Fishing and Shooting Sketches

[Milton C Starr]

This came in the mail today a first edition of Fishing and Shooting Sketches by Grover Cleveland. I want to say thanks to Garry L Gordon for recommending it, I am going to try and sit down and read through it soon. So far I have read a little of his view on rabbit hunting, right off the bat his way of using insults gave me a good laugh. One line in particular sounds like something Clint Eastwood would say in a western. The book looks to be in decent shape the only fading is on one of the first pages the rest looks crisp.

[mobirdhunter]

Uh, Oh...we have a budding book collector (and Big Bore Master!).

[Milton C Starr]

Originally Posted by Garry L Gordon

Uh, Oh...we have a budding book collector (and Big Bore Master!).

The big bore stuff definitely has a learning curve to it which I doubt most hunters of my generation will take interest in. I guess I feel a bit obligated to these old big guns because once their current caretakers pass I think the majority of them wont see the outside of a gun safe again. Any big gun I own I will carry them in the field if hulls are hard to come by in the future I will buy brass ones if plastic wads follow suit I will load fiber if lead goes away I will eat the cost and shoot bismuth. I just turned 29 recently and hope to carry the big bores for at least a couple decades in the field.

I could see acquiring a few more books such as this one. In one of the sketches im 99% sure it is of a LC Smith the side plates look identical to one. He mentions shooting shore birds in Cape Cod during the summer, What birds would these have been ?

[mobirdhunter]

Originally Posted by Milton C Starr

The big bore stuff definitely has a learning curve to it which I doubt most hunters of my generation will take interest in. I guess I feel a bit obligated to these old big guns because once their current caretakers pass I think the majority of them wont see the outside of a gun safe again. Any big gun I own I will carry them in the field if hulls are hard to come by in the future I will buy brass ones if plastic wads follow suit I will load fiber if lead goes away I will eat the cost and shoot bismuth. I just turned 29 recently and hope to carry the big bores for at least a couple decades in the field.

I could see acquiring a few more books such as this one. In one of the sketches im 99% sure it is of a LC Smith the side plates look identical to one. He mentions shooting shore birds in Cape Cod during the summer, What birds would these have been ?

There were many varieties of birds that were hunted without season or limit -- dowitchers, sandpipers, snipe, willets, etc. As an aside, plover on toast was fine dining, indeed. I saw a recipe for greater yellow legs in an old (mid-19th C.) hunting book. In Kansas, meadowlarks were shot, as were robins. In our recent Parker Pages there's an account of eating stew made with redwing blackbirds. Snipe was one of the more common targets until their numbers dropped so much that the season was closed. It's hard to imaging just how much wildlife there was in America, and how inexhaustible it seemed at the time.

I'm really glad to see you take up the banner for those old big bore guns, Milton. Keep up the good work!

[mobirdhunter]

https://www.gunsinternational.com/gu...n_id=101832541


You need this gun!

[Milton C Starr]

Originally Posted by Garry L Gordon

https://www.gunsinternational.com/gu...n_id=101832541


You need this gun!

Haha I look at that gun at least once a day definitely a dream gun it checks all the boxes then some.

[Milton C Starr]

Originally Posted by Garry L Gordon

There were many varieties of birds that were hunted without season or limit -- dowitchers, sandpipers, snipe, willets, etc. As an aside, plover on toast was fine dining, indeed. I saw a recipe for greater yellow legs in an old (mid-19th C.) hunting book. In Kansas, meadowlarks were shot, as were robins. In our recent Parker Pages there's an account of eating stew made with redwing blackbirds. Snipe was one of the more common targets until their numbers dropped so much that the season was closed. It's hard to imaging just how much wildlife there was in America, and how inexhaustible it seemed at the time.

I'm really glad to see you take up the banner for those old big bore guns, Milton. Keep up the good work!

The page before Cleveland writing about summer shore birds does show what I think is a sketch of a snipe but he doesnt mention it specifically. Would you happen to know of any books that are about the origins of what or why certain birds are considered game birds? Its something I have wondered about what makes a game bird a game bird and another species a non game bird?

[mobirdhunter]

Originally Posted by Milton C Starr

The page before Cleveland writing about summer shore birds does show what I think is a sketch of a snipe but he doesnt mention it specifically. Would you happen to know of any books that are about the origins of what or why certain birds are considered game birds? Its something I have wondered about what makes a game bird a game bird and another species a non game bird?

I'd have to think more about any literature to specifically answer your good question. Remember early on, almost any bird (of size and worth of expending powder and shot) was considered a target. After seasons were established, when numbers dropped, seasons were closed (the early form of game management). What had developed into a tradition (shore bird hunting, for example), was lost. When seasons were re-established after the closures, what was deemed "game" was redefined through whatever processes existed in a state to enact laws (an exception were the migratory bird laws, which are federal in nature and established by treaty -- and an interesting topic in an of themselves). You can still see the evidence of our regard for what is game, songbird, and/or vermin in our current hunting practices. There was a time when, if you purchased a hunting license of some states, there was tacit agreement (and sometimes explicit) that you would shoot all hawks (and free roaming cats in some states). There's some fascinating history to examine in all of this.

[charlie cleveland]

good reading ....I have to get this book to if I can find it...old grover was quite a big man in size at least...charlie

[Milton C Starr]

Originally Posted by charlie cleveland

good reading ....I have to get this book to if I can find it...old grover was quite a big man in size at least...charlie

Charlie theres a few different reprints in the $20-$60 range with some being leather bound. So far I am enjoying Cleveland's writings I dont know much about him. There are a few sentences that have stood out to me to paraphrase a bit
" Any loafer I meet with a dog and gun I consider a friend". He does have some very strong opinions that not everyone will agree with but I still find enjoyment with his words if not for anything else you can tell he was extremely passionate about the pursuit of waterfowl.