The ramblings of a curmudgeon.

[Tom Black]

I’m kinda new to this forum an if this thread offends anyone I humbly apologize. First, I love old guns, old camping/fishing equipment, an vintage hunting pictures. I try and hunt as they did years ago. I abhor camo, synthetic stocked guns, hunting over feeders (bait). I’m a curmudgeon.
This first picture is of brothers Jess and Lloyd Peters. They were fanatical bird hunters. I grew up in Livingston Co. KY and when I was very young Jess was our neighbor. Dad said Jess hunted with 20 gauge Model 12 that had a stock made by Jess. I have searched the country over for it without any luck. Dad said Jess never missed a bird. He had an old bird dog, cream colored with spots and long silky hair. His name was Nicky. I can remember dad an I going to visit Jess, them sitting close by the fireplace, Nicky stretched out in front of it, his old bones soaking up the warmth and me rubbing his soft ears. One summer Jess backed over the old fellow with his pickup, killing him. That was it for Jess and bird hunting. Because of my jet black hair, Jess nick named me Little Beaver.
In 1967, my 2 cousins, Jimmy and Doug Black killed 555 quail around home. Jim used an early Superposed with a solid rib. Doug hunted with a Fox Sterlingworth. Both guns were 12’s. I know where the Browning lives but the Sterlingworth is long gone. This was a 60 day season. Enjoy.
Tom Black




Next is my Trojan. It’s not a safe queen and certainly not in the league of some of the Parker’s I see on this forum. The receiver has been refinished long ago but she’s as tight as the day made and the barrels ring like wind chimes when thumped. It was made in 1930.



My first love, after my wife are old Winchester’s. I killed this doe a few weeks ago with my light weight ‘86 in 33 WCF. It was made in 1910.



Opening day of our modern day deer season I killed this 16 point non typical with my 375 H&H Model 70, it was made in ‘57. I had downloaded a Speer 235 bullet an it kicks about like my old steel butted ‘06 does loaded with 180’s.




In 1935, my great uncle and name sake bought this little Winchester Model 67. It was the first gun I ever shot. It has been in our family for 85 years. It now belongs to my cousin. He was good enough to loan it to me a few weeks ago an I killed 2 young grays with it. She is in very rough shape but as far as I’m concerned, it’s priceless.