1 00:00:05,559 --> 00:00:08,280 Speaker 1: I could see them spinning full struck, and as I 2 00:00:08,440 --> 00:00:12,280 Speaker 1: raised up and went to shoot them, turkeys is boom 3 00:00:12,840 --> 00:00:14,200 Speaker 1: and everything got dark. 4 00:00:15,400 --> 00:00:19,560 Speaker 2: We've got eight Turkey storytellers stacked like Cordwood on our 5 00:00:19,600 --> 00:00:22,239 Speaker 2: final Turkey Stories episode of twenty twenty four. 6 00:00:22,920 --> 00:00:23,680 Speaker 3: They hail from. 7 00:00:23,560 --> 00:00:29,400 Speaker 2: Mississippi, Alabama, Tennessee, and Arkansas. The Southeastern Conference in Collegiate 8 00:00:29,440 --> 00:00:33,880 Speaker 2: Sports has an interesting tagline stating it just means more 9 00:00:33,960 --> 00:00:37,720 Speaker 2: down here. There are passionate and incredible turkey hunters all 10 00:00:37,760 --> 00:00:41,400 Speaker 2: over this great country. But I've got to say that 11 00:00:41,640 --> 00:00:46,160 Speaker 2: SEC tagline fits turkey hunting like a three piece custom suit. 12 00:00:46,800 --> 00:00:48,480 Speaker 3: It sure means a lot down here. 13 00:00:49,600 --> 00:00:53,080 Speaker 2: On this episode, we've got three wheeler rex people getting shot, 14 00:00:53,280 --> 00:00:56,360 Speaker 2: folks flying around in jets, a turkey walking with a 15 00:00:56,400 --> 00:01:00,920 Speaker 2: forked stick, and even a voodoo gobbler lead out. 16 00:01:00,920 --> 00:01:02,400 Speaker 3: That you're gonna want to miss this one. 17 00:01:03,080 --> 00:01:05,600 Speaker 2: And Hey, I'll be on the Meat Eater Live Tour 18 00:01:05,680 --> 00:01:08,520 Speaker 2: starting in April twenty third, going all the way through 19 00:01:08,560 --> 00:01:12,560 Speaker 2: May fifth. Me and Steve Vanella, Yannis cal all the guys. 20 00:01:12,600 --> 00:01:18,240 Speaker 2: We're gonna be hitting Mesa, Arizona, San Diego, Anaheim, and Sacramento, California. 21 00:01:18,600 --> 00:01:24,280 Speaker 2: Salt Lake City, Utah, Boise, Idaho, Missoula, Montana, Spokane, Washington, Portland, Oregon, 22 00:01:24,600 --> 00:01:29,280 Speaker 2: and Tacoma, Washington. You can buy tickets for those shows now. 23 00:01:29,520 --> 00:01:32,440 Speaker 2: I hope to see you there. And at some point 24 00:01:32,560 --> 00:01:33,679 Speaker 2: we're gonna come to the South. 25 00:01:34,160 --> 00:01:36,959 Speaker 4: So stand by, and I've got my gun like this 26 00:01:37,120 --> 00:01:40,200 Speaker 4: right here, and I go to leaning in about that 27 00:01:40,280 --> 00:01:50,240 Speaker 4: time I just stumped over. 28 00:01:52,880 --> 00:01:55,560 Speaker 2: My name is Clay Nukem, and this is the Bear 29 00:01:55,640 --> 00:02:00,560 Speaker 2: Grease Podcast, where we'll explore things forgotten but relevant, search 30 00:02:00,680 --> 00:02:04,320 Speaker 2: for insight and unlikely places, and where we'll tell the 31 00:02:04,360 --> 00:02:07,040 Speaker 2: story of Americans who lived their. 32 00:02:06,880 --> 00:02:08,480 Speaker 3: Lives close to the land. 33 00:02:09,160 --> 00:02:14,880 Speaker 2: Presented by FHF Gear, American made, purpose built hunting and 34 00:02:14,960 --> 00:02:18,400 Speaker 2: fishing gear that's designed to be as rugged as the 35 00:02:18,440 --> 00:02:29,040 Speaker 2: place as we explore. Just this last week, I was 36 00:02:29,080 --> 00:02:32,680 Speaker 2: in Mississippi turkey hunting with my friend Lake Pickle. We 37 00:02:32,680 --> 00:02:36,079 Speaker 2: were within here in distance of four gobblers at daylight, 38 00:02:36,520 --> 00:02:38,880 Speaker 2: one of them during near in field goal range. 