George Bird Evans
 

although not a Parker person , the Canaan Valley Visitor Center will present a program on the life of GBE on Sat.March 16 at 7:00pm. Even though I live in WV, that would still be 3 hrs away. Still, it would be an interesting program for those of us living the upland life. I believe the phone # for more information is 304-866-3858.
I believe GBE started out with his AH Fox, then the little Purdy, and in later years after a rotator cuff tear, an AYA 28.
I actually ran into him in the Cannan around 1988.

Hello Harold ,Thanks for the info. this would be a very interesting program ! You were quite fortunate to run into Mr. Evans ,Did you two Gentlemen take some time and visit about Dogs ,Grouse ,Guns etc. ? Were you carrying that beautiful little Fox A Grade at the time of the meeting ? Russ

George Bird Evans was very much a new experience for me with his writing about the West Virginia mountains, which I had never been in or driven through. Nor had I ever hunted over the Ryman/Old Hemlock line of English setters, in fact we seldom saw them out here. Nevertheless reading about his life and hunts and dogs was wonderful.

I obtained many of his books from Mr Evans and had them personally signed, a wonderful momento. So many fine people and great experiences.

To your point Bruce, another interesting story is that of the Ryman line itself. I remember reading a story of the history of these setters in which hunters in eastern Pa. would board trains (dogs and guns) and go to the massive timbering tracts to grouse hunt. I would have loved to see the working guns that those gents had along for the ride...

I bred my setter bitch into the Lyman line and she produced two great litters. In the second litter, we kept a tri-colored female (Penny). At six months she produced her very first point on grouse (So. Ohio) and was steady to winb to boot! Unfortunately Penny got loose one day on me after we had moved back to Massachusetts and was hit by a car on the road and killed. Broke our hearts.

in my humble opinion, evan's first book was his best...the rest were...kinda redundant?

John, one of the working guns was a 20 bore LC Smith skeet special with two sets of barrels that I bought from Mrs, Ryman after her husband passed away. The Rymans bred some great grouse and woodcock setters.

I meant to say Ryman in my previous post. Molly, my setter bitch, was bred with one of the Ryman dogs and produced two great litters. This was when we lived in Minford, Ohio (7 years) which is in the sourthern central end of Ohio about 15 miles north of Portsmouth. Our property abutted about 1000 acres of prime woodland and we could litteraly walk out the back door and into superb grouse and woodcock cover. It was a bummer when we had to transfer back to Mass. The Ryman line of setters were just beautiful dogs, very biddable and a pleasure to work with. We made a practice of giving one pup away from each litter and selling the rest for $100 each! (1984-85).

I had the pleasure of flying down to Pittsburgh and drove down to see GBE at Old Hemlock in June 1997. Together, with GBE and Kay, we spent a pleasurable day talking about all things important to the lives of these two people and how they arrived at their own Shangri-la. The memory lives within me - as though it was last week I was there.

I was greeted by Manton, GBE's last dog, when I drove up the wooded trail they called a driveway. We sat together in Old Hemlock and whiled away the day, sipping tea, having light sandwiches for lunch and looking at the library of manuscripts, photographs and an original songsheet of Dixie on the piano. The conclusion of the day was GBE signing a copy of the 5 mystery books compilation in a slipcase.

Later, when I got back home, it came to me that they learned as much about me as I did about their lives. If ever there was a moment in the life of a book collector, Parker gun owner, English Setter owner and lover of gunning from days gone by, this was it. Truly, a magic day.

I envy you John. I corresponded with George through Kay for several years.

He was always very interested in my annual flush rates and was amazed and a bit envious of the grouse and woodcock hunting riches we have here in MN.

I have guided Roy Sisler and Glenn Baker who were both very well acquainted with the Evan's. Each shared stories about the couple and their dogs.

I would have liked to have spent a day with them as you did.

My new pup "Lily" is as close as I've ever been to a Old Hemlock type dog and my decision to go this direction was at least partially influenced by the writings and correspondence with George Evans.

Jay

I have posted this before - but for those who have not seen it and are curious about George and Kay, the house and the setters

http://www.oldhemlock.org/

we were supposed to be there today, but waking to a broken furnance yesterday put an end to travel plans. the highlight of our year's social calendar missed :crying:

Rick, I am dissapointed that you didnt get to come down for the OH reunion. It sounded like you were really looking forward to it.Is that event open to the public--would be a grand site to see all those setters. My cousin was George and Kay's dentisit at one time-her office was in Bruceton Mills.
I am just finishing my prep for a colonoscopy today, so this day cant end soon enough. There is a local gun show tomorrow in Moundsville, Wv, but I have to be in Columbus, Oh for a cont. ed. class--on the bright side I will stop at Buckeye Outdoors to pick up a bunch of reloading supplies on the way home.

we are very disappointed to put it mildly, we were relieved to see that storm was not going to keep us away, then this happened. We can't express how much we will miss seeing many of those friends and the dogs until another year passes again.

Sorry but no, the reunion is not open to the public.

Colonoscopy :shock: I guess a broken furnace isn;t so bad after all. :rolleyes:

Take a look at Feb 2010 issue (click on Ryman setter) , good history on Rymans. www.penngamenews.com

GBE
 

My father, brothers and I were hunting turkey along the Alleghany ridge just east of Johnstown PA. It was in the late 1970's. We were at the truck having lunch. A station wagon pulled up next to us. My dad and I walked over. There was an older couple with two large English Setters in the back. The Lady was driving. They asked if there were any birds around. We told them about the turkey. They were only interested in grouse. My father commented, there not from around here.
Ten or so years later I got into grouse hunting. After reading a few of GBE's books the memory of that afternoon came back to me. I'm 99% sure that I met George and Kay. As time went on I bought every book George wrote. The coverts I hunt are just a couple of hours north of WV.
My wife and I made the pilgrimage to Old Hemlock in the early 90's. We spent an afternoon walking and talking with Kay and Manton. I asked Kay about the time we may have met. She didn't remember the details but said it was very likely,her George would sometimes make trips to PA looking for new areas to hunt.
If only our meeting was ten years later, I would have loved to hunt with them. But, after reading all of his books, it seems like I did.