I hope you guys had nice chilly weather up there today. Down here in Southeast Pa it was 70 degrees and I was sweating! Nice bag!

 

Gentlemen,

When you grow up in a family that has Grouse Hunting and Fly Fishing as its way of life, our traditions are passed down thru the family for generations, and usually change very little. GBE wrote on some of these Grouse hunting traditions, in his fantastic books. GBE was born and raised in Uniontown, Pa, not in West Virgina as many sportsman believe. He was taught our Pa upland shooting life by his Father and his Fathers close friends, who were avid Grouse hunters of their era. Many sportsman of GBE's era believed GBE was a might stuck up/arrogant about his Grouse hunting traditions, in reality he was just writing about a way of life here in Pa, that was slowly fading way. Pa families like ours are grateful too GBE for putting into words our Grouse hunting traditions/way of life, for sportsman around the world to read about. One part of our Grouse hunting tradition GBE included in his books is the tradition of owning both a quality SXS double gun and dog worthy of the Grouse being hunted. Now whether you believe the Ruffed Grouse is Gods favorite wild bird or not is up to you, however in our family tradition we have always been taught the Ruffed Grouse was created by God, as King of all game birds, to be hunted with a talented bird dog that could match wits with Gods King of the forest. We have teased for many generations in our family, that if you use an inferior gun or dog and kill a Grouse, that you would answer to God for your transgression. Now to GBE this dog should be an English Setter, from his own kennel. Using George Rymans great English Setter Grouse dog to start his own gun dog kennel, was definitely a smart move, a worthy proven companion Grouse dog for sure. GBE'sr started GBE with a nice 20 gauge Fox Sterlingworth gun as a boy, mostly to shoot Quail in the fields around Uniontown, Pa. He had a good start with his 20 gauge Fox gun, and eventually traded it in on a 12 gauge gun, of the same make. Later of course his good friend Dr Norris left him his Purdey two Barrel set 12 gauge double gun, so GBE in his own mind was definitely using a gun worthy of gunning Gods favorite wild bird. Now all this tradition did not set well with some of the younger generation, especially those returning from the WW II where they were use to using semi-auto guns, and with the sportsman who could not afford a good double gun, that used the less expensive pump guns to hunt Grouse,
none of this effected GBE's way of thinking however. In our family we have used good double guns, both American Classics, German and Brit guns for many generations, our dogs have been many, including Ryman Setters including Gordons, and German Small Munsterlanders, all have been part of our traditional family way of life. In our family we have always owned good double guns, and talented dogs worthy of hunting Gods favorite wild birds. Become part of the Grouse hunting tradition if you can.

all the best,

Pine Creek/Dave
L.C. Smith Man

Ken Graft receiving his Potter County Grouse, holding his Parker 16 gauge SXS double gun, Grouse presented by Pine Creek Rymans Daisy! Gun & Dog Worthy of hunting Gods favorite wild bird.

Who the heck is GBE? I even did a Google search on those initials and came up empty. I guess I'm not alone in not knowing who he/she is.

 

George Bird Evans, to some he is the Patron Saint of grouse hunters. I've read some his work and seen some his line of dogs. Ok but nothing special in my mind.

 

George Bird Evans

 

For years whatever mutt that lived under the porch and a single shot shotgun or 22 LR was the ideal grouse gun for me. Took many grouse with them, I returned to those days a few years ago using my old Iver Johnson shotguns and mixed breed dog as a flusher or ghosting through the woods alone with a 22 rifle or a pistol of some sort.

If one wants a real challenge, try using a 22 or pistol. Doing so one will quickly learn how little challenge there is in taking grouse with a bird dog and a shotgun. GBE and a number of the other writers of that ilk would be considered elitists or snobs by the more common hunters of the time.

I've been called an anti-elitist snob by some but like so many who grew up rural I learned a much more practical way of hunting. Evan's and such rarely mentioned them and of what was said was rarely complementary. Reading Evan's and the like is entertaining but it represented a small part of the hunting community. I started in the larger "base" community and gravitated to the more "enlightened" one but have not shunned my roots though I practice it for different reasons. I enjoy shooting grouse over my dogs, pointing as well as flushers, but I get a much greater sense of personal accomplishment when I can spot, stalk, and take a grouse with a 22 or pistol. When I want to shoot grouse I put down a dog and follow its behind. If I want to hunt grouse, I'll take up the 22 or a pistol.

