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Pine Creek/Dave
PostPosted: Mon Jan 14, 2019 10:57 am  Reply with quote



Joined: 17 Mar 2017
Posts: 2787
Location: Endless Mountains of Pa

Gentlemen,

Ran across an old picture of a Hunt Don Moody and I were on. We both had identical L.C. Smith 16 Hammer Guns, I believe it's his gun in the picture with the Turkeys.

Pictures like this one do make it lonely on the mountain, sleep well my friend, I really miss ya.

Pine Creek/Dave
L.C. Smith Man

Don Moody was not only a great Fly Fisherman he was the very best Turkey Hunter I ever knew. These 2 RIO Grand Turkey were shot at the exact same time with 2 L.C. Smith 16 gauge Hammer Guns.

[URL=http://www.jpgbox.com/page/55960_800x600/] [/URL]

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PRONGHORNSOUTH
PostPosted: Mon Jan 14, 2019 5:04 pm  Reply with quote



Joined: 30 Dec 2012
Posts: 269
Location: Chocolate City, Florida

VERY nice!
Birds, gun and memories.
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Pine Creek/Dave
PostPosted: Mon Jan 14, 2019 8:11 pm  Reply with quote



Joined: 17 Mar 2017
Posts: 2787
Location: Endless Mountains of Pa

pronghorn,

Thank you sir, Don's Grandson should have his L.C. 16 Gauge Hammer gun now, I hope he is putting it to good use also.

Pine Creek/Dave
L.C. Smith Man


Last edited by Pine Creek/Dave on Fri Jan 18, 2019 2:57 pm; edited 1 time in total

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wahoo
PostPosted: Wed Jan 16, 2019 8:32 am  Reply with quote



Joined: 22 Jan 2015
Posts: 345

Those are beauties for sure. Reminds me of one of the most exciting and successful two days of hunting I've ever experienced. This North Carolina boy was on a trip to west Tx in search of grey coated whitetails in the Davis mts. I was hunting a working ranch with over 150k acres which had been in operation for generations, with watering stations peppered about the property for the livestock. I had been several days watching one of these wtr stations waiting for a nice buck to come in, so had plenty of time to observe my surroundings. On the first morning, I observed a long line of Rio Grand turkeys march past my stand on their way to feed, and I watched them return the same route back in the evening to roost. Saw this two days in a row. I also watched a number of blue quail coveys feed around the area. Well I shot my buck the second afternoon, and had several more days on my trip left to do something. Can you guess what I did? Did I mention that I had also brought along a shotgun for just in case? Next day, I went back to the same area with my Remi 1100, a handful of highbrass #6's and a box of #8's. I walked up enough quail by myself to bring back a limit within a few hours. That afternoon I decided to see if I could get close enough to a turkey for a good shot. I knew the general route that they were taking was from a rim onto the plateau ridge line, and through a section of junipers. I had nothing to provide a good hiding spot to blend in with but those junipers cause the ground was very flat and not particularly rocky. I climbed into a big juniper bush and hunkered down with a face net and camo gear on. Hoped I would be able to call them over my way to investigate upon their return to roost. I tried three or four yelps throughout the afternoon but not one time did I hear a reply. Finally, when it was getting on towards late afternoon, I heard a faint gobble. I hit my call once, but no reply and I stopped cause I saw a movement above 50 yrds to my left through the junipers. As I sat there quietly and straining to see more movement over yonder to the left...suddenly I heard the loudest gobble of my life right behind me!!!! I almost wet myself it startled me so bad. Sounded like he was only a few feet away. I don't know for sure how close he was cause I never moved to look. Then suddenly I saw a turkey directly in front of me about 40 yrds away, come sneaking out from behind the line junipers into the opening. This is where it gets interesting. He was apparently a lookout, cause he moved about 25 yrds further out and got on top of a prominent ground feature where he just stood looking further out away from the junipers. Then I saw a second one come out from the same spot and he crossed over to a different spot further away where he also stopped and watched outwardly. Then a line of turkeys came out of the junipers and began to feed as they crossed the open ground. Clearly they had sent lookouts ahead to set up security before exposing the main group to the open ground. I don't know if the calls I had made earlier had influenced them in where they chose to come out at or if I had just been lucky, but I was presented with a close shot and took it. Got me a nice old Rio Grande gobbler, which I later had the tail feathers mounted. That was the best trip. My only regret really, is that I didn't have a good friend along to share it with. I know OP has much more to remember back on with his friend having been there to share getting those turkeys together!

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1929 Thomas Bland 16ga SxS 28"
1947 Browning A5 16ga 28"
1948 BRNO 16ga SxS 27.5"
1949 Stevens 530 16ga SxS 28"
1950 Stevens 311A 12ga SxS 30"
1952 BRNO 12ga SxS 28.25"
1963 Superposed O/U 12ga 27"
1968 V Bernardelli SxS 12ga 28"
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Pine Creek/Dave
PostPosted: Wed Jan 16, 2019 12:30 pm  Reply with quote



Joined: 17 Mar 2017
Posts: 2787
Location: Endless Mountains of Pa

wahoo,


Great story I loved it!

