I thought there might be a few folks here that know of George Parker, or perhaps some who even knew him personally. For those that don't, George Parker is relatively unknown although he was quite a hunter. He was once a Texas lawman on the border and is said to have encouraged Col. Charles Askins to join up, after which they shared adventures as lawmen and as hunting partners. He was also said to be a regular hunting partner of Jack O'Conner. He is mentioned in a few of Col. Boddington's writings. He hunted Africa, North America and Asia. He and O'Conner hunted Coues Deer in Sonora, and has some in the record books.

I spent all of my teens and early adult years in Tucson AZ. My father knew George Parker and once took us to his home near Amado, south of Tucson. I was about 13 or 14 at the time (about 1968). My dad owned a finely made German combination gun; a 16 ga over 7x65R. I had no idea what that cartridge was at that time. Dad told me how he came by the rifle. He and George Parker had gone hunting for birds in Mexico. A group got into a poker game and there was some drinking involved. Supposedly, my Dad won the rifle in that game. He told me a story of the drive down into Mexico with Parker. Parker saw a coyote at some ridiculous distance, running, and killed it with the rifle. Dad thought it was an impossible shot. Dad was strictly a bird hunter. High powered rifles hurt his bird-dog's ears, and he didn't like that.

I remember George Parker's home . It was a ranch home, adobe, very high ceilings with old wooden beams. It was filled with incredible trophies. Most were African, but there were animals from many areas of the world. I was enthralled and it only stoked my hunting obsession further. There were elephant tusks on either side of the fireplace, a huge rhino, African antelope from the smallest to the largest, and lots of North American sheep.

My father for some reason was determined that my first rifle would be a 30-30. He got angry when any other option was mentioned. George Parker suggested I start with a .243, and I remember him saying his daughter had killed her first deer with one that fall. Dad wouldn't have it and I ended up with a Marlin 30-30. My next rifle was a Remington 700 30-06, and somehow it seemed to kick less than the Marlin.

Dad died when I was 15. He was 73, born in 1897. Served in WWI. We had a complicated relationship (is there any other with sons and fathers?), and I thought the German combination gun needed to return to Parker. A few years later I called him and paid him a visit. He bought the rifle back and seemed glad to have it. I let it go for a song. It turns out it was one of a pair. He recalled the discussion with my Dad about my first gun, and could see there was no way my Dad would change his views. Dad always called it the "gun that won the west." Of course that title probably belongs to the Winchester '73 and the 44-40 round, not the 30-30. For many years I did not own a 30-30, but do now.

George Parker seemed like a generous and friendly guy when he and his family welcomed us to their home. I'd be interested if anyone here has recollections of him.

George was a friend and I hunted Coues deer with him several times. I'd drive down from Tucson and meet him at his ranch well before daylight and have a bowl of menudo with him before taking off in his beat-up old Jeep to hunt. He had keys to all the locked gates within 15 miles of his place.

Your mention of his combination gun makes me wonder if it is the same gun I saw. A few days before George died, he called and asked if I knew someone who could appraise it for him, and I took Lynton McKenzie down to Amado.

Lynton was a well-known gun engraver from Australia who once had worked as a firearms restorer at the Tower of London. In addition to engraving firearms, he also was a restorer/dealer in antique firearms.

George told us he had "liberated" the gun in Germany in WWII. The gun had quite a bit of engraving on it, and Lynton recognized the artist who had done the work. George was greatly disappointed when Lynton told him it was worth only about $500-$600.

George was quite proud of his little trophy room. In addition to that black rhino, polar and brown bears, tiger and lots of sheep, it contained the only mounts of giant sable and Indian gaur that I've ever seen.

He also was proud of a clipping from Stars and Stripes that he carried in his wallet. It told how he had killed with his pistol a German soldier who "had the drop" on George's buddy.

Among George's friends were NRA executive director Harlon Carter, Prince Abdorreza of Iran, Elgin Gates, Jack O'Connor and Elmer Keith. He guided the prince and Carter and Gates to Coues deer near Amado, and guided more than a few people to desert sheep in Sonora. I hadn't heard that he had hunted with O'Connor, although it wouldn't surprise me.

