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I should mention a little chapter I re-discovered on my latest re-read of George Bird Evans' The Upland Shooting Life. (A short memory is a wonderful thing sometimes. Wink

) Near the back of the book, this chapter is entitled "Shooting Flying", and it is as excellent a treatise on shooting ethics, mentality, psychology and technique in the field, gun fit, choke and configuration, and loads as you will ever find in one place. All this from a half century or more ago, and still fresh, useful and better than anything I've seen from the current wizards in the magazines of the last few decades.

Give it a read, if you can. You will be entertained, and likely will find yourself in it somewhere.

Cheers!
Tony

Guest

Tony, I've read the book and his shooting comments more than once, and each time I come away with an appreciation for his knowledge and experience. He knew what he was talking about.

Max Smoke,

Excellent reading for sure, GBE's ethics are typical of our Grouse hunting sportsmen here in Pa. George grew up in south west Pa, his father was an avid Quail & Grouse hunter who owned Setter dogs most of the time. He started out hunting Quail with his father, learned to hunt Grouse in Fayette and Somerset County as a young man. His father and fathers's friends were responsible for GBE's ethical views on bird hunting.
I highly recommend all his Grouse hunting books, I have a collection of them myself. Some very fine reading and for new Grouse hunters a wealth of knowledge.

The upland Shooting Life was his 1st book. One of his very best.

Pine Creek/Dave
L.C. Smith Man

GBE & his great Ryman Grouse dog Ruff returning from a Grouse hunt.

Joined: 17 Oct 2019 Posts: 455 Location: New Jersey

I don’t hunt with a dog. I prefer jump hunting them and yes I’m a glutton for punishment. I have this book but have not yet read it. My uncle met him a few times and had some books signed by him. The picture above, for me is what grouse hunting is all about. It’s a sport of heritage. I love the old upland pics also. Grouse hunting is something that’s very hard to modernize. Other than GPS it really hasn’t changed and that’s what I love about it. I’m basically carrying the same gun in the same covers as they did 100 years a ago. I hope to get some time to read the book soon.

Swampy,

Definitely make time to read GBE's books, great winter time reading after Grouse season is over!

Like you my double guns are all mostly over 100 years old, they have been handed down thru the ages and are a major part of our family Grouse hunting tradition.

I do recommend you purchase a good Grouse dog however, nothing beats watching a great Grouse dog do it's job in the big forest, and they are the #1 reason sportsman become interested in upland hunting, especially Grouse & Woodcock hunting.

Pine Creek/Dave
L.C. Smith Man

Lots of real nice Grouse Dog to choose from, like Pine Creek Ripper our male Gordon Grouse Dog. Long gone to Gods great forest in the sky his memory lives on here at home.

Joined: 17 Oct 2019 Posts: 455 Location: New Jersey

Thread drift is a wonderful thing, isn't it . . . Rolling Eyes

MS,

Great conversations no doubt about it. Reading covers a lot of territory where Grouse hunting is concerned. Did not mean to alter your thread.

Pine Creek/Dave
L.C. Smith Man

Member Joined: 16 Dec 2007 Posts: 592 Location: Minnesota

When you read the chapter now it feels like rehashed perspectives until you remember at the time of publication it was a wealth of insight that has been repeated by many authors over the years. GBE was not the first to cover the topic but he surely described things in detail in an easy to read and understand manner. Whatever your views might be of GBE the chapter under discussion is an enjoyable and insightful read.

++ PatrickB. Great photo. Maybe that dog's nose reminds him that gun is connected to you and is a big part of where the fun is. Never sell short what goes on in a dog's mind. He probably has great memories. Super gun, too!

Cheers!
Tony

PatricB,

Good dog, great gun enjoy!

Pine Creek/Dave
L.C. Smith Man

Patrick,
Great gun and dog. If I got my gun cleaning that close to our orientals I would get skinned.

Good Hunting,
Mike

Guest

Dave E,

I sure do agree, real nice gun and dog. It has always been hard for me to realize a perfume company actually owns H&H. I do kind of wish that some wealthy Corp had purchased the Hunter Arms/L.C. Smith Company back when it needed saving.

Pine Creek/Dave
L.C. Smith Man

L.C. Smith sure made some pretty guns at their highest grades and price levels, but saving the company? I doubt we could have afforded those guns if they were made today. If we wanted true "bests" or something cosmetically close to them, we have always had so many others of better design, craft and beauty -- but that would be in the eye of the beholder, as is oft said. Dave, I bet you aren't a fan of what Dewey Vicknair says here about classic U. S. double gun designs, but he makes a lot of good calls from an internal design standpoint on stuff most owners/users cannot see:

https://vicknairgunsmithing.blogspot.com/2016/01/an-unbiased-look-at-design-of-american.html

I am, however, glad some folks (you for one) are preserving the best looking examples, and keeping them employed as it was meant.

Cheers!
Tony