NEW PARKER PAGES

[Paul Harm]

They just keep getting better - enjoyed every page. Two thumbs up for everyone. Paul

[Old and Reliable]

I especially enjoyed Jack's great story- his Dad must have been a real deadly shot on birds with that old VH 12- to shoot that well consistently in a mixed bag day back then- ducks, geese and pheasants- sort of belies the old adage of "Beware the man who shoots one gun"-- My late maternal grandfather shot a bit like Jack's Dad- also my father- both with a glorious mix of both Parker and Model 12's- all 12 gauge-

Labs weren't as big in our areas back then, we had Springer Spaniels, and you had to hustle to keep up with them, but Boy Howdy did they put up the pheasants back then-usually about 3 Hens to each Rooster in ratio, which foretold a good brood for the next year- So Express No. 6 shot loads and tighter chokes than if hunting quail or dove (both protected in the Buckeye State then, as was Sunday hunting)-- hence my preference yet today I suppose.

My first car was a 1951 Chevy coupe with the three-piece rear window, three on the tree stick, and both a pull out choke and throttle lock, still the key but by then a push button on the dash had replaced the foot starter pedal above and to the right of the accelerator- the Pontiac and Jack's first driving experience was a nice added touch- back then GM built their cars like Sherman tanks-with real heavy gauge steel--

[charlie cleveland]

in our neck of the woods we hunted with about all breed of bird dogs ive seen top notch dogs in all of the breeds... but in my personel opinion the german shoirt hair was one of the easiest to train..my dad had a couple short hairs that were natualpointers.they never were trained they trained themselves....one of themwas so gentle if you raised your voice to her to loud she did not hunt for you the rest of the day...if she went and retrieved you bird and it was still alive it she would not harm it...ive seen her bring birds to my dad unharmed that shehad found that had never flushed to him unharmed too.... she was the best best and gentlest dog we ever owned or should i say priveleged to keep company with her...her name was PENNY AND SHE POINTED HER FIRST COVEY OF QUAIL AT 12 WEEKS OLD....atlas penny has been gone for some years now...i dont have a bird dog any more but have a lot of fond memories of the ones i was around growing up....my dad always hunted with the double barrels till the late60s then he like about a jillion others went to the browning A5....my dad also only shot the 12 ga... he also was a good shot.....i never was able tobeat him shooting....my dad dont hunt much more the years have caught up with him but opening day of dove season should see him in the field agin....with and old double barrel sorry not a parker but an old ithaco nitro hunter...12 ga at my dad will be 82 on this hunt....good shooting francis my first car was a 39 chev..pickup 3 in the floor and a rod that was knocking ....charlie

[TARNATION !!!]

Originally Posted by charlie cleveland

... she was the best best and gentlest dog we ever owned or should i say priveleged to keep company with her.......charlie

Well said Charlie. A "keeper" quote that aptly describes the relationship between the gun shooter and the gun dog.

Cheers,
Jack

[TARNATION !!!]

Originally Posted by Francis Morin

I especially enjoyed Jack's great story- his Dad must have been a real deadly shot on birds with that old VH 12- to shoot that well consistently in a mixed bag day back then- ducks, geese and pheasants- sort of belies the old adage of "Beware the man who shoots one gun"--

Thanks Francis. My father was amazing with the Parker and an Eddystone 30.06. He wrote up a bit of history for the guns that eventually all came my way. For the Parker, after a short dissertation on provenance, he succinctly wrote "This was the best shotgun I ever owned". Some might say a kid's memory may embellish his Dad's prowess but I don't think so. When I finally got a hunting licence, I became aware of how good he really was. Wing shooting was a real challenge for me and he made it look so easy. I can only recall one time he "missed", which was with a newly acquired 20ga single shot. By then I was in my later teens. The pheasant wobbled and dropped a leg but flew on for a long way after. He never used that gun again. I used that 20ga a few years back and only took one shot. The rooster dropped like a rock. I have since given it to a young farmer with three sons coming into hunting age. During one of my infrequent visits "home" about a decade ago, Dad and I reminisced about wing shooting and he explained to me how he had worked the Parker. "Just lay the bird between the barrels and it's yours". I tried doing that and missed most everything, so I don't know what he saw but I didn't manage to duplicate it. When I shoot "instinctively", they drop dead so I carry on that way and have never been able to explain "how to" to anyone else. Your observation on his deadly shooting got me onto a search for a picture. It was published in the Calgary Herald back in the '60's. Dad, me and a "mixed bag" from a day's work that included migratory and upland birds, and a deer. If I ever find that one, I'll post it. I'm chuckling now on what the Calgary Herald would do today. Back then, my Dad drove over to the building and their photog came out and took several pictures and one was published. Somehow, I don't believe a couple of guys game harvest for a day would get published anymore in a "big city" paper. Maybe, but I kinda' doubt it.
Cheers,
Jack