He and Harlon Carter had served together in the Border Patrol in Texas.

At the end of his life, George had a serious kidney disease and had asked a friend from Wyoming to visit him. Two days after Lynton and I visited him, the friend took George's wife, Jacque, shopping and when they returned they found George had shot and killed himself.

Bill Quimby

quote:

Originally posted by billrquimby:
George was a friend and I hunted Coues deer with him several times. I'd drive down from Tucson and meet him at his ranch well before daylight and have a bowl of menudo with him before taking off in his beat-up old Jeep to hunt. He had keys to all the locked gates within 15 miles of his place.

Your mention of his combination gun makes me wonder if it is the same gun I saw. A few days before George died, he called and asked if I knew someone who could appraise it for him, and I took Lynton McKenzie down to Amado.

Lynton was a well-known gun engraver from Australia who once had worked as a firearms restorer at the Tower of London. In addition to engraving firearms, he also was a restorer/dealer in antique firearms.

George told us he had "liberated" the gun in Germany in WWII. The gun had quite a bit of engraving on it, and Lynton recognized the artist who had done the work. George was greatly disappointed when Lynton told him it was worth only about $500-$600.

George was quite proud of his little trophy room. In addition to that black rhino, polar and brown bears, tiger and lots of sheep, it contained the only mounts of giant sable and Indian gaur that I've ever seen.

He also was proud of a clipping from Stars and Stripes that he carried in his wallet. It told how he had killed with his pistol a German soldier who "had the drop" on George's buddy.

Among George's friends were NRA executive director Harlon Carter, Prince Abdorreza of Iran, Elgin Gates, Jack O'Connor and Elmer Keith. He guided the prince and Carter and Gates to Coues deer near Amado, and guided more than a few people to desert sheep in Sonora. I hadn't heard that he had hunted with O'Connor, although it wouldn't surprise me.

He and Harlon Carter had served together in the Border Patrol in Texas.

At the end of his life, George had a serious kidney disease and had asked a friend from Wyoming to visit him. Two days after Lynton and I visited him, the friend took George's wife, Jacque, shopping and when they returned they found George had shot and killed himself.

Bill Quimby

Thanks for the reply. I did not know that he ended his life by his own hand. Can't blame him under the circumstances. I was also unaware of his association with Harlon Carter and Elgin Gates.

The combo gun I returned to him had a chip missing from the stock, bottom, just ahead of the but plate. It was like that from as early as I remember. It had a thin Germanic comb and pancake cheekpiece. It also had claw mounts for a scope. It also had two triggers I think. Seemed very well built. Now that you mention it, I do remember my Dad telling me that George Parker brought it back from Europe. I had thought it was worth much more than $500-$600, but also felt that he should have it. As best I can remember, he gave me $200 for it, and I thought the loop had been completed.

Bill,
Also wanted to mention that when I lived in Tucson in the 60s and 70s, I enjoyed reading your pieces in the local newspaper. Hunting those Coues deer was fun, but not sure I'm up to it anymore.

When I was young I read about his hunts in Southeast Asia. He was one of the first to hunt there before the warring started . I think he was there with Col Askins and another friend who got killed. Those trophies in his trophy were probably mounted in Casper,Wyoming at COL Gibson Peterson's taxidermy studio. As I recall it was near the train station. I still have his books somewhere and Col Peterson's catalog with George Parker's trophies shown in it.

I was admiring a german combination gun and was surprised at the low price for what seemed like an unusual, well built gun. The shop owner said that several of these German guns are built by apprentice smitty's. Hence, the low price.

Ricardo:

Yes, George hunted Vietnam and elsewhere in southeast Asia with Col. Askins. I met Askins at George's home.

Jeffery:

Harlon Carter lived at the south end of Green Valley, which as you know is only a couple of miles from George's "Hacienda del Cazador." Harlon was quite a guy, too. Your description of the gun matches what I remember about the gun Lynton and I saw, but I can't say that it was. All I remember about it was that its receiver was covered with engraving.

Vemo:

This was at least thirty years ago and $400-$500 was worth much more than today.

I forgot to mention that George was an expert competitive handgun shooter,and had boxes of medals that he had won at major matches all across the U.S.

