Hunting Pheasants with an Heirloom SKB 500

December 27, 2012

By Phil Bourjaily

Many of us have guns passed down from our fathers. My friend Peter hunts pheasants with his father’s SKB 500. It’s a 12 gauge quite similar to the one I used to have. The SKBs were an excellent value—strong, well made guns—from a Japanese factory which unfortunately now makes, I believe, golf clubs.

Anyway, Peter’s heirloom gun is very special. His father bought it used and rusty a few years ago. He carefully cleaned it up and got it ready for pheasant season. He liked it so much he declared it would be his official pheasant gun from then on—before he ever shot it at a pheasant. He never did shoot it at a pheasant. He died in a farming accident on opening day while Peter was in high school.

I took this picture just after we finished hunting Peter’s farm earlier this year. Peter supplied the ground, I brought the dog power, and Jed had one of his very good days. We shot two limits in an hour and a half, a pheasant hunt the likes of which I have seen only a couple in the last four or five years.

“When was the last time you shot a limit of roosters?” I asked as I was taking this picture.

Peter thought.

“Back in 2008 I shot two and shot at another one,” he said.

“You mean you never shot a limit of pheasants until today and now you have done it with your dad’s pheasant gun?”

“That’s right.”

I had to stop taking pictures from a second and regain my composure. I have been on some very good hunts this year but I am very grateful I was along on that one.

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from Ontario Honker ... wrote 24 weeks 2 days ago

Nice story. My dad decided before he died which of his four boys would get what guns. I got back the A-5 I bought when I was in the US Army in Korea. My youngest brother received Dad's old Remington Model 11. It had a cracked stock and I picked up another one on line a few years back. Not sure if Phill ever has got around to refinishing them. When I was back home in September I picked up Dad's old canvas hunting coat. It was way too small for any of us to wear. However, just before I returned to Montana for pheasants in October I gave my daughter her 21st birthday presents early (she was born a week before my dad in November). She was thrilled to receive the 16 gauge Model 12 Dad gave me for my 12th birthday back in 1964. It was my first gun. I also gave her Dad's hunting coat and it fits her fine. While we were examining it I noticed a couple of rooster hackles in the game pocket. Made me cry. I told Jessie that I was with Dad the day he shot those birds. I remember it well. Opening day 1970. Then I told her the story of that hunt. I hope she never forgets it.

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from Tom-Tom wrote 24 weeks 2 days ago

Another good story, Phil, and thanks for sharing. May Peter see that day when he can pass thie heirloom along to his daughter or son, along with the family farm. Come January 1, 2013, the "death tax" drops from five million per individual back to one million; unless, of course, our senators and representatives in Washington come to their senses.