"The Parker Gun"

[Patrick Butler]

Thank you for the great article.

The quoted 1879 letter to Parker that indicated a $50 gun shot a minimum of 400 dozen quail each year sounded a bit like market hunting. I love quail, but...

The author of the article then comments (in 1909!) about how 1879 was back in the good old days when you could bag that many quail. He would hate to see quail hunting in most places nowadays.

The upcoming ban on lead shot for all game, upland and otherwise, in California in January of 2016, these might just turn out to be the good old days for those of us in this state who shoot vintage guns.

[Drew Hause]

Sporting Life Nov. 28, 1896 Wichita, KS - Never in the history of the Sunflower State have quail been so plentiful as during the present season. Myriads of the brown beauties swarm the broad prairies, and despite the stringent laws passed for their protection the market hunters are said to be slaughtering them by wholesale and shipping them to St. Louis, Chicago, New York and other large cities in barrel lots.

"Quail Hunting in the Stubble", 1892