He also was someone you would not want to cross. George and C.J. McElroy (SCI's founder) had a falling out over a 2x1 donated safari in Sudan that George and his Wyoming friend, Pete Smith, had bought at an SCI auction. George thought that he and Pete would be guided personally by the Portuguese outfitter. Instead, the outfitter guided McElroy and two women from Tucson, and sent George and Pete off with a PH.

Pete was happy with the hunt and said both he and George took all the trophies they went after, but George never forgave McElroy. When I was hired to edit and publish SCI's magazine and record books, George said I should have turned the job down.

Bill Quimby

quote:

Originally posted by billrquimby:
Ricardo:

Yes, George hunted Vietnam and elsewhere in southeast Asia with Col. Askins. I met Askins at George's home.

Jeffery:

Harlon Carter lived at the south end of Green Valley, which as you know is only a couple of miles from George's "Hacienda del Cazador." Harlon was quite a guy, too. Your description of the gun matches what I remember about the gun Lynton and I saw, but I can't say that it was. All I remember about it was that its receiver was covered with engraving.

Vemo:

This was at least thirty years ago and $400-$500 was worth much more than today.

I forgot to mention that George was an expert competitive handgun shooter,and had boxes of medals that he had won at major matches all across the U.S.

He also was someone you would not want to cross. George and C.J. McElroy (SCI's founder) had a falling out over a 2x1 donated safari in Sudan that George and his Wyoming friend, Pete Smith, had bought at an SCI auction. George thought that he and Pete would be guided personally by the Portuguese outfitter. Instead, the outfitter guided McElroy and two women from Tucson, and sent George and Pete off with a PH.

Pete was happy with the hunt and said both he and George took all the trophies they went after, but George never forgave McElroy. When I was hired to edit and publish SCI's magazine and record books, George said I should have turned the job down.

Bill Quimby

Interesting character no doubt. I didn't know about the SCI conflict, but did now that McElroy was controversial. These men were all strong personalities.

The gun was highly engraved. Could have been the same one.

This is one of the best threads I have read in a while! Thank you Jeffrey and Mr. Quimby.

BTW Jeffrey, have you read Bill's book Sixty Years a Hunter? You and he have a lot in common.

There's a photograph of George with a B&C-record class Coues deer from Sonora in that book. There's also a brief tale about one of my hunts with George.

Field photos of my Arizona deer were ruined when firefighters pumped hundreds of gallons of water into the bedroom where they were stored. I used photos of local hunters that had run with my newspaper columns to illustrate my chapters on hunting Coues and mule deer.

If you'll excuse a crass commercial interruption, Sixty Years A Hunter is available from Safari Press, along with some of my other books.

Bill Quimby

+1 Jason. This is good stuff. Like sitting at a campfire listening to folks who have been there and done that.

Jeffrey:

I just remembered that there is a photo of George and Jacque Parker in his trophy room in Amado in one of O'Connor's books. I've forgotten which book it was, but there are O'Connor fans on this site who can tell us.

That room was small (perhaps 14x24 feet as I remember it) when compared to the trophy rooms of the Weatherby Award winners whose books I worked on, but it had species such as gaur and giant sable that cannot be hunted today.

It's a shame that he left us before I got around to writing books. I would have liked to have preserved some of his stories.

Bill Quimby

quote:

Originally posted by JBrown:
This is one of the best threads I have read in a while! Thank you Jeffrey and Mr. Quimby.

BTW Jeffrey, have you read Bill's book Sixty Years a Hunter? You and he have a lot in common.

I haven't read the book, but will put it on the must reads.
Thanks,
Jeff

quote:

Originally posted by billrquimby:
Jeffrey:

I just remembered that there is a photo of George and Jacque Parker in his trophy room in Amado in one of O'Connor's books. I've forgotten which book it was, but there are O'Connor fans on this site who can tell us.

That room was small (perhaps 14x24 feet as I remember it) when compared to the trophy rooms of the Weatherby Award winners whose books I worked on, but it had species such as gaur and giant sable that cannot be hunted today.

It's a shame that he left us before I got around to writing books. I would have liked to have preserved some of his stories.

