2005.