Kansas Snow, Cold and Birds ( Dunkle Approved)

[Bruce Day]

Several of us returned last night from western Kansas. We came back early, got chased out by a snowstorm, some who had further to go are still enroute.

Anyway, had a great time with friends, good birddogs, saw plenty of birds but they were a little skittish this late in the season.

Here are some photos, I think others will add to them. Some of the photos show some interesting guns of Doc Van Blaricum and his lower level rec room. Others are of a gun room in an old hotel in Medicine Lodge. The owner is a ret Marine and worked after retirement for Bill Ruger. Has a ranch outside town and owns the gunshop.

There are some photos of an interesting Parker CHE 12ga.on a 1 frame. Two barrel set, the #1 barrels are 26" rib inscription "Mfg for C A Winship Palms California by Parker Bros" and those barrels are 12ga and rifled bores. Its a 118SN gun, rondelle side panel engraving. It went back for a second barrel set, those are 31" 's and it looks like Parker put a new buttstock on. Numbered, etc.

Anyway, we moved a bunch of birds, had a great time. Charlie Herzog, John Dunkle, Bill Bolyard, Doc Van, Don and Matt Hornung ( my friends from Dodge) their implement dealer customer Don York from Chowchilla Ca, and myself. Don York had come out from Ca to get a big whitetail, did OK, shot a 250 pounder 11point. He said he saw some bigger whitetails and mulies but did not get a shot.

Lots of hard flying quail. Got some big roosters.

Will close the season in Kansas at the end of Jan. Weather could be anything from 60 to -10, and there are plenty of birds.

[Dean Romig]

Those are some great pictures Bruce (except the ones of the Parker which lack a bit of detail).
John keeps forgetting to swing by my house to pick me up on his way to the airport. Oh well, maybe another time.

[SXS OHIO]

The weather was warmer during our trip last week, the coldest day started at 9 degrees, all sunshine and breezy. The wind chill was -1 ...Hunting in the snow should be great fun to...

[Bruce Day]

50-100 pheasants were seen exiting one field, so we left plenty for an end of season hunt in Jan. I'll be quail hunting a couple more times until then. The quail being held by John Dunkle is typical northern bobwhite size....a bit bigger than what you see down south. One of the fellows shot a pheasant with a 31 bar tail and is having it mounted...we get some big, long spurred 2nd and 3rd year birds.

Last year we closed the season hunting in shirt sleeves because it was so warm. Right now its cold and cloudy but the weather quickly changes out here. I believe the fellows had a good time.

Fun time with the young setters and CH and I are pleased with the work of 9 month setters. I'd always heard that they are slower developing than pointers and take about 2 years before they are hunting well for you. We haven't found that to be true at all. This Llewellin setter has developed at the same rate as my now old Elhew pointer. The setter can sometimes fill with burs and thistles but the pointer gets rubbed raw by them on his legs whereas the setter does not.

Dean, the CHE 12ga two barrel set was interesting because I had not seen a rifle bored Parker barrel before. I have seen rifled barrels that were Belgium made and fitted to Parkers but this is clearly a correct Parker barrel. What is not known is whether Parker cut the rifling and the documentation is silent on that. Anyway, its a high end high condition gun with nice C grade rondelle engraving. You know, some of these guys get on here and they say "get a letter" like the letter would be the final and definitive word on everything about the gun. Well its not and is often only a starting point and a person falls back on looking at little details noticed through long experience with Parkers and through talking with the handful of people who really know their Parkers.

[Dean Romig]

Good points on the issue of a PGCA Research Letter Bruce. There are often things about a particular gun that a letter just doesn't address even though we often 'know' a feature to be 'original'.
There is a rifled hammer gun at the Buffalo Bill Museum in Cody WY. that I will post a picture of tonight.
Dean

[Brush Buster]

Bruce ,That is the first C grade I have seen with the rondell engraving that wasn't a damascus barreled gun ,How about your self ,do you know of others ? Maybe that is a bit of rarity in the gun itself ? Looks like you guys had a great trip ! Thanks for the pics !!! Russ

[Dean Romig]

Rifled Parker in the Buffalo Bill Museum.

The sculpting of the stock and "nose of the comb" very closely resemble Robin's 16 ga. B hammer lifter.

[Bruce Day]

B/Gen Nelson Miles was a famous regular army general in the west. Miles City, Mt is named after him. Wonder what its chambered in? 45-70?

[Harry Collins]

Bruce,

My double rifle is in 45/70 and as the velocity of that shell is about the same as a standard shot shell load I already know how to swing on a running animal to hit it. I would think that the General would choose the 45/70 for that reason as well as the Government was supplying the ammo! Alas, I do not know.

Ever been to the "Bucking Horse Sale" in Miles City? Oh, don't ever drink too much and talk about that sale in mixxed company.

Harry

[Bill Bolyard]

Monday everyone deserted me in Kansas. It seems the thought of three inches of snow was too much for these guys. Anyway I still managed to have fun.

Bolyard