Bob Harn Knife

I showed this knife before, but since it's being published in a Prime Possibles review in the Nov/Dec issue, I'll show it again with a detail shot of Bob's signature on the spine of the knife and the decorative file work along the back. It's truly a beautiful piece.

The Nov/Dec issue was a couple of days late going to the post office because of a computer software glitch on the address labels and the bag tags for the postal service. We thought the mailing was done, until the error was discovered at our local post office. So, the mailing had to be redone. You should be receiving the latest issue within the next week or two.

Bill Scurlock

Don Wright Pocket Horn

I used to call these priming horns, but since I now think that a separate horn for a finer priming powder is not an 18th century concept, I call small horns like this pocket horns. I think they were carried in the waistcoat pocket for day hunts. On a day hunt, there's no need for a pouch full of stuff. Just put a small horn in your pocket, a few patches and balls, or a loading block, maybe an extra flint or some caps, and head to the woods. I still carry a pouch and horn, but I can see the merits of simplifying and cutting down on the weight.

Don Wright made this horn in 1979. I think Dad bought it off Don's trade blanket, probably at the first Mid-America Rendezvous. It's 7-1/2 inches around the curve, and the base plug is about 1-1/2 inches in diameter.

Bill Scurlock

Mark Thomas Rifle 2

I had to show a few more photos of the Thomas rifle. Mark is a great guy and a fantastic engraver and carver.

Bill Scurlock

Mark Thomas Rifle

This is the rifle I have been deer hunting with the last two years. It has a 44 inch Getz barrel, a Jim Chambers lock and the stock wood came from Freddie Harrison. The rest of the parts were made/modified by Mark Thomas. It weighs just 8 pounds, so it's not a chore to carry through the woods all day. I asked Mark about the styling on this rifle and here's part of what he told me:

"I believe, when I built your rifle, that I used the pattern from the Alexander Walker riffle circa 1780 of Augusta County, Virginia. That is where the relationship to the original stopped. By using a generic early style butt piece and trigger guard, I developed my own rendition of an 18th century rifle. This rifle is a more common style with a little carving and engraving to enhance it. Actually, that's the fun part for me. I've always viewed the building of a rifle to be in two different realms. One is the practical, so that it fits correctly and functions well. The other is the artistic details of the carving and engraving. The final part of this saga is the color that was imparted to the maple wood by the use of ferric nitrate as the stain. A little secret of an aged gun with nice wood is that, when the aging is polished through over years of use, more wood and the unique color of the nitrate stain will show through."

Those are the basics on this rifle. If I think of something else later, I'll post about it again.

Bill Scurlock

Deer Hunting

Last Monday evening, while still at the deer camp, I went hunting without my rifle. I already had three deer from Saturday and Sunday, and didn't want to clean another right then. So, I left my rifle at the cabin and went to the Northwest corner, where there is a feeder and a bow stand, and climbed into the stand at 4:30. The top photo shows a yearling, the first deer to come in at 5:45. The next shot shows a doe and the yearling eating corn.

It was fun being up above them in the stand when they were 10 yards from the tree. They didn't know I was there, but started getting nervous when they heard the camera clicking. I tried to take pictures when they were crunching corn so they wouldn't hear it as well.

Though I don't hunt from a tree stand, I can see why folks like it. I also don't like to hunt by a feeder, even though it's legal in Arkansas and many other states. So, though I may walk past a feeder while hunting, I prefer to be out in the woods, either sitting under a tree or against a log, or simply stillhunting my way through a creek bottom on my own hind legs. Takes patience and skill and adds a challenge to the hunt. It's not just about shooting, it's about a more basic hunt. On the six deer bagged the last two years, my furthest shot was about 40 yards.

Bill Scurlock

One of My Deer

I ended up getting three deer, one on Saturday and two on Sunday. Two were good sized does and one was a small anterless deer that I only shot because I though it had been wounded. Guy suggested that the little deer just hadn't learned to walk yet. Very funny, but I reckon it was scared silly by Guy shooting at another deer just a few yards away from the little one. It came skipping/tripping down the trail toward me. I think maybe it slipped in the mud. Anyway, I shot it out of perceived duty and found out later that I didn't have to.

While we were looking for the deer Guy shot at, a full size doe with a yearling came to the edge of the small creek bottom we were searching and was looking at Guy. I didn't hesitate long and made the 25 yard shot that put her straight down. That's her in the photo along with my Mark Thomas rifle. The lower photo shows the pieces of the ball I found when I processed her. That was a .526 round ball before it hit a rib, the spine and the flat shoulder bone on the other side.

I fell in love with this rifle at Fort Frederick in 2007. Mark was kind enough to hold it for me while I got the money together. I bought it at the CLA show that year. I really started shooting it in 2008 and have so far shot six deer with six shots, not counting hitting with two other shots at a deer wounded by a bowhunter. One of those shots was a hit on the deer when it jumped up and ran. And the other was to finish it off.

I'll post some better pictures of the rifle and tell you more about it later.

Bill Scurlock

Guns at Deer Camp

Here are the long guns that were in camp last weekend. They are from left: Steve Davis .54 cal. early Southern rifle (brass mounts); Steve Davis .54 cal. early Southern rifle (iron mounts); Mark Thomas .54 cal. longrifle; Kit Ravenshear .54 cal. English half-stock; Green River Rifle Works .54 cal. "Bear Rifle"; Steve Davis .40 cal. Southern rifle; Mike Brooks .40 cal. Southern rifle; Charles Hinkle .50 caliber half-stock flint rifle and Charles Hinkle 20 gauge fowler.

Bill Scurlock