 

Mr George was part of a generation of upland writers: Burton Spiller. Havlia Babcock, and several others the likes of whom I fear we shall never see again. And the world of sporting literature is the worse for the loss.

 

VJ2,
Maybe I should have spelled out his entire name, George Bird Evens was a Grouse hunter in the early 1900's, he was a prolific writer and sportsman. Most sportsman know him by his initials (GBE) you might want to purchase a few of his books, written on his actual Grouse hunting. His Old Hemlock Dogs are some of the best companion Grouse dogs, he used George Ryman's Pa Grouse dog stock to start his Old Hemlock Kennel. If you missed reading his books they are still available, they are expensive and well worth reading.

all the best,

Pine Creek/Dave
L.C. Smith Man

GBE & his very best Old Hemlock Grouse Dog Ruff, with a pair of WVA Grouse.

 

Imo, Evans was not about a “challenge”.

An experience perhaps, but “challenge” in bird hunting is ovrrrated, to me, and speaks to an individual’s need to have something to toot at the barbershop or equivalent.
“Personal accomplishment” re bird hunting…kinda makes me laugh.😀

I would agree that Evans does not represent many folks today.
To think that was ever a part of the man’s interest tho….is an error.

To understand Evans and others, it might be wise to consider the difference between a lifestyle and, a life.

Evans books, of all types ….personally, I enjoy his writings because of what I recognize, what I respect and for what I learn well apart from silly how-to stuff.
It may be best to simply pick and choose a connection with any writer, again imo.
He, like most all of us, is not everyone’s cuppa.

PCD…has brown eyes, fwltiw, as believers will always find something upon which to latch their interest, hope or faith.
Ah, well.

Could be best to not fret about equipment or pup as indicating respect to any game bird ….allow truth to carry the respect.

 

Well said. Fudd
Having read most of what Mr Evans wrote, I never read anything where he tried to act above anyone else due to what he had or who he knew. And if he were alive today, with internet access his every post wouldn't be... Hey look at me. Look what i've got. He'd also probably be the type to believe being "worthy" is determined by how one conducts himself and not what he owns or who he knows.

 

When we play a role it is comforting to have role models. You could do worse than emulating Evans. To me the difference in then and now is there seems to be a great shortage of worthy role models, now.

————————————————
All the world’s a stage,
And all the men and women merely players;
They have their exits and their entrances;
And one man in his time plays many parts,
BY WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE
(from As You Like It, spoken by Jaques)

 

When we play a role it is comforting to have role models. You could do worse than emulating Evans. To me the difference in then and now is there seems to be a great shortage of worthy role models, now.

————————————————
All the world’s a stage,
And all the men and women merely players;
They have their exits and their entrances;
And one man in his time plays many parts,
BY WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE
(from As You Like It, spoken by Jaques)

well noted.

plus, Evans was human and imperfect....too many do not allow for that of being a human... for folks writing, etc.
it sadly can be all about knocking down an image.....i reckon that may be human also.
Simply....there are folks who have left a solid mark and imprint on upland bird hunting....GBE, left his mark.
Well struck, Mr. Evans.....a Life afield well lived, in a comparably small area.

 

Gentlemen,

Read GBE's books on bird hunting, especially his books on Grouse, almost everything he believed, especially ethics wise, is written into his great Grouse hunting stories. No doubt about it GBE was a very serious sportsman, and a great writer also. If you happen to get the chance visit his Old Hemlock home in WVA. George was never the kind of man that said look at me, he simply put his opinions on bird hunting into his writing for every sportsman to read. I have most all of his Grouse hunting books, starting with his 1st book, The Upland Shooting Life. IMO all are well worth reading, especially for the modern bird hunter, learning to Grouse hunt. I keep his books and many others in my home library and they do get reread quite often. I do not believe GBE would have participated on the Net, having been from my Fathers era, most of those old sportsmen refused to even use a computer.

As usual Multi is way off in his reasoning, I have green eyes, know right from wrong, and see very clearly, especially when I have a double gun in my hands in the Grouse woods.

all the best,

Pine Creek/Dave
L.C. Smith Man