Bill Quimby

When I saw that room, for the only time, it seemed huge. It was completely full with these spectacular trophies. Age 13. I was awestruck.

I remember way back in 1971, when I was a young teenager in India, reading a book by Col Askins - a big coffee table type with lots of photos ans stories of his hunts SE Asia & Africa. I think the book was published some time in the 1960s.

The part that this thread reminds me of is about an African hunt when Askins and co were introducing the new Winchester rounds - 338 Win Mag & possibly the 458 Win mag in Mod 70 & 358 Win in the mod 88. That was my first exposure to those cartridges and the Mod 88.

There are a few photos of Parker with a Rhino that he shot on the run - 2 bullet holes next to each other & one was through the heart & bleeding while the other one ha no blood! Both shots were fired on the run!

Funny how that memory still stays fresh in my mind after over 40 years!

I had the good fortune of meeting George Parker not too long before he died. He was quite an old man at the time, but the sparkle in his eyes told everything. I would have liked to spend more time with him, but alas, it was not to be. He was attending some kind of function at Ft. Huachuca. I also knew Col. Charles Askins considerably better than Mr. Parker. I've been told that Col. Askins took the pistol to George that he shot himself with.

Hi Tom:

Interesting that there are stories that claim Askins may have been involved. I was told a few days after the suicide that someone else had had helped George. Guess we'll never know.

When Lynton and I visited him, he was in a bed Jacque had set up in the trophy room so he could greet his guests. He didn't get out of bed, but was able to sit up. I don't know if he still was able to walk, but he wouldn't have to crawl very far to reach a gun.

As I mentioned earlier, he was a competitive handgun shooter and probably had more than one pistol in the house.

Bill Quimby

An interesting thread with nice writing to boot. Thank you, Jeffrey and Bill.

I've enjoyed reading this thread. I'd like to read more about the man. Thanks to the contributors.

This is an interesting piece of hunting history. Thanks for sharing it with us.

Enjoyed reading this thread. In reading outdoor magazines for over half a century I've come across several references to George Parker. He seems to have led a full and adventurous life.

One article I remember was called "Permit #4" in Outdoor Life, likely around 1970 or so. A young fellow drew permit #4 to hunt desert sheep. His dad knew Parker and arranged for Parker to act as his guide/mentor.

Another was by Charles Askins in Peterson's Hunting, in which Askins and "his old pardner Parker" went bird hunting in Ireland.

The first reference, though, was in a book by Askins "The Pistol Shooters' Book" published 1953, which I got from a library around 1963. It seemed to have been put together from articles previously published in American Rifleman.

One chapter was called "Modern Gunfighters", relating stories from the 1930s when both Askins and Parker were in the Border Patrol. I'll excerpt a bit:

"My pardner, Parker, had a cousin in the Patrol over in Arizona. Lon Parker was trailing a pair of smugglers... one hid behind a tree while his partner permitted himself to be caught. As Lon Parker held his gun on the one, the other shot him with a .30-30 from behind. Before he turned, Lon killed the one in front of him with a shot through the head. He then swung in his saddle and emptied his .45 automatic at the rifleman behind him, (without a hit)... Lon rode 3 1/2 miles to camp, fell out of the saddle and died as he crawled through the wires of the horse fence."

Apparently the surviving smuggler made the mistake of boasting of killing a federale. Askins was fairly coy about what happened next (this was written only 15 or so years later). To quote,

"The gunman escaped to Mexico, but a few years afterward was found dead in almost the identical spot where he had ambushed Lon Parker. He had a single bullet hole through his head; the consensus was he had probably not committed suicide."

In his last book, "Unrepentant Sinner", Askins no longer felt a need to be coy, and related how he and George Parker had indeed found and killed the man who killed Lon Parker.

Incidentally I later found a paperback copy of The Pistol Shooters Book at a used book store. It is now in bad shape and falling apart (though all pages are present). I value it though, since Charles Askins personally autographed it for me in 1989.

There's a photo of George Parker in the book, shooting a revolver double action with a one-hand stance, the gun held at about eye level. He looks lean and tough, with a square jaw and hard eyes - even in a photo he looks like a man you wouldn't want as an enemy.

