South Dakota PGC Hunt

[Bruce Day]

This is an upland game, Great Plains hunting thread for those who like that sort of thing. The intent is to show here that Parkers from lifters to the latest can be effectively used for hunting wild tough game birds and have a good time doing it.

Returned from SoDak, lots of birds, huge flocks of wild pheasant. Great time.
Dogs did well, a wonderful time. We had two young Lewellin setters , both 8 months old, in addition to the experienced dogs. It was the first time on wild birds, wild pheasant and first time hunting with a group for both. Both Charlie and I were pleased and think they will make good bird dogs. Both were pointing and holding pheasant, one for as long as four minutes before John stepped in and flushed the bird. Charlie's was retrieving, mine would find the dead bird and mark it but would run off again without retrieving to find more. Something to work on between now and the next big trip a few weeks from now. John D. remarked on how big the fields are and how big the dogs run....something he is not used to.

Charlie Herzog Ste Genevieve MO
Doc James Van Blaricum Pratt KS
Phil Ardiri Kingsport TN
Greg Dershem Hutchinson MN
Pete Kappes Ava MN
Ron McDonald Tasmania
John Dunkle Portsmouth NH
Spencer Day Platte City MO
Bruce Day Kansas City MO

Guns used were several VHE 12's, a CHE 12, a DHE 12, a G lifter hammer 12ga, a 16ga top lever G hammer with 32" barrels, a Trojan 12, a PHE 16ga, a DHE 12 damascus, a CHE 20 , Charlie used a D hammer 20, John used a 20ga DHE 24", I used a 16ga CHE Bernard with regular Rem Gun Club and Federal Game Shoc loads. Some say they can't hit with a 24" barrel, but John was head shooting pheasants at 35 yards with it. Charlie made a towering, difficult long shot with the first shot ever from his 20ga D hammer gun, using a Fed Game Shoc load. Van was knocking them dead in the air with long shots from a 20ga CHE. Van also owns a 12ga CHE two barrel set, one barrel set regular 28" fluid steel, the other a correct and original Parker marked rifled barrel for slugs. That barrel is unusual, rib marked " Made By Parker for .........." and with all the normal barrel flats markings. Pretty clear to us it is factory.

The trailer is the PGC clubhouse where some sleep, others sleep in the house basement. We were going to do a live pigeon shoot but the barn pigeons didn't cooperate. Charlie won the sixgun shootoff this year.

Others took a lot of photos and maybe they will add them. John Dunkle took lots of photos. The country is west of Huron toward the base of the Ree Hills, named after a Lakota band that lived there. Some may recall last December when I posted photos of a Lakota group coming out of Ft Randall on horseback at 10 below, all steam in the air, wrapped in buffalo and Hudson blanket robes, eagle headresses on. That group of maybe 50-75 Lakota riders went all the way to Mankato MN to commemorate the hanging deaths in prison of several young Lakota following the Sioux uprising in the 1860's. They camped out in traditional buffalo hide teepees on the way. Quite the sight.

We are doing an article for the PP's and the PF magazine, plus doing a seminar presentation on upland game hunting with classic American double guns at the national Pheasant Fest in February/Des Moines.