“From dating an animal rights activist, voodoo, metaphysics, shocking public access TV, cheating death three times and living free.
It’s all been the path.”
To cut to the chase, tell us about your wild boar attack?
RAZOR DOBBS: It was absolutely nuts. Having that huge boar viciously trying to kill me was definitely a unique experience, a total rock out with your Glock out, that pushed my psyche to a place it’s never gone before. In a sense, it’s an emotional train wreck but cool as hell on the other hand.
In a nut shell, explain what happened.
RAZOR DOBBS: The boar was in this thick cactus cluster wounded and pissed off. I slipped around the side of the cactus hoping to get a shot with my bow and Josh Leininger stayed back. The boar wasn’t going for it at all and mirrored my every move. He already had taken three arrow hits, but he was as wired as a meth addict. He was only 12 yards or so away from me but facing me so I had no real shot. He had abandoned trying to escape and was dug in for a fight. As the boar mirrored me as I moved around the side, it gave Josh a broadside shot. He shot an arrow through the side of the boar and the boar didn’t even flinch. Not one iota. He just kept staring at me then started popping his tusk in warning.
What does that sound like when they pop their tusk?
RAZOR DOBBS: It sounds like slapping two 2x4’s together, but with a very demonic pitch. It’s wild. It’s the universal sound of potential chaos. The theme song for mayhem. It means this boar was now going to kick some butt. My butt.
So what happened?
RAZOR DOBBS: The boar popped his tusk for just a few seconds then let out like a dragster right for me. I had my release on my bow string but shooting an arrow into his brain was of no possibility because he was too fast...fast as a mako shark. I don’t remember dropping my bow and drawing my handgun, but the next thing I knew I was in full defense handgun mode sending bullets point blank into his face.
What kind of handgun did you have?
RAZOR DOBBS: The ultimate. A 10mm auto. I've carried the 10mm since 1995.
Was there a bullet in the chamber before he charged?
RAZOR DOBBS: Oh, it was loaded, alright. If it wasn’t loaded and ready to rock I would have been killed for sure. I also had it holstered in a Galco concealer holster without a leather snap so I could draw in one-easy-fluid movement. His charge was a surprise but I was prepared.
So you have your gun drawn...”
RAZOR DOBBS: Yeah, when he charged I drew my gun and fired twice nailing the boar in the nose. Hitting him in the bridge of the nose didn’t kill him obviously nor did it deter him from his attack. He kept coming. He then hit me in the leg and threw me to the ground and into the cactus. When I landed he kept on the attack, but this time he was over my legs heading for my head. I let him have it numerous times but I kept hitting him in the nose, literally blowing it to shreds. At least, by now, the bullets were nocking his head left and right and killing some of his momentum. I was drilling him but running out of time. I needed a brain shot. Finally, in the last second I dropped him with a bullet to the brain.
So what did it feel like defending your life against that boar?
RAZOR DOBBS: At first, for a split second, when he made his charge it was a huge adrenalin rush. I automatically went into self defense mode but when he hit me and threw me to the dirt my whole psyche changed into a pissed off mentality full of an emotion of hate but deeper though, more instinctual. I was on a plane of kill or be killed. No what I mean?
Sort of.
RAZOR DOBBS: When that boar had me on the ropes my mentality or psyche went from a defensive mode to an offensive mode. I turned into the aggressor full of rage but I kept my head. It was a pure instinctively motivated switch. A switch that ultimately saved my life. If I would of stayed in the defensive mode, I believe, I would of been too passive and focused of trying to escape rather than stand my ground. There is no doubt, he had the advantage until I switched to the offensive.
What was going through your mind?
RAZOR DOBBS: The only thing going through my mind was “Kill this beast now.” See, all a boar needs is one swipe with his tusk to slice you completely open. I’ve seen it happen to dogs numerous times, some of them dying within seconds. And since I was on the ground, on an eye to eye level with the boar, he could of easily killed me slicing my neck, wrists or disemboweling me. It could of happened in a split second with one connecting swipe of his tusk.
Your lucky man.
RAZOR DOBBS: For sure. I was very fortunate. But the most important thing I got from that experience was the fact that I did not fall apart in that situation. Instead, I fought without abandon. You never know how you might react to a life and death situation so it’s a good feeling for me to know that I reacted the way I did. Real good.
How does this boar attack compare to the elephant charge you had in Zimbabwe in 2003?
RAZOR DOBBS: Obviously, my life was at stake both times but the two instances were very different. The elephant charge was surreal. I had a bow in my hand and not a rifle so there was practically nothing I could do. To run was sure death so I stayed put. It was all up to my PH Gordon Duncan to save the day with his .375. In the case of the boar charge I was the only one armed so if I could pull off my best handgun tactics, I had some kind of a chance to save my life.
What kind of handgun tactics?
