Peter Hathaway Capstick
Encyclopedia
Peter Hathaway Capstick was an American hunter and author. Born in New Jersey
and educated at the University of Virginia
, he walked away from a successful Wall Street
career shortly before his thirtieth birthday to become a professional hunter, first in Central and South America and later (and most famously) in Africa. Capstick spent much of his life in Africa, a land he called his "source of inspiration." A chain smoker and heavy drinker, he died at age 56 from complications following heart surgery.
. A few years later he returned to New York, where he founded a business arranging professionally guided hunting trips. Shortly thereafter he took a position as hunting and fishing director of Winchester Adventures of New York, a subsidiary of the famous gun manufacturer
. In that capacity he made his first trip to Africa in 1968. Subsequently he worked as a professional hunter and game ranger in Zambia
, Botswana
and Rhodesia
.
Capstick started writing about his adventures in the late 1960s, and published numerous articles in various sporting magazines. In 1977 he published his first book, Death in the Long Grass, which became a commercial success and established his reputation as an author of true adventure stories.
Capstick is frequently compared to Ernest Hemingway
and Robert Ruark
in discussions of influential African hunting authors.
In early 1996 Capstick was a keynote speaker at the annual Safari Club International
convention in Reno, Nevada
when he collapsed in his hotel room and was diagnosed with exhaustion. He was immediately flown back to his adopted country of South Africa
and underwent heart bypass surgery in a Pretoria
hospital. He died just before midnight on March 13 of complications from surgery.
After a small private ceremony, his ashes were scattered over the Chobe River in northeastern Botswana.
The .470 Capstick
rifle cartridge, developed by A-Square
's Colonel Arthur B. Alphin
in 1990, bears his name. His legacy is saluted by The Dallas Safari Club's annual Peter Hathaway Capstick Hunting Heritage Award for the promotion of responsible hunting and wildlife conservation.
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
and educated at the University of Virginia
University of Virginia
The University of Virginia is a public research university located in Charlottesville, Virginia, United States, founded by Thomas Jefferson...
, he walked away from a successful Wall Street
Wall Street
Wall Street refers to the financial district of New York City, named after and centered on the eight-block-long street running from Broadway to South Street on the East River in Lower Manhattan. Over time, the term has become a metonym for the financial markets of the United States as a whole, or...
career shortly before his thirtieth birthday to become a professional hunter, first in Central and South America and later (and most famously) in Africa. Capstick spent much of his life in Africa, a land he called his "source of inspiration." A chain smoker and heavy drinker, he died at age 56 from complications following heart surgery.
Biography
After a short career as a Wall Street stockbroker, Capstick headed to Latin America, where he traveled widely while hunting, fishing, and mastering the Spanish languageSpanish language
Spanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the...
. A few years later he returned to New York, where he founded a business arranging professionally guided hunting trips. Shortly thereafter he took a position as hunting and fishing director of Winchester Adventures of New York, a subsidiary of the famous gun manufacturer
Winchester Repeating Arms Company
The Winchester Repeating Arms Company was a prominent American maker of repeating firearms, located in New Haven, Connecticut. The Winchester brand is today used under license by two subsidiaries of the Herstal Group, Fabrique Nationale of Belgium and the Browning Arms Company of Morgan, Utah.-...
. In that capacity he made his first trip to Africa in 1968. Subsequently he worked as a professional hunter and game ranger in Zambia
Zambia
Zambia , officially the Republic of Zambia, is a landlocked country in Southern Africa. The neighbouring countries are the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the north, Tanzania to the north-east, Malawi to the east, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Botswana and Namibia to the south, and Angola to the west....
, Botswana
Botswana
Botswana, officially the Republic of Botswana , is a landlocked country located in Southern Africa. The citizens are referred to as "Batswana" . Formerly the British protectorate of Bechuanaland, Botswana adopted its new name after becoming independent within the Commonwealth on 30 September 1966...
and Rhodesia
Rhodesia
Rhodesia , officially the Republic of Rhodesia from 1970, was an unrecognised state located in southern Africa that existed between 1965 and 1979 following its Unilateral Declaration of Independence from the United Kingdom on 11 November 1965...
.
Capstick started writing about his adventures in the late 1960s, and published numerous articles in various sporting magazines. In 1977 he published his first book, Death in the Long Grass, which became a commercial success and established his reputation as an author of true adventure stories.
Capstick is frequently compared to Ernest Hemingway
Ernest Hemingway
Ernest Miller Hemingway was an American author and journalist. His economic and understated style had a strong influence on 20th-century fiction, while his life of adventure and his public image influenced later generations. Hemingway produced most of his work between the mid-1920s and the...
and Robert Ruark
Robert Ruark
Robert Ruark was an American author and syndicated columnist.- Early life :...
in discussions of influential African hunting authors.
In early 1996 Capstick was a keynote speaker at the annual Safari Club International
Safari Club International
Safari Club International is an international organization composed of hunters. SCI has more than 50,000 members and 180 local chapters. SCI's website displays the bannertext "Safari Club International is the Leader in Protecting the Freedom to Hunt and Promoting Wildlife Conservation...
convention in Reno, Nevada
Reno, Nevada
Reno is the county seat of Washoe County, Nevada, United States. The city has a population of about 220,500 and is the most populous Nevada city outside of the Las Vegas metropolitan area...
when he collapsed in his hotel room and was diagnosed with exhaustion. He was immediately flown back to his adopted country of South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
and underwent heart bypass surgery in a Pretoria
Pretoria
Pretoria is a city located in the northern part of Gauteng Province, South Africa. It is one of the country's three capital cities, serving as the executive and de facto national capital; the others are Cape Town, the legislative capital, and Bloemfontein, the judicial capital.Pretoria is...
hospital. He died just before midnight on March 13 of complications from surgery.
After a small private ceremony, his ashes were scattered over the Chobe River in northeastern Botswana.
The .470 Capstick
.470 Capstick
The .470 Capstick is a rifle cartridge created by Col. Arthur B Alphin from A-Square in 1990, named after writer and hunter Peter Hathaway Capstick. It is based on a .375 H&H Magnum case blown out and necked to accept a .475 inch bullet...
rifle cartridge, developed by A-Square
A-Square
A-SQUARE COMPANY, LLC is a manufacturer of rifles, ammunition and bullets based in Chamberlain, South Dakota in the United States. The company is one of 19 that are members of the Sporting Arms and Ammunition Manufacturer's Institution. The company's focus is on its firearms for hunting large...
's Colonel Arthur B. Alphin
Arthur Alphin
Colonel Arthur "Art" Alphin is a retired American Army officer and military historian.He is the founder and owner of A-Square, manufacturer of American hunting rifles. He taught military history at West Point...
in 1990, bears his name. His legacy is saluted by The Dallas Safari Club's annual Peter Hathaway Capstick Hunting Heritage Award for the promotion of responsible hunting and wildlife conservation.
Filmography
- Capstick - Botswana Safari
- Capstick - Hunting the White Rhino
- Capstick - Hunting the African Elephant
- Capstick - Hunting the African Lion
- Capstick - Hunting the Cape Buffalo
- Capstick's Last Safari