Parker Gun Collectors Association Forums - Two Toms, two different Parkers.

I had my best year ever this spring on turkeys. On Apr. 19 my opening day for my season, as we have to choose a time period and can not hunt the entire season unless archery hunting. I killed my biggest bird ever at 7:23am, 25 1/2lbs in my home state of MN. I shot it using a new to me, DH Damascus 12ga 30" bbls #2 frame that I bought from a member here. I used some handloads that my cousin put together for me. 2 3/4" 1 1/8oz #5 at approx. 1100fps with a fairly low pressure of approx. 8000.
I had two birds gobbling in the distance behind me in the woods. I was set up with my back to the woods facing a disked cornfield. They sounded like they were slowly coming closer but in no hurry. I did some aggressive cutting and purring on my slate call and they gobbled instantly so I just shut up at that point. It probably wasn't five minutes and they came out to my left and headed right up to my strutting Tom decoy. I waited for them to separate from each other as they were hanging tight together and I didn't want to hit both birds. Killed him at approx. 20yds. I like my birds close so I have a self imposed limit of about 28yds for all my turkey hunts. I figure that way I did my job and got them in close and if they lock up at a further distance, then tomorrow is another day. It was even more satisfying as my wife also shot here biggest bird ever, 26lbs 3oz the following day although she hasn't caught the Parker disease yet so she was using her Benelli.

My WI hunt also was great as I shot a double bearded bird at 7:42 am on May 4, day two of my WI hunt. I used a new to me, 10ga twist, top lever hammer gun 32" bbls on a #3 frame with RST 2 7/8" 1 1/4oz #6 loads.
I believe this was a bird I had pitch off the roost about 80yds from me at 5:24 that morning but he headed straight south and didn't really show interest in my dekes or my calling. I had a half strut Jake and a hen decoy out. I saw him meet up with another tom and two hens when he got to be about 125 yds from me and continued to head south. At about 7:30 I saw a hen come back over the crest of the hill heading north and soon after I saw the tips of his tail feathers as he strutted coming over the crest also.
The hen headed east and much to my surprise he didn't follow her but instead headed my way. Since calling didn't seem to draw him in earlier, if it was the same Tom?, I decide to not call at all and hopefully let the decoys work their magic.. He headed in my general direction but not right at me. When he was about 75yds away he started to head my way. The heart started pumping as always happens when things look promising. He came right up to my Jake decoy at about 18-20yds and the 10ga did its job.
I couldn't have been happier taking these two birds using two new guns. I was definitely blessed this year.
I brought my camera out the remaining days of the season as my cousin was still hunting, but not right by me, and I wanted to try for some good turkey pictures. On Friday I put the Jake and hen dekes out again and I called in another Tom and three Jakes from the north and they came right in to the Jake decoy. It was unbelievable as that Tom beat up on the decoy for an hour and fifteen minutes steady, never left. I was able to take several hundred pictures as he was totally keyed in on that Jake. He never once paid any attention to the hen decoy even as one of the Jakes was pushing her around.
We finally had to slowly shoo him away as we had to meet another cousin for lunch who came in to town to meet us. I once had a hen do the same thing to another hen decoy for over two solid hours and it was within 20yds of this same spot.
Top two pictures are my MN bird.
Bottom three pictures are my WI bird.