RAZOR DOBBS: Well, just the basics. Draw, try to keep as much distance as possible from the boar, keep the gun close so he could not nock it out of my hands, and continue to shoot at center mass until the assault was stopped. Center mass was his head in this case.
At the time did you think you would die on both occasions.
RAZOR DOBBS: Well, after the second shot, when the elephant was 3 feet away and about to crush me, I had accepted the fact that I was about to be killed. I literally said to myself, “I guess this is how this ends” and these wild visuals flashed through my brain. Weird enough, I was somewhat content with dying there on the Zimbabwe sand. It’s really hard to explain. Then Gordon makes an unbelievable second shot that drops the elephant. For the next five minutes I really questioned if I was dead or alive. I had no emotion at all. Zero. I didn’t even feel my heart beat. I thought I was dead looking on. Heavy stuff to digest when it’s all over.
What about the boar attack?
RAZOR DOBBS: The boar attack was different because I was prepared with the Glock to defend myself. I was full of adrenalin and rage and I never wrote myself off, even when the boar was impervious to my first rounds of blasts and nocked me to the dirt. I was just too pissed and dying was not an option. The only credit I can give myself is for being prepared by carrying my Glock in kill ready mode and that I had practiced the best I could for such fast situations where I had to draw, shoot and move. Being able to hold it all together was truly a God thing. I believe that 100%. Glock and God are a good team.
Did you have nightmares about the elephant charge?
RAZOR DOBBS: No. But there are these great elephant paintings, I don’t remember the artist, but when I see them time and again, I get a haunting feeling and that whole time frame comes back in a euphoric wave. Kinda cool but I shake it as soon as I can.
How did the elephant charge compare to the Cape buffalo charge that happened a day later?
RAZOR DOBBS: Since the Cape buffalo charge happened the very next day after the elephant charge it didn’t have the full effect, at the time, that it would of had if it was an isolated incident, so to speak. It’s like I was on this weird high of sorts from french kissing that elephant so when the Cape buffalo was shot before it mowed us down it was more like a “Jeeezzz! What next is going to try and kill us.” When I look back, it’s like the two charges have melted into one emotion.
The video of the elephant charge was amazing.
RAZOR DOBBS: Totally. Paul Simone was shooting the video on that safari and he nailed it perfectly. Most cameramen would of ran like hell, but Paul stuck it out and captured it. I remember reviewing the footage, not knowing if Paul had caught the charge on tape, and when we saw it on the play-back we jumped around like excited school kids.
So why do you think all of these animals have tried to kill you?
RAZOR DOBBS: Probably because I had pissed them off. Obviously.
Random?
RAZOR DOBBS: No. I believe that you attract things into your life be it good, bad or whatever. I don’t look at these charges and attack as bad or negative but I believe that on some wave or another I brought those into my life. I see them as great experiences but, by no means, accidents. You know, I think one of the most emotional expanding experiences has to be living through a near death situation and or fighting for your life.
So do you believe if someone has never been in such life and death situations that they have not experienced life?
RAZOR DOBBS: I didn’t say that and by no means am I eluding to that.
Do you wish to have more charges and attacks?
RAZOR DOBBS: It’s fun to dream about being in a big shoot out with a killer beast but in reality I’m not looking for trouble. I believe life is precious and not to be toyed with. If it happens it happens. I attracted those charges and attack into my life some way for sure, but I didn’t intentionally orchestrate or provoke them.
So do you consider yourself the “life risking safari hunter”?
RAZOR DOBBS: No. I just like to hunt and do television. If I try to live up to such a tag I wont be around very long. But, of course, the more time one spends hunting big game the the probability of something gnarly as hell happening goes way up. It’s like if you hang out at the barber shop long enough, you will eventually get a hair cut.
When you replay the charges and attack in your mind, what do you feel?
RAZOR DOBBS: I don’t know...it’s different at different times. I don’t sit in deep introspective thought hour after hour for God’s sake, but there is no doubt that not a day goes by that I don’t think about them. It boils down to this: I don’t blow those experiences off as flukes. I look at it in a deeper way beyond flesh and blood. I see everything as cause and effect and not happenstance. That’s why I try to always be on guard, alert and always checking where my head is. If I’m attracting weird things into my life I must be thinking about weird things.
So how do you feel about carrying a back up handgun while you hunt?
RAZOR DOBBS: I’m a big proponent. I believe in being armed in some way 24hrs a day. Whether that be with a firearm, knife, ball-point pen or whatever. But always, mentally, I’m thinking “what I would do if...”
What is your 10mm handgun set-up?
RAZOR DOBBS: I now carry a Dan Wesson RZ-10 10mm . It’s comparable to a .41 magnum revolver which is a powerload. There is some good factory ammo out there but I like to use more powerful factory loads. I’m typically loaded up with 180 gr. JHP but if I’m going into bear country or other potentially dangerous big game I stack it up with 200 grain solids. Since the hog attack I’ve been stacking my clip by alternating solids and hollow points.
