Letters
You Go, George
I enjoyed George Hickox’s articles on selecting retrievers and pointing dogs (Hunting Dogs, Jan/Feb & March/April) and also the expected letters by the golden retriever owners supporting their breed. George showed courage in making specific selections knowing he would draw criticism from owners of other breeds. I have great admiration for trained hunting dogs and have reached the point that I would participate in a hunt without a gun in order to observe the skills of trained dogs. George established clear parameters for his selections and presented practical considerations that would be very helpful to anyone buying a hunting dog. Great articles with helpful applications.
Gary Jones
Via e-mail
Cover Questions
My husband and I subscribe to your magazine and love every issue. You deserve to be commended for a job well done!
We have a question about the January/February issue: On the cover there is a cylindrical item on the right side of the photo, just above the paisley fabric. The item appears to have a threaded interior and includes brass pins that are numbered. Would you be so kind as to tell us what this item is and describe its purpose?
Kathy & Richard Bell
Via e-mail
The item is called a “position finder,” and it is used for the purpose of assigning pegs on a driven shoot. At the beginning of the day a pin is drawn by each Gun, and the number on the pin determines the Gun’s peg on the first drive.
The cover of the January/February issue was simply elegant. The William & Son guns made for fine cover art.
I am curious about the engraving technique on the cover guns as well as the guns pictured on pages 64 & 65 of that issue. I was hoping you or one of your learned contributors or readers might know how the background of the engraving was blacked out. Obviously, whatever is used to achieve this stunning effect would have to endure repeated exposure to cleaning agents.
Since you are the authority on fine guns, hopefully someone there will know or would have the connections to find out. It truly makes the engraving stand out!
Jon Sheets
Seal Cove, Maine
Paul West (William & Son Gunroom Manager) responds:
The depth of the engraving on the William & Son side-by-side is created by using a chemical solution to black out the background, thus giving off the desired effect. This technique is tried and tested by our small team of engravers, who create each piece by hand. We pride ourselves on the small pieces of detail at William & Son and find it hugely gratifying that a reader of Shooting Sportsman feels the same as we do.
. . . and a Request
I would like to relay my congratulations and gratitude to you for continuing to provide your subscribers with what is, without peer, the finest publication in its genre. I have, over the past 67 years, read or subscribed to virtually all outdoor magazines but now allow only Shooting Sportsman, The Field and Double Gun Journal transit over my humble threshold. I derive special enjoyment from reading articles featuring or mentioning hunters, dogs, authors and innkeepers who I have actually met over my many years of tramping the wilds in pursuit of feathered game. Your treatments of fine guns now and again remind me of why I bought and love the ones I now take along with me. But to the subject . . . .
I was in the company of a couple of my long-term bird-hunting cohorts the other evening when, as is predictable, the conversation veered in the direction of bird dogs. These gentlemen are ardent advocates of the Brittany. As they waxed (what passes as) eloquent vis-à-vis the breed’s endless virtues, I began to wonder when last I had observed a specimen on the cover of “our” magazine. I could not recall such an occasion at the time but chalked it up to my growing disenchantment with attempting to recollect bothersome and irrelevant detail, which appears to multiply rather than diminish along with my birthdays. This matter being important, however, I made enquiries the following day of a few other Brittany owners who likewise subscribe to SSM and found that no one could recall ever seeing a specimen of this fine little dog featured with such prominence. We may all be in error but would respectfully request that you consult your archives and, if such is the case, at least consider a nod to your Brittany-loving friends upon publication of some future issue.
H.T. Bobo
Via e-mail
Done and done. (See cover.)
A Gentleman’s Passing
There is a sad footnote to Tom Davis’s wonderful piece “Crazy for Krull” (March/April): Bill Shattuck, the South Dakota sportsman mentioned in the article, died unexpectedly on January 20, 2012. Bill’s passing was a huge loss to the wingshooting community.
Bill was a lifelong South Dakota resident who retired from a long and distinguished career with the South Dakota Dept. of Game, Fish and Parks in 2005. During his four decades plus of service, Bill positively influenced the lives of sportsmen of all ages in a series of jobs ranging from game warden to South Dakota Hunting and Boating Safety Coordinator.
Bill, along with his beloved Deutsch Drahthaars, spent his retirement working as a well-respected and much loved hunting guide at Krull Lodge. His levelheaded, Midwestern sensibility combined with his graciousness made everyone who came in contact with him immediately comfortable. It was one of his many gifts.
For some reason, Bill and I always ended up parking next to each other in front of Krull Lodge as each hunting day came to a close. Bill always had time for conversation before we both began the process of feeding our cold, tired and hungry bird dogs. I am so thankful to have had the chance to participate in many of those discussions with Bill over the years. Our topics covered everything from our families to prairie grouse (a subject that Bill knew more about than anyone I have ever met) to bird dogs, guns and everyday life.
The last conversation I had with Bill took place this past November as the sun started to set over the South Dakota prairie. This time we talked about bird dogs and aging. I had just complimented Bill on his gorgeous new puppy, Panther. Bill then told me that his wife, Judy, thought he was too old to get a puppy. (Note: I was shocked when he told me he was 74, because I had seen him regularly walk the boots off of hunters half that age.) Bill told me that his age did not matter. He then, in typical calm fashion, went on to cover all the bases by saying that if he lived to be 90, he would regret not getting a puppy now, and if he died tomorrow, he had friends who would take the dog into a loving home. It is really sad that the latter situation ended up being reality.
Bill Shattuck was a knowledgeable individual on a wide array of subjects, a true sportsman and a tenacious hunter, but above all he was a consummate gentleman. That is how I will remember him.
Contributions in Bill’s name can be made to the North American Grouse Partnership, 1670 N 1/2 Road, Fruita, CO 81521; www.grousepartners.org.
Joseph A. Augustine
New York, New York