Pine Creek/Dave
L.C. Smith Man

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gunflint charlie
PostPosted: Mon Feb 18, 2019 2:25 pm  Reply with quote
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Joined: 21 Jan 2006
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Location: Black Hills of SD

I sure did enjoy Ol' Cowboy on this and other forums.
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PRONGHORNSOUTH
PostPosted: Mon Feb 18, 2019 3:27 pm  Reply with quote



Joined: 30 Dec 2012
Posts: 269
Location: Chocolate City, Florida

Nice story Wahoo, great memories!
I wonder..,.. were there cats in those areas? The turkey may have been spotting coyote or mountain lion.
Great stories here..
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wahoo
PostPosted: Wed Feb 20, 2019 12:56 pm  Reply with quote



Joined: 22 Jan 2015
Posts: 345

Pronghorn, the ranch lies about 40 miles north of the border with old Mexico. Those predators you mentioned were a constant threat on this ranch’s goat herds.

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1929 Thomas Bland 16ga SxS 28"
1947 Browning A5 16ga 28"
1948 BRNO 16ga SxS 27.5"
1949 Stevens 530 16ga SxS 28"
1950 Stevens 311A 12ga SxS 30"
1952 BRNO 12ga SxS 28.25"
1963 Superposed O/U 12ga 27"
1968 V Bernardelli SxS 12ga 28"
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Pine Creek/Dave
PostPosted: Wed Feb 20, 2019 2:27 pm  Reply with quote



Joined: 17 Mar 2017
Posts: 2787
Location: Endless Mountains of Pa

gunflintcharlie,


Don was actually an ol" cowboy for real, I sure do miss him also. He was the only man I ever knew who had another 16 gauge 1913 L.C. Smith Hammer Gun like mine.

He was a good friend. Don also knew the Texas Ranger who ordered my #4 L.C. Smith Double gun, and the story behind that guns theft from the Rangers Saddle scabbard by a notorious Texas bad man, which the Ranger finally captured.

Don Moody was pretty much a Texas Legend in his own right, although he never wanted the notoriety.

Proud to have called him my good friend.

Pine Creek/Dave
L.C. Smith Man

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wahoo
PostPosted: Wed Feb 20, 2019 8:08 pm  Reply with quote



Joined: 22 Jan 2015
Posts: 345

What I’d give to know what all my guns have experienced and who with!

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1929 Thomas Bland 16ga SxS 28"
1947 Browning A5 16ga 28"
1948 BRNO 16ga SxS 27.5"
1949 Stevens 530 16ga SxS 28"
1950 Stevens 311A 12ga SxS 30"
1952 BRNO 12ga SxS 28.25"
1963 Superposed O/U 12ga 27"
1968 V Bernardelli SxS 12ga 28"
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gunflint charlie
PostPosted: Wed Feb 20, 2019 9:58 pm  Reply with quote
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Joined: 21 Jan 2006
Posts: 507
Location: Black Hills of SD

Pine Creek/Dave -- Don's the only other guy I knew of who owned a European version of the Win. M-23. Mine's a 12 ga. and if I remember right his was a 20. His also differed from mine slightly in one or two details. Enjoyed comparing notes with him about those guns. Also shared his appreciation of the often denigrated M-21.

Jay
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fin2feather
PostPosted: Thu Feb 21, 2019 9:06 am  Reply with quote
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Joined: 06 Aug 2004
Posts: 2171
Location: Kansas High Plains

Don and I corresponded on Hexigraph fly rods; we both liked them and we took some guff from the "bamboo purists" over it. I never met him in person but I miss him on the boards.

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I feel a warm spot in my heart when I meet a man whiling away an afternoon...and stopping to chat with him, hear the sleek lines of his double gun whisper "Sixteen." - Gene Hill, Shotgunner's Notebook
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Pine Creek/Dave
PostPosted: Thu Feb 21, 2019 12:39 pm  Reply with quote



Joined: 17 Mar 2017
Posts: 2787
Location: Endless Mountains of Pa

F2F,

I also have a Hex Rod and it fishes well, mostly a purist myself, however I consider the Hex Rod a very special little tool. Not quite the fly rod my F.E. Thomas 7' 3 WGT is, however to me none are.

I like the Hex rods myself!

Pine Creek/Dave
L.C. Smith Man

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Stack16
PostPosted: Wed Mar 06, 2019 7:38 pm  Reply with quote
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Joined: 27 Jun 2007
Posts: 392
Location: St. Charles, MO




Hopefully a pic of the one and only Don Moody (ole cowboy)
Yea I done it. this was a pic taken at one of the Flatwater events.


Last edited by Stack16 on Wed Mar 06, 2019 7:50 pm; edited 1 time in total

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Stack16
PostPosted: Wed Mar 06, 2019 7:49 pm  Reply with quote
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Joined: 27 Jun 2007
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Location: St. Charles, MO



And now I will try to get a pic. up of" Ole Southern Lawyer" Who has sadly passed on as well, I forgot his real name.

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