Why not carry a larger gun like a .44 magnum, .460 or .500?
RAZOR DOBBS: I love the .44 mag revolver and it’s a proven killer of big game, but I like having a semi-auto with high capacity mags. I don’t ever want to run out of ammo. Size is also a factor. The .460 and .500 are both cannons, but for me, they are too bulky and heavy for rapid, smooth, self-defense tactics.
What is your bow set-up?
RAZOR DOBBS: I shoot a tricked out leopardized compound. That's what I call it. For the past 5 years I’ve been shooting a drop-away rest that I love. I was an instinctive shooter for over 10 years but I started slipping on consistent accuracy so I switched to a red dot site that is absolutely dynamite. It still has some of that instinctive feel.
Now, I’m shooting pins and it’s cool.
What about arrows?
RAZOR DOBBS: The last few years I have been all over the road with arrows never finding the perfect feel. Now, with the FMJ’s I have found what I’ve always been looking for...a true big game hunting arrow. I switched to a smaller vane, instead of a 4 inch feather and I truly see a big difference in consistent accuracy. I shoot my signature RAZOR DOBBS BLACK DEATH BROADHEAD by Steel Force from 100 grain to 180 grains so my complete set-up’s range from about 550 to 1000 grains. All have perfect feel and it pack a huge punch. Mind blowing.
What kind of speed are you getting from that set-up?
RAZOR DOBBS: I have no idea.
What kind of broadhead do you shoot?
RAZOR DOBBS: For the first four years that I hunted with a bow I shot nothing but two-blades. Then I went to the three-blade which proved to be good on 99% of the type of game I was hunting. Now, I’m back to my roots with the two-blade. I shoot my signature RAZOR DOBBS BLACK DEATH BROADHEAD by Steel Force and these are twice as good as any two-blade I ever shot before. Absolutely spectacular killers. You can’t hunt any animal on planet earth with them.
Besides the bow and the Dan Wesson RZ-10 10mm, what other weapons do you like?
RAZOR DOBBS: I dig open-site rifles, especially the safari rifles. I just bough a CZ 500 Safari Magnum in 375 HH and I absolutely love the hell out of that thing. I can’t wait to take it to Africa but in the mean time I have been killing hogs with it. It has a great feel with the Euro-style stock and the big push it gives you when you squeeze off a round is intoxicating.
What is your scent control regiment?
RAZOR DOBBS: I don’t use diesel fuel as cologne anymore and I always hunt with my face to the wind.
Why don’t you wear camouflage clothing?
RAZOR DOBBS: I prefer to wear an olive safari jacket and brown pants over paying some $200 on a camo outfit. I just don’t dig the camo thing. Hype. And what I wear is camo...browns, tans, olives etc. same colors as a deer or elk or impala.
In 2003 you released your “Alive in Africa” DVD.
RAZOR DOBBS: It shreds.
How are sales?
RAZOR DOBBS: It’s really amazing. It’s selling great. Our over seas business is what’s shocking. We ship them out to some of the coolest places like Japan, Norway, Germany, UK, South America, Australia, etc., etc. Some of these people can’t even hardly speak English but they send us some great emails. They dig it.
What about the US market?
RAZOR DOBBS: The USA has been the strongest for sure. We’ve shipped the “Alive in Africa” DVD out to every state in the country. Again, the response from our US customers are very colorful and they say they want more. These people are great.
Why do they they like it so much?
RAZOR DOBBS: Because it’s pure energy with no BS and no sales pitch. It’s killer hunting and funny as hell. The sound track is totally a soul shaker and the 86 minutes flies by like a bullet. And that is how I designed. See, the whole concept was simple: Give the people a show that throws them for a loop and entertains the hell out of them. It’s a DVD you throw in at a party and you and your buds laugh and get into the action. You don’t blink because you’ll miss something. And then, just when you get over the shock and getting into the groove, the elephant charge segment rolls and you’re just confused and blinded by what you just saw. Not only is it the best elephant charge ever captured on video, it’s the coolest segment ever produced. There is a lot of symbolic visuals flashing the screen during that segment and its a trip.
Where those visuals some kind voodoo or witchcraft?
RAZOR DOBBS: I don’t know, it’s was all screwed up at the time. I was going through some really trying times during that year that I went on that safari and I knew something really screwed up was going to happen to me. I could feel it. So much so I warned my camera man Paul Simone about it a month before the trip. I think he blew it off at first but after it all went down it freaked him out. So when you watch the segment and see the abstract shots of the Day of the Dead figures, skulls, candles, money, etc, those symbolize some of the crap that was haunting me for that year...crap that was going through my head. Really wild stuff. I couldn’t shake it no matter what I did. I prayed a lot, and that helped, but I was still in the forest so to speak. So, as we were making our way towards the elephant that was waiting for us in the trees, everyone else was clueless to what I knew was going to happen. It may sound weird, and it is, but it’s true.
