received news earlier today that the man who was my turkey hunting mentor, Parker Whedon, died last evening. He was perhaps the last direct link to some of the giants of the sport's past. He personally knew and corresponded with the Turpins (Tom, Inman, and Hunter), exchanged lively letters with Henry Edwards Davis, came into possession of Davis's personal box call after his death (the call subsequently sold for just over $55,000, the most ever paid for a single turkey call), consulted with Davis on his memoirs, and knew all of the grand old hunters of yesteryear in the Carolinas, Virginia, and Georgia. He was one of the country's leading authorities on fall hunting with dogs, was the man who solved the riddle of the Simon Everitt yelper, and was a noted craftsman when it came to fashioning wingbone calls.
On a personal basis, as my wife pointed out to me when I shared news of Parker's passing, he was, with the single exception of my father, had more influence on me than any man I have known in my entire life. He called the first turkey I killed (and in typical Whedon fashion said: "That's how it's done, now you are on your own."), shared gladly from his storehouse of turkey wisdom as I progressed and he felt I was worthy, taught me whatever skills I have in calling, and opened up before me a world of wonder.
He was a giant in the sport and now there will be a final and important chapter in the book I am finishing on "Remembering the Greats: Profiles of Turkey Hunting's Old Masters." He was, without question, a turkey hunter for the ages and a true master of the sport.
Jim Casada
