Pheasants on hammergun
 

A parker hammergun on gunbroker item 258121627 caught my eye. It has pheasants engraved on the sideplates but its serial number puts its manufacture in the early 1880s. I didnt think that pheasant hunting took place until 30 or 40 years after this gun was produced. Anyone have any insight on this?

Although there were many early attempts at stocking (I remeber mention of George Washington trying) the first successful stocking was about 1881 in Oregon, were the first season was held about 10 years later, by 1908 there were seasons in the Dakotas.

So - for a 1880's dated gun - the engraving would most likely be a later addition or the gun belonged to Nostradamus

Damascus Grade 2s usually have a 'D' or 'D3'. I've not seen a 'DH'?
And what in the world is the brass inlay for???

http://pic20.picturetrail.com:80/VOL.../399300348.jpg

According to Wikipedia, pheasants were introduced in North America in 1857.

The Gunbroker gun is interesting. A 3 frame 10ga might be a bit heavy after a long walk.

Thanks I hadnt noticed the brass it also looks like the serial numbers on the barrel dont match the frame. Must be an assembled gun. Ive got a couple of early parkers from the 1890s and 1900s and no pheasants just things that look like prairie chickens and ducks. My G from the 1920s has pheasants so it caught my attention when I saw these nice looking pheasants on such an old gun.

Brent, The number visible on the barrel flats is the order number. These are commonly found on early guns.

The last three digits of the serial number (257) are stamped into the rear of the barrel lug. You can just barely make it out in picture 20. Note also what appear to be the initials "J.S."

The gun is not an assembled gun. However, back to the original question; Judge Denny brought the first birds over in 1881, the second batch in 1882. The first batch was observed with young the first year. The gun was apparently built in 1882. I have a feeling that the pheasant importation was pretty big news in the hunting press of the day. I have some mention of Judge Denny in sporting papers of the 1880s. I think he was pretty well known. Is the 1882 Parker the first engraving of a pheasant on an American shotgun? I don't know, but it's something to investigate. There couldn't have been more than a few hundred pheasants in this country when that gun was made.

The engraving looks like parker style although the pheasants are acutally better than on my 230xxx G hammerless. I hadnt looked at enough engraved hammerguns to know whether these birds were unusual or the norm.

I remember my great Uncle who was probably born in the late 1890s told me about going hunting for pheasant on the first day that they were legal game in the part of Indiana where he lived. I guess by that time (not sure of the year) they were really common and a nuisance. He describe the first hunt was more like shooting chickens than game birds. By the time I got to hunt them they had learned alot.