doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com Upland guns

Bill, while I share your pleasure at seeing Gnomon back and posting and suspect you may be right at the origins of our use of the term "upland", you might save the political jabs for off topics. There are plenty here who don't appreciate them in this area and your comment suggests you read the off topics but don't have the balls to put your name to anything there.

Regards,

James Roblin

'Uplands' is a variant of 'highlands' and possibly related to the Middle English wald or wold. The concept is certainly not American

Dansk (Danish)
h�jland

Nederlands (Dutch)
hoogland, binnenland, bovenlands

Fran�ais (French)
hautes terres

Deutsch (German)
Hochland

Italiano (Italian)
altopiano

Espa�ol (Spanish)
meseta, altiplanicie

Svenska (Swedish)
h�gland

Obviously, we Americans played fast and loose with French names. Or else maybe it was those voyageurs, crashing around in the woods and paddling the streams, starting back in the 17th century--when French wasn't what it is today. Then you throw in the fact that some of them weren't all that well-educated. So we end up with Terre Haute, IN (might have been upland hunting near there . . . once upon a time); Des Moines, IA (with no apparent connection to monks); and my all-time favorite: Prairie du Chien, WI. No prairie dogs there, for sure, although some connect the name to an Indian chief in the area whose name was dog. My guess would shift the focus to a misspelling, and that it was perhaps meant to be Prairie du Chene--the oak tree prairie, which does make sense.

So much for wandering around in foreign language.

Larry, those French weren't paddling around over here. They owned the continent from the Arctic Ocean to the Gulf of Mexico. In Canada, we're glad they're still here. Montreal is the second-largest French-language TV production centre in the world. Quebec's cultural contribution is particularly significant. Its hunting and fishing speaks for itself. Regards, King

seven pounds or less usually qualifies...

While we're all opinionated as to what constitutes an "upland gun", the reality is that more 7 1/2 - 8+ lb. 12ga autos and pumps kill more "upland birds" by many times over than the number of doubleguns fielded, let alone sub 7 lb ones. They're toted around by young athletic hunters who don't yet know they aren't carrying the 'proper' upland gun or by older hunters that never learned.

I think that the term used in most of merry England that would translate pretty well would be "rough". The gun you used for "rough" shooting would likely transfer pretty well to "upland".

Best,
Ted

When dealing with land-use planning and particularly impacts on watersheds and wetlands, the term "upland" is used in contrast to the term "wetland". A wetland is defined by being inundated for a certain number of days in a year (the exact number I forget now) or by being a certain distance from a body of flowing or standing water.

So, an upland can be properly thought of as being somewhat higher and drier than the wetland. And the game which lives and is hunted in the one ordinarily does not do so in the other. To be sure, we've all kicked pheasants and grouse out of soggy bottoms if not hummocks projecting above inundations, and seen geese in cornfields. But, the normal habitat defines the quarry.

IMHO, anyway.

The perfect upland gun? One you can carry all day and use to hit what you shoot at.