[Labowner]

Just wanted to thank all contributors, it was my favorite issue.

[Old and Reliable]

Jack, thanks for the additional details about your late father. It had to be a real heartbreak to have the left barrel open up on the VH 12 he left you (and a ton of great memories to boot). Sometimes I think, as we get along in years, those memories are what we treasure, even more so today with both the "anti-hunting/guns" folks, and the city raised who are more or less "neutral" about hunting.

IMO, there is no way to explain this, anymore than your Dad telling you how, for his vision and reflexes, his method of dropping birds with the VH may not have worked in the same manner for you. I could not tell you or anyone what I see (other than the bird in flight) as to barrel, front bead, lead, when I shoot any of my smoothbores- if my life depended upon it. I just shoot, perhaps a bit of what the late, great Nash Buckingham wrote: "The last time I saw a bird in flight like this one, I shot about 'yonder'"--

Both my late grandfather and father were fine wingshots, especially my grandfather- he loved the live bird shoots- and both of them got me hooked on barn pigeons for practice instead of clays. Probably why today I consider myself a better shot on real birds than on clays, and would not spend $2500 plus for a SC competition 12 bore, but would gladly spend that for a well balanced quality side-by-side bird gun(if it fit me and my style of gun mounting)--

We all have our good days, on occasion a few very good days when all seems to break our way, and then we have other days when the Gremlins take over and we don't do quite as well as we wanted to, whether in the duck blind or in a dove field. It doesn't sound to me like your Dad would have ever traded away the 12 VH- he was wise enough to know he most likely wouldn't shoot any other shotgun any better than that Parker you now have. More than even the Parker, he left you some priceless memories and we all thank you for sharing them with us in the PGCA. I hope you will write more about your boyhood with him in future issues of PP.

[Bruce Day]

In track with the original topic, yes, the Parker Pages gets better and better. It tries to have something of interest for everybody interested in things Parker; collecting, shooting, history, people, events, etc.

I'm looking forward to the next issue, which will have an article on the Parker-Hawes fly rod connection with contributions from many including Louis Parker's extensive document collection. I think it will be the definitive work on the rods to date. The Parker Hawes rod was said to be the A-1 Special of fly rods and the Hawes rods in general were reputed to be the finest available.

[Old and Reliable]

Originally with Hiram Leonard, may have married one of the daughters, from the Central Valley area in upstate New York- a strong double haul from Highland Mills and Ed and son James Payne-as much the birthplace of fine cane rods as Conn., Penna. and New York for fine American double guns.

A Hawes rod is indeed a Steinway- the only single man rod builders to equal his workmanship and finish would be the late Harold Steele Gillum and Everett Garrison- Company rod builders of equal quality in that era would be, opf course: Payne, Edwards, Leonard, Granger and Doug merrick-Low Stoner in San Fran.- When I both collected cane rods and fished them, I handled one Gillum, two Garrisons- I liked the pre-fire Leonards best of all- and consider the W&M Grangers to be a great second (in the three piece versions) to the Leonards-

[Mike McKinney]

Thanks to Austin and all the contributors, great work!!! I know you won't believe it, but my issue came today, this thread started 12 days ago. I was about to think it had been lost, but patiently waited a few more days, just knowing (because you all said so) that it was a good read and I wanted to have it as well. I remember last issue was a good bit later than some of your posts. I think it has to do with bulk delivery and the priority various post offices put on the delivery schedule by their regulation or policy. It's worth the wait.