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Joined: 07 Mar 2010 Posts: 483 Location: South Eastern PA

The second season in NJ's south zone opened last Thursday and I skipped my company Christmas party and made the drive to meet up with a couple of buddies. We hit some coverts that we had left alone in the early season that were along the Delaware bay that we thought should produce as the weather got colder. We were lucky and the birds were there in good numbers resting and eating before they crossed the bay on their way through Delaware, Maryland and Virginia on their way south.

It was a great day. There was a steady stream of activity for over 5 hours and there were more than 20 flushes before we took our 9 bird limit. There were great shots, embarrassing misses and flushes that were impossible to get a bead on for a shot. The dogs were happy to get back at it after a couple of weeks off during the main deer season. My pedometer registered just over 10,000 steps on fairly flat ground that is a mass of Russian olive, multi-flora rose, sapling stands so thick that they were hard to walk through, and a bit of slash from old logging.

I was the only one using a 16 gauge fox loaded with paper 8 RST's and paper 9's from my stash of vintage Winchester Skeet ammo. The aroma from those shells was intoxicating to say the least. The others were slumming it with a couple of 20 gauge Browning's that had the barrels stacked all wrong!

We finished the day with a toast to Hubertus, the patron saint of hunter's as usual. All in all a great day.

Will you adopt me? Smile

ROMAC,

Outstanding day with a beautiful Fox 16 double gun.

all the best,

Pie Creek/Dave
L.C. Smith Man

Joined: 09 Aug 2007 Posts: 444 Location: WI

I don't know what powder RST used in those paper shells, but they do smell great. I was so thrilled to find almost a full case out in the barn last fall. The "brass" is a little rusty in spots, but they still go bang!

Joined: 17 Oct 2019 Posts: 456 Location: New Jersey

Beautiful Fox, who engraved it? We moved to Ocean County in June 2021 and I absolutely love it. Grew up in Warren county on a dairy farm. It’s amazing down here, like a different state. I’m a saltwater fishing nut (preferably fluke) which was one of the big motivators. I even left my job of 12 years and found something down here. Glad to see you got into them. I spent a week in Maine this year and the lack of them was amazing, grouse as well. 😂

Joined: 07 Mar 2010 Posts: 483 Location: South Eastern PA

Joined: 17 Oct 2019 Posts: 456 Location: New Jersey

Yes he’s incredible. I’ve spoken with him and watched him engrave a cigar cutter. Truly talented individual.

ROMAC,

GG is definitely a Master Engraver and you were very lucky to have him Engrave your Fox gun. One of the truly modern Master Engravers and GG is right here in Pa! With Churchill gone now, IMO GG is tops in his field.

all the best,

Pine Creek/Dave
L.C. Smith Man

Joined: 07 Mar 2010 Posts: 483 Location: South Eastern PA

PC/D,

You are right! For my money, Gournet is the best!

You may recall that I had him put some finishing flourishes on a 16 gauge LC Smith that I found in the white about 10 years ago. I had him make me faux Crown Grade upgrade on a tight budget, he outperformed my expectations.

This is how I found it:

What he gave me:

Joined: 22 May 2020 Posts: 268 Location: Ky

Thanks for sharing! Put a big smile on my face. Beautiful gun and birds. Need a dog pic to go with those.

ROMAC,

Beautiful job on the top of the Breech work, did you ever go back an have any of the side lock upgraded also? Not many engravers capable of emulating Kraus & Spanglers work.

all the best,

Pine Creek/Dave
L.C. Smith Man

Romac, great report , wish I could have been there , especially for the tipples at the end of the hunt , they were well deserved.
Thanks for letting us in on your day, WJ.

Joined: 07 Mar 2010 Posts: 483 Location: South Eastern PA

ROMAC,
Nice gun with some custom engraving!

all the best,

Pine Creek/Dave
L.C. Smith Man

Joined: 07 Mar 2010 Posts: 483 Location: South Eastern PA

Dave,

The gang and I got out for another woodcock hunt before the Christmas Holidays mess things up for us what with family obligations, gift giving, keeping up traditions, and gourmet meals and other such nonsense during hunting season.

It was a good time. I'll let the pictures do the talking.

Faith had a lot of heart today and really worked the briars.

Emma was also super and staunch on point.

There was a lot of sign everywhere with chalk splash letting us know where they have been.

We all used 16's today, I had Reynard, my Gournet engraved custom Fox, one Buddy used a Sterlingworth and the other a minty Jaeger imported Masquelier from the 60's.

My first timberdoodle of the day lost quite a few feathers, some of which landed in a deep puddle. The winter sky and a barren tree made a nice reflection.

We toasted Hubertus before the drive home, wishing each other a merry Christmas and planned the next hunt before the season closes in early January.

Merry Christmas everybody!