George Bird Evans

[Harold Pickens]

although not a Parker person , the Canaan Valley Visitor Center will present a program on the life of GBE on Sat.March 16 at 7:00pm. Even though I live in WV, that would still be 3 hrs away. Still, it would be an interesting program for those of us living the upland life. I believe the phone # for more information is 304-866-3858.
I believe GBE started out with his AH Fox, then the little Purdy, and in later years after a rotator cuff tear, an AYA 28.
I actually ran into him in the Cannan around 1988.

[Brush Buster]

Hello Harold ,Thanks for the info. this would be a very interesting program ! You were quite fortunate to run into Mr. Evans ,Did you two Gentlemen take some time and visit about Dogs ,Grouse ,Guns etc. ? Were you carrying that beautiful little Fox A Grade at the time of the meeting ? Russ

[Bruce Day]

George Bird Evans was very much a new experience for me with his writing about the West Virginia mountains, which I had never been in or driven through. Nor had I ever hunted over the Ryman/Old Hemlock line of English setters, in fact we seldom saw them out here. Nevertheless reading about his life and hunts and dogs was wonderful.

I obtained many of his books from Mr Evans and had them personally signed, a wonderful momento. So many fine people and great experiences.

[John Taddeo]

To your point Bruce, another interesting story is that of the Ryman line itself. I remember reading a story of the history of these setters in which hunters in eastern Pa. would board trains (dogs and guns) and go to the massive timbering tracts to grouse hunt. I would have loved to see the working guns that those gents had along for the ride...

[BRDHNTR]

I bred my setter bitch into the Lyman line and she produced two great litters. In the second litter, we kept a tri-colored female (Penny). At six months she produced her very first point on grouse (So. Ohio) and was steady to winb to boot! Unfortunately Penny got loose one day on me after we had moved back to Massachusetts and was hit by a car on the road and killed. Broke our hearts.

[ed good]

in my humble opinion, evan's first book was his best...the rest were...kinda redundant?

[Bob K]

Originally Posted by John Taddeo

To your point Bruce, another interesting story is that of the Ryman line itself. I remember reading a story of the history of these setters in which hunters in eastern Pa. would board trains (dogs and guns) and go to the massive timbering tracts to grouse hunt. I would have loved to see the working guns that those gents had along for the ride...

John, one of the working guns was a 20 bore LC Smith skeet special with two sets of barrels that I bought from Mrs, Ryman after her husband passed away. The Rymans bred some great grouse and woodcock setters.

[BRDHNTR]

I meant to say Ryman in my previous post. Molly, my setter bitch, was bred with one of the Ryman dogs and produced two great litters. This was when we lived in Minford, Ohio (7 years) which is in the sourthern central end of Ohio about 15 miles north of Portsmouth. Our property abutted about 1000 acres of prime woodland and we could litteraly walk out the back door and into superb grouse and woodcock cover. It was a bummer when we had to transfer back to Mass. The Ryman line of setters were just beautiful dogs, very biddable and a pleasure to work with. We made a practice of giving one pup away from each litter and selling the rest for $100 each! (1984-85).

[John Farrell, Charter Member #33]

I had the pleasure of flying down to Pittsburgh and drove down to see GBE at Old Hemlock in June 1997. Together, with GBE and Kay, we spent a pleasurable day talking about all things important to the lives of these two people and how they arrived at their own Shangri-la. The memory lives within me - as though it was last week I was there.

I was greeted by Manton, GBE's last dog, when I drove up the wooded trail they called a driveway. We sat together in Old Hemlock and whiled away the day, sipping tea, having light sandwiches for lunch and looking at the library of manuscripts, photographs and an original songsheet of Dixie on the piano. The conclusion of the day was GBE signing a copy of the 5 mystery books compilation in a slipcase.

Later, when I got back home, it came to me that they learned as much about me as I did about their lives. If ever there was a moment in the life of a book collector, Parker gun owner, English Setter owner and lover of gunning from days gone by, this was it. Truly, a magic day.

[Former User]

Originally Posted by John Farrell

I had the pleasure of flying down to Pittsburgh and drove down to see GBE at Old Hemlock in June 1997. Together, with GBE and Kay, we spent a pleasurable day talking about all things important to the lives of these two people and how they arrived at their own Shangri-la. The memory lives within me - as though it was last week I was there.

I was greeted by Manton, GBE's last dog, when I drove up the wooded trail they called a driveway. We sat together in Old Hemlock and whiled away the day, sipping tea, having light sandwiches for lunch and looking at the library of manuscripts, photographs and an original songsheet of Dixie on the piano. The conclusion of the day was GBE signing a copy of the 5 mystery books compilation in a slipcase.

Later, when I got back home, it came to me that they learned as much about me as I did about their lives. If ever there was a moment in the life of a book collector, Parker gun owner, English Setter owner and lover of gunning from days gone by, this was it. Truly, a magic day.

I envy you John. I corresponded with George through Kay for several years.

He was always very interested in my annual flush rates and was amazed and a bit envious of the grouse and woodcock hunting riches we have here in MN.

I have guided Roy Sisler and Glenn Baker who were both very well acquainted with the Evan's. Each shared stories about the couple and their dogs.

I would have liked to have spent a day with them as you did.

My new pup "Lily" is as close as I've ever been to a Old Hemlock type dog and my decision to go this direction was at least partially influenced by the writings and correspondence with George Evans.

Jay