doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com Outlaw Gunner

I was going through some boxes and came across this book that my father's hunting buddy gave me a long time ago:

The author "apprenticed" for market hunters on the Chesapeake Bay as a boy. The book is chocked full of great details and lots of pics of punt guns, batteries, sinkboxes, etc.
It is a great collection of information that has slipped into the mists of time.

That looks to be a really good way to get drowned !

I have a copy of the same book I picked up in a used book store in of all places Lawrence Kansas. I'm not a waterfowler but do enjoy reading about the old days.

Great book. Dr Walsh is well thought of to this Day. There is a nice sculpture of him in Easton holding up two of the punt guns from his collection. I think you can get smaller ones from Turners.

There are 25 copies for sale through abebooks.com. This is the link http://www.abebooks.com/servlet/SearchResults?an=Walsh&sts=t&tn=The+Outlaw+Gunner

My father knew and cruised the Chesapeake Bay with Bob Vandiver and the Hilliard family, both pictured in that book.Also, my Chesapeake Deadrise was built by Captain John Elliott, also photographed in the book with one of his boats.

When my Greener came to me from the Hilliard family, the case had attached railroad tickets from Philadelphia to Havre de Grace, the great gunning center of the Susquehanna Flats. That gun was used in the sinkboxes and may be in the photos. Cool stuff.

I haven't looked at that book in a while, but that photo posted may be Bob Vandiver in the box.

I've gunned from this type of tub in rolling seas on the Eastern Shore of Nova Scotia. Never heard of a fatality. The bottom of the tub was ballasted by smooth beach stones. There's still tub shooting at a couple places on the Eastern Shore in fibreglass tubs, not as elegant as wooden ones. Destry gave it a go at Petpeswick, 25 miles east of Halifax, five-plus years ago.

I have a copy plus his other book 'Gunning the Chesapeake'. Both interesting. Lagopus.....

Bought one on ABE for $16 delivered as soon as I saw your post. Can't wait to read it. Those were the days!

Does anyone remember an article that was (re?)published in, I believe, one of the earliest issues of Sporting Clays Magazine about an old punt gunner on the Outer Banks, maybe, that went out in a Noreaster and was injured and capsized when the punt gun jumped it's moorings? He was recovered by a young game warden who heard the shot. Game warden went back out a couple days later after the ice melted and recovered over 700 ducks the old man had killed. Old guy claimed 'til he died he had taken 1000 with that shot.

I'd really like to read that again. My copy has gotten misplaced over the years.

Thanks, SRH