An Old Tattered Coat
 

While packing my stuff for my move back home to Pawling, NY, I came across my grandfathers old Duxback hunting coat. He told me he bought it in the 20's and used it till he could no longer hunt. It has extensive old browned blood stains on each side of the game pocket. I can't imagine the number of grouse that old coat held. I never used it since my grandfather bought me a new coat when I started hunting. But I've decided I'm going to use it now. I'll have the holes repaired and other things done by a tailor to put it back in shape. But I decided that will be my hunting coat going forward. Its canvass so I might treat it with wax to make it waterproof again. But I sure am blessed to be able to use his coat and hunt grouse with his VH 20 this year. I plan to use both till I'm not longer able to hunt. Then I'll pass them down in the family as keepsakes with the story of each.

Good on you! I would love to see pictures of this heirloom coat!

It's a good way to "take him hunting with you.
 

I hunt with my dad and grandfathers hats, guns and coats. It sure brings back memories. My sons wonder why I use the old stuff. Maybe someday they will use some of my old stuff.

I have my dad's old no-name hunting vest; unfortunately there's too much of me and not nearly enough vest these days :crying:! But I'll never get rid of it. Good on you for using the old stuff; tradition lives!!!! And another vote for pics!

Thanks for asking for pic's guys. My camera is packed away in a moving box and I have no idea which one. But I plan to post pictures of the coat and my most recent Damascus refinishing when I find it. I'll have pictures of the coat and grouse this fall along with the 20 bore. I don't have a setter this year so I'll have to have my retriever do double duty as a flush and retrieve dog. He's a great retriever and will find birds for me. I hate to go into the grouse woods without a setter, but I'll have to since I won't hunt grouse or any other bird without a dog, even though grouse is one bird that can be successfully hunted without one. I thought I was going to be able to get a pup from Dean's breeder but it was a false pregnancy. I'm hoping that I can get a dog by March so I will be able to send it for training for two months at four months old and have a setter to hunt with by October. I'll send it back to the trainer after the season for another month or two to finish up. Then comes the long process of turning it into a true grouse dog which will take two or three years if the dog is good. The only thing that makes a true grouse dog is one that has a lot of grouse shot over it.

Very cool! I have a similar coat and several old vests, but they don't fit me, unfortunately.

I too have my fathers old hunting coat and hat. coat is a olive green tin cloth and hat is old school brown camo. I will do a woodduck hunt with them this year with his 20 ga A - 5 like he loved to do.
scott

You are fortunate to have your fathers stuff to hunt with. I liked the old A-5's although I never owned one. I have only owned side by sides. But the Belgian A-5's are classics. I used to kid my buddy Jeff, who collected them, that only a side by side is worthy to take into the woods with a setter. I told him he was disrespecting the birds by taking them with an auto. It was all in fun of course. A 20 bore A-5 is a great old gun. You will have a ball taking woodducks with it and have a bit of your father there with you. Nothing better in the world.