Tipped one over with the 138 year old Parker

[Matt Buckley]

I shot a nice turkey with my 1880 O Grade Parker 10 gauge lifter today here in MN. We still have a fair amount of snow on the ground after a 18" blizzard last weekend. The sun was out today and the turkeys were to. This bird weighed 23 lbs 6 oz, 8 1/2" beard, and 1 1/8" spurs. This is the biggest Eastern I have ever harvested and my first with black powder and brass out of this Parker. I was shooting 4 drams of black powder, 1 3/4oz of #6 and #5's out of 2 5/8" 10 gauge brass.

[Dean Romig]

Nice job!

That's a darn heavy turkey for this time of year (well, not really but it sure is a good one!) - what's he been feeding on?





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[Randy G Roberts]

Congratulations Matt. I have never hunted turkeys in the snow that I can recall. But with the way the weather has been around here in Southern Indiana it may happen this spring, who knows.

[charlie cleveland]

mighty nice turkey a big one too...that barrel on that gun looks to bereally long how long is it..seems like the load you are shooting is a good one how far was the turkey when shot....charlie

[Jim Beilke]

Good for you Mathew. You worked hard to get your Parker in "turkey shape" and it paid off. I will indeed mount your tail, beard and spurs with your brass shell.

[Jerry Harlow]

Great job. I've never had to hunt them in the snow. Are they strutting and when do they nest if snow is on the ground?

[Gerald McPherson]

Wow! That one is 3 lbs larger than my largest. I stay home if its below about 45 degrees. Good job. He looks even bigger,

[Jay Oliver]

Great job Matt! That is awesome...congratulations!

[Matt Buckley]

The shot was 35 yards and the barrels on this Parker are 32". The bird strutted around a hen for at least a half hour before the hen came over to me decoys and then this old boy followed in. They do indeed strut in the snow.

[Todd Poer]

Dang that is a nice bird and great story. Clearly don't associate turkey hunting and snow on the ground. Cold fronts where I live will shut em down, much less a bunch of snow.

Early 90's storm of the century hit right in the middle of turkey season. No one I knew even saw turkeys for two weeks in the mountains were the snow held. When snow melted it was like someone flipped a switch and every gobbler in the country was going crazy.

[Gerald McPherson]

Your post inspired me to go this morning. 34 degrees and not a gobble heard. Dead quiet. Almost froze by about 9am so I came home. Down here they like it about 50+.

[Dean Romig]

I have hunted Vermont turkeys with snow in patches on the ground and leaden skies spitting the white stuff. My first longbeard was killeg under just such conditions.






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[Mike Koneski]

Snow on the ground can make hunting them easier. You know they'll be at bare patches and can set up accordingly. Even better to be set up next to freshly spread manure. Nice bird and congrats!! Our season doesn't open for another week.

[Dean Romig]

Unfortunately, in VT it is not legal to spread manure on top of any snow at all.






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[Mike Koneski]

What are farmers supposed to do with their mischt???? Just because it snows doesn't mean the cows don't produce manure!!

[Todd Poer]

Unfortunately, in VT it is not legal to spread manure on top of any snow at all.
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Whhaat, Cmon that has to be a late April Fools joke. :)

Or its one of those crazy laws on the books like you can't put ice cream in your pocket.

[Dean Romig]

I agree it's totally absurd but it really is the law.

https://www.manuremanager.com/state/vt-winter-manure-spreading-ban-begins-12683




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[Jim DiSpagno]

Too bad they don’t have a similar law in D.C.

[Garry L Gordon]

Don't know about all the manure that's being spread, but that's a very nice gobbler, snow or no snow. :)

[Matt Buckley]

I didn't know what to expect with this first season with this kind of snow but we have been getting some calm sunny days and the turkeys are ready for spring so they have been very active. I have heard several reports of turkeys being shot and guys hearing lots of gobbling and seeing strutting birds.

[Daniel G Rainey]

I have hunted turkeys in the snow once in Mississippi.I think it was in 1987. We got about an inch the first week of April. My wife was understanding when I told her this is a once in lifetime thing and it has not happened since.One did gobble but would not come in. After the hunt I went to have coffee with several of my hunting friends with an old white sheet over my shoulder telling everyone what better camo could one use on a morning like this. Some still wonder if I did cover up in the sheet.

[charlie cleveland]

i remember that snow daniel...did you wear that sheet....charlie

[Todd Poer]

Wearing a white sheet in the South, in the woods, toting a gun? There is a history there not very favorable for that type of wardrobe and concealment choice. You probably scared them to death. :rotf:

[Thomas L. Benson Sr.]

Matt: I would guess you were in the Redwood River Valley for your hunt. Thomas

[Shawn Wayment]

Excellent

[Daniel G Rainey]

Charley No I did not wear a white sheet for camo during my only turkey hunt in the snow. But many years ago, I heard Wil Primos tell the story of the late Russell Davis Mayor of Jackson, Miss. and a famous turkey hunter back in the 1960's. He left the hunting the camp one morning walking dressed in a White jump suit only to return with a nice gobbler mid morning. He collected from a fellow club a bet that he could call up a gobbler and kill him dressed in white.

[Todd Poer]

Never bet against another mans trick.

Years ago I got an invite to big turkey hunting event. One of the hosts was this well connected fella and he was telling a story about the time his friend was entertaining a state senator on a turkey hunt. Seems he had some wild turkey's penned up somewhere and they got a big one and had one of the hands tie a long string around the birds leg and put it out in a field way before daybreak. They go setup early out in the field just on other side of this draw out of sight of turkey then slip into a ground blind. Sure enough about 15 mins later that bird walks into range and Senator lets him have it. Instead of sitting back and letting the guide go get his bird, Senator jumps up and runs out of the blind to go get his bird with guide and owner running behind him.

Senator gets to the bird and sees this string tied to the bird and looks up confused and landowner without missing a beat tells the guide "How many times have I told you don't let your kids fly kites out here, they leave their string laying around and tangling up my turkeys".

[charlie cleveland]

daniel maybe we are wearing the wrong camo....i once new a good turkey hunter who in warm weather wore a white t shirt blue jeans and slip on tennis shoes and he killed his fair share of turkeys....that is a good storey about the string i had to smile on that one....charlie

[Bob Dombeck]

Great job Matt. My season started today in Minnesota as well. I am using a very similar gun except mine is a top lever. I am hunting in Wabasha County and I passed up a Tom this morning at about 9 yards just because it is so early in the season and I enjoy doing photography as well so I am in no hurry to fill my tag. He was a mature Tom but he did not have any visible beard. I took some video and still pictures on my phone.
I shot a Tom in Wisconsin about 5 years ago that did not have a beard as well. Not too common but not unheard of. Minnesota regulations State your bird has to have a visible beard so I don't know how they would rule on this one. In Wisconsin the regulations state you can harvest a male or bearded turkey so you are covered over there.
They did not get that much snow down here last weekend like we did up north at home so there is just a skiff or two left in the woods but that is all.
Picture perfect morning. 39 degrees, sunny skies and very little wind. Couldn't ask for a much nicer start to the season.

[Dean Romig]

I've heard tell of some toms losing their beards in the cold winters from the beards being frozen to the ground when they rest on the frozen ground or an icy limb when they sit on roost at night.... maybe just an old Yankee hunting story.





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