How did RAZOR DOBBS ALIVE TV come about?
RAZOR DOBBS: RAZOR DOBBS ALIVE TV never just “came about” it was an evolutionary process that bled from the video and television productions my friends and I started doing back in college in ‘92. Then it was called Outdoors Alive and it was aired on a public access channel in Lubbock, Texas.
What was the show like?
RAZOR DOBBS: It was wild. Totally uninhibited. A split-your-skull-down-the-center hunting experience. There was no other hunting show at that time like it and none now. We did it all, showed it all and never apologized. Production wise, it wasn’t the best because we didn’t know much on that end at the time, but we did have the energy and excitement gig down pat and the people loved it.
Did the show have a big following?
RAZOR DOBBS: It was a completely different demographic digging Outdoors Alive than what I expected. I mean there was everything from hippies to skate rats coming up to me telling me they loved the show, the same show I was arrowing rams and gutting hogs on. You know, people who you would never think would even pay attention much less be a fan. And a lot of these people wanted to start hunting after watching the show. It was like being in the Twilight Zone. It was cool thing.
That’s hilarious. What did the hippies and skate rats say about the show.
RAZOR DOBBS: The overwhelming response I got from these people about Outdoors Alive was, “You kill your own food. I can dig that, man...it’s real...it’s cool.” The energy and unscripted fun attracted people that otherwise couldn’t of cared less and/or even been against hunting. Now these guys where buying broadheads and shotguns. It was killer.
Was connecting to a bigger demographic a conscience plan from the beginning of Outdoors Alive television?
RAZOR DOBBS: Not hardly. I had no plan other than to do a killer hunting show. One thing that was certain from the beginning was that I had a vision in my brain that I could not escape and that was to one day have the best hunting show on the planet.
Sounds like it was an exciting time.
RAZOR DOBBS: Man, it was. That was one of the most fun times of my life.
Did you meet a lot of girls while doing the show?
RAZOR DOBBS: No. I wish. I met lots of girls but not like what your thinking. I was no movie star, just a cable access dork. But one wild thing that happened was that I ended up dating the president of the Texas Tech Animal Rights Coalition.
Really?
RAZOR DOBBS: Really. My friends thought I was nuts. I told them it was the lion laying down with the lamb, or something like that. She was a beautiful girl, mysterious. She was just screwed up with the animal rights thing. She got over it.
Did she become a hunter?
RAZOR DOBBS: No. But she came to believe. She was wild and into full-auto weapons. Her dad had a federal permit and they would cut targets and trees in half with M-16’s and UZI’s. Come to think of it, she was an assault weapon in her own right. She was like some mysterious thing that threw me for a loop. Great fun. A great paradox.
So.....”Razor Dobbs ALIVE” started from all of this?
RAZOR DOBBS: Exactly. Even dating the animal rights chick. Within the past 15 years, all that I have seen, experienced and tried has given birth to “ALIVE”. But bigger than my experiences are those of my friends and the people I have met and read about. It’s all rolled up into the energy and perspective of Trophy X. It’s about being alive and confident. It’s about hunting at full tilt and not watering it down in order to try and please everyone, especially the people that hate you, you know the anti-hunters. Trying to please everyone is a sure design for failure. Have your vision and follow that vision. If your honest, have faith in honesty and faith in your vision then you are set.
How did you get to a position to live the dream of hunting and doing video and television production for a living?
RAZOR DOBBS: First off I have never followed a pay check. That doesn’t mean I never wanted to make a lot of cash, that means I never sacrificed my hearts desire for a job just because if offered six or more figures. Part of that equation too is that my hearts desire is hunting and I could not wash that away, even though I tried in the late 90’s, but that’s another story. I also subscribe to the spiritual truth that if you do what you love and do it with passion, the money will follow. It’s divine law. That truth has been my experience and I’m very grateful.
When did this dream start to come true?
RAZOR DOBBS: The biggest turn of events happened in February of 1999, but that is another story. I’ve been on a mission to live this lifestyle since I can remember, but things really started to materialize at the turn of the millennium. I had two choices: dream about doing what I love to do or trust God and do what I love to do for a living. I began to have a strong belief in myself, my ideas and what I wanted to do and became willing to go to any length to get it. I knew that God did not put these uncontrollable, creative desires in my heart to just tease me. I believe he put those desires in my heart for a reason and I should focus and put these desires in the forefront of my life and go like hell. When that mind frame was solid - ta-da -things just started falling into place.
What is the goal for “RAZOR DOBBS ALIVE” ?
RAZOR DOBBS: World domination.
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Razor Dobbs Alive