Thanks for the stories from those who knew Parker. Interesting to read of a man who loved adventure for its own sake, and cared nothing for fame or glory.

Interesting post, Dave. George was not a man to mess with.

Bill Quimby

Bill,

Since this thread has put together quite a bit of information on Parker, I thought I'd add a bit more:

You wrote above:

"I just remembered that there is a photo of George and Jacque Parker in his trophy room in Amado in one of O'Connor's books. I've forgotten which book it was, but there are O'Connor fans on this site who can tell us."

There are indeed! The book is "The Art of Hunting Big Game in North America" (1967). The last section shows the trophy room of several worldwide hunters. The photo you mention is on page 382. In addition to Parker and his wife there is a little girl about six or so, presumably their daughter, sitting with Mrs. Parker.

The photo description reads, "George Parker of Amado, Arizona in his elegant and tasteful trophy room. Parker, who at one time guided and outfitted in Sonora, has hunted all over the world."

O'Connor also mentioned Parker in "Sheep and Sheep Hunting" (1974).

"George Parker of Amado, Arizona is more or less a contemporary of mine. We were both prowling around Sonora back in the 1930s. After the war Parker outfitted for a time in Sonora. He is now a prosperous rancher and resort owner in Arizona. He is not only an excellent desert-sheep hunter and guide but he has successfully hunted all varieties of North American sheep."

O'Connor wrote in the same book how Parker guided Herb Klein to complete his first Grand Slam of North American sheep.

"No. 8 was Herb Klein, who completed the slam with my friend George Parker as a guide in the Sierra Blanca of western Sonora..."

Since this is the African forum I wish I could find more information on Parker's African hunts. Certainly there are a number of African trophies in the picture referenced. I think he accompanied Askins on some African hunts but can't be certain.

George's widow,Jacque Parker, is still alive. I was told she had moved back to their ranch "Hacienda del Cazador" in Amado, but I've not seen her for many years.

Jacque was George's second wife. The girl in the photo was her daughter, Page, and George loved her as his own.

I had been writing in my Tucson Citizen outdoors columns about my unsuccessful efforts to kill a mountain lion with a local houndsman when George called to ask if I could bring the houndsman to his ranch right away. His daughter had seen a mountain lion outside her bedroom window at first light that morning.

The houndsman was working at his day job and couldn't go, but he told me to take his two best hounds and try to catch the cat myself.

I was shocked, to say the least. Loaning prized dogs to rank amateurs was unheard of, but I drove to his house, put the dogs in boxes in my pickup truck and drove down to Parker's place. This was in the summer, and the temperature by the time I got there was at least 95 degrees.

George had two horses ready, one for me and one for Page. George made it clear that if the lion was caught, it would be Page who would shoot it. The borrowed dogs were able to pick up the lion's scent on George's lawn, but lost it within the first couple hundred of yards. The scent had burned off in the heat. Page and I rode around and even followed the lion's tracks for a while, but eventually gave up.

This was maybe 35-40 years ago, and Page was a teenager then. I've lost track of her, but writing this brief tale makes me wonder if she remembers her backyard lion hunt.

Bill Quimby

The "resort" O'Connor talked about was a fishing tackle shop and boat rental place at Parker Canyon Lake, a small fishing reservoir that the Arizona Game and Fish Department and U.S. Forest Service built on what had been the Parker family ranch south of Sonoita, Arizona.

George operated it for a couple of years, but eventually sold it.

Bill Quimby

As for George's African hunts, I know for certain that he hunted the Sudan with Jose Simose's company, and in Angola, where he was one of the few hunters of his day to collect a giant sable antelope.

He never told me the story about his giant sable, but he was quite proud of the leopard he shot on that trip. His "blind" was an abandoned hut near a tree that the PH had baited. The two of them spent the night in the hut and George shot the leopard from the hut's window at first light.

He didn't say what rifle he used on the leopard and giant sable, but I would suspect that it was his .25-06. He used it for just about all of his North American game up to elk and moose.

I don't know if these were his only two trips to Africa, but they may have been. This was in the days of long "full bag" safaris when hunters expected to collect lots of game, including the Big Five, on a single trip.

Bill Quimby