Old lever gun photo and questionable date

[FLINT]

Hi all,

I was reading about the eastern wolf on wikipedia when I saw this photograph with the heading, "Last eastern wolf to be killed in the Adirondacks (1893)".

However, when I looked at the picture, the gentleman appears to be holding a Winchester levergun that looks to me like an 1894, making me wonder whether the photo was indeed taken in 1893. Maybe I'm wrong about the rifle ID? I figured someone would be able to tell something about the rifle in question. Whatever it is, I think its a pretty sweet looking rifle. Certainly looks nicer than that sad looking muppet of a wolf he shot with it.

[7.62 Precision]

I didn't look closely at the rifle, but the wolf may have been killed in '93, but the photo taken much later. If it was the last wolf taken, that might not have been evident or significant until several years later.

[Ben_Rumson]

Agree with 7.62... Think taxidermy for the time warp

[Chuck 100 yd]

I agree. Killed at an earlier date and the rifle is not the one used but just a prop.

[BrentD]

not just a questionable rifle, it's a questionable wolf as well. Looks like a medium-small dog to me. And he may not even be stuffed.

is that rifle a 94 or an 86? I don't know the landmarks well enough, but the rifle looks "largish" relative to the "wolf" and the old man.

[J Miller]

The rifle is an 1894 with a half magazine, checkering, pistol grip, and what looks to be really fancy wood.

If that's a wolf the taxidermist did a really crappy job on the head.


Joe

[7.62 Precision]

If that's a wolf the taxidermist did a really crappy job on the head.

Quite standard for a lot of the taxidermy from that period. A lot of taxidermists back then made their own forms from wire, string, wax, paper, etc. Some were more skilled than others, just like today, but a lot of the methods allowed the form to change shape quickly, or were just shaped poorly begin with.

[FLINT]

ahh, ok, good call. for some reason it hadnt occurred to me that the picture would have been taken a year or more later. Funny he would pose with a different gun though. I would want to pose with the gun I had used.

[JerryB]

The rifle looks like a high grade Model 1894 Winchester to me.

[7.62 Precision]

ahh, ok, good call. for some reason it hadnt occurred to me that the picture would have been taken a year or more later. Funny he would pose with a different gun though. I would want to pose with the gun I had used.

True, but guns are less expensive today. If you think about the time frame, the fancy, new, high-velocity, flat-shooting, smokeless .30-30 cartridge was was to be lusted after, and many hunters of the day would have sold whatever older rifle they may have had to purchase the new 1894 Winchester. For a lot of guys, an 1894 in that configuration would have been the purchase of a lifetime, replacing whatever they may have had before.

Or, the rifle may have just been a prop, handed to him by whoever was taking the photo, if the mount was not in his possession.

[FWiedner]

not just a questionable rifle, it's a questionable wolf as well. Looks like a medium-small dog to me. And he may not even be stuffed.

is that rifle a 94 or an 86? I don't know the landmarks well enough, but the rifle looks "largish" relative to the "wolf" and the old man.

Kind of a small 'wolf'.

[Griff]

Having never seen an "Eastern Wolf"... I wouldn't know... but the rifle is for sure & for certain an 1894 Winchester with previously noted features... and 7.62 probably has it correct with the timeline of photo, gun and all.

[7.62 Precision]

Kind of a small 'wolf'.

Some East Coast wolves tend to be, and also are not so heavily furred. Wolves vary a lot by region.

[Rimfire McNutjob]

If it was a prop, it was a pretty expensive one ... you know, pistol grip, fancy wood, 1/2 mag, etc.

[7.62 Precision]

If it was a prop, it was a pretty expensive one ... you know, pistol grip, fancy wood, 1/2 mag, etc.

A prop as in, "We need a photo of this wolf. Let's get it out in frint of some trees, get the guy who shot it, and . . . oh, who has a rifle we can borrow for the photo?"

[hfcable]

that confiuration of 1894 was very popular in the early years of that model. like these two, both made in 1895, the upper one is 25/35 the lower one 38/55.




my favorite configuration too. would do for wolves.

[Ben_Rumson]

Or...


Whaa Hoo!! I got to order me up a purty rifle from my Winchester catalogue for posterity....
You know that stuffed wolf of mine you been makin' fun of?...Turns out that it was the last Eastern Wolf known kilt ... Papers want a picture of me and Ole Lonesome to put in the Fall Harvest edition...

[hfcable]

Or...


Whaa Hoo!! I got to order me up a purty rifle from my Winchester catalogue for posterity....
You know that stuffed wolf of mine you been makin' fun of?...Turns out that it was the last Eastern Wolf known kilt ... Papers want a picture of me and Ole Lonesome to put in the Fall Harvest edition...

i can loan you the rifle for a prop !

[7.62 Precision]

my favorite configuration too. would do for wolves.

It would do for me, that's for sure!

[FLINT]

So for whatever reason, I decided to look into this more, since I'm always surprised what you can find online.

Apparently the guy in the photo was a long time adirondack hunting guide named Reuben Cary. He was also the caretaker of a park in one area of the adirondacks. Attached is another picture of Mr. Cary with a pretty nice looking deer. So, he seems like the kind of guy who would own a decent rifle, and the rifle in the picture was probably his, whether or not it was the one that killed that wolf. I can't tell if the rifle in the picture with him and the deer is the same one or not. The deer picture is circa 1910.

also, I had been reading some on the eastern wolf. Apparently the east was once inhabitated pretty continuously by wolves. They were all killed off except for a population in the far north (Ontario) and a population in the far south (forget where). The southern population became called the red wolf, and there have been I think fairly unsuccessful efforts to re-establish those wolves in north carolina. The northern population became called the eastern wolf - and I think Ontario has a stable population of those wolves now - but I think there is agreement that the red wolf and eastern wolf are the same thing - remnants from the original wolves in the eastern US. Smaller than the grey wolves in the Western US and canada. Interesting thing is that the eastern wolves are able to successfully mate with both Grey wolves and coyotes - whereas grey wolves can't or don't mate with coyotes. Also an interesting thing is that the coyotes that we have in the northeast - are descended from coyotes that mated with northern eastern wolves and then moved their way down into the US from canada - which is why the eastern coyotes are much bigger than the western coyotes. Also I guess that the wolves in the upper mid west and Isle Royale are a mix of eastern and grey wolves. anyways, this was all really interesting to me for a few days for whatever reason.

[Cimarron Red]

The gun looks like a double gun to me. But it is definitely not a half-magazine model 1894.