39 00:02:39,000 --> 00:02:42,279 Speaker 3: As a clasp of pine limb in the windless, cold. 40 00:02:42,040 --> 00:02:45,880 Speaker 2: Twilight, they gobbled good on the roost, but as the 41 00:02:46,000 --> 00:02:50,120 Speaker 2: dark forest became like a dimly lit room and gradually 42 00:02:50,200 --> 00:02:53,240 Speaker 2: brightened to the point of being able to discern between 43 00:02:53,400 --> 00:02:57,520 Speaker 2: tree species, They quit almost as if they talked it 44 00:02:57,560 --> 00:03:01,200 Speaker 2: over the evening before. When their dinosaur toes hit the ground, 45 00:03:01,240 --> 00:03:06,160 Speaker 2: they went silent, tight beaked, despite the pleading yelp marks 46 00:03:06,160 --> 00:03:09,440 Speaker 2: that Lake was leaving on their feathers. At nine am, 47 00:03:09,639 --> 00:03:12,680 Speaker 2: we left and we went to a new property and 48 00:03:12,800 --> 00:03:16,360 Speaker 2: made a big loop, yelping from time to time in 49 00:03:16,440 --> 00:03:20,480 Speaker 2: the mid morning, all the while listening. Most of the 50 00:03:20,480 --> 00:03:24,320 Speaker 2: hope for our morning was gone until at ten forty 51 00:03:24,360 --> 00:03:27,919 Speaker 2: five we heard the arrogant gobble of a tom following 52 00:03:27,960 --> 00:03:33,320 Speaker 2: the sharp staccato of a pilated woodpecker. We closed the 53 00:03:33,400 --> 00:03:37,080 Speaker 2: distance with no more than seventy five quick footsteps when 54 00:03:37,200 --> 00:03:40,960 Speaker 2: Lake's posture changed and he stuck out his chest and 55 00:03:41,000 --> 00:03:45,160 Speaker 2: from deep within erupted the most beautiful, spine tingling, four 56 00:03:45,240 --> 00:03:52,200 Speaker 2: note barred owl hoot I've ever heard made. I did 57 00:03:52,240 --> 00:03:54,880 Speaker 2: not know if a barred owl had landed on his shoulder, 58 00:03:55,320 --> 00:03:58,760 Speaker 2: or if on the inside he was one. But after 59 00:03:58,800 --> 00:04:01,760 Speaker 2: the trill of the final note, a gobble erupted so 60 00:04:01,960 --> 00:04:05,240 Speaker 2: close it shook our souls, and we melted to the 61 00:04:05,240 --> 00:04:09,160 Speaker 2: ground like may apples in June. Within seconds, we heard 62 00:04:09,280 --> 00:04:14,240 Speaker 2: drumming and soon I saw his shiny black chest feathers 63 00:04:14,560 --> 00:04:18,840 Speaker 2: and his red head moving towards us. I resolve melted 64 00:04:18,960 --> 00:04:23,920 Speaker 2: like wax as Lake whispered shuit. But what he couldn't 65 00:04:23,960 --> 00:04:28,360 Speaker 2: see is that some limbs, briers, and grass stood between 66 00:04:28,440 --> 00:04:32,440 Speaker 2: us with like separated lovers. He was closing the distance 67 00:04:33,279 --> 00:04:37,160 Speaker 2: after having a near mental breakdown, rotating my shotgun a 68 00:04:37,200 --> 00:04:41,159 Speaker 2: full forty five degrees, I squeezed the trigger as he 69 00:04:41,320 --> 00:04:46,159 Speaker 2: walked away after tucking his wing, and the woods erupted in. 70 00:04:46,000 --> 00:04:47,520 Speaker 3: Flailing wing beats. 71 00:04:48,839 --> 00:04:52,080 Speaker 2: Lake Pickle is not a small man, but he outran 72 00:04:52,160 --> 00:04:54,320 Speaker 2: me to that turkey and snatched him off the pine 73 00:04:54,360 --> 00:04:57,480 Speaker 2: straw like he was recovering a fumble. We'd done it 74 00:04:58,200 --> 00:05:02,120 Speaker 2: in all my outdoor pursuit suits. The feeling of calling 75 00:05:02,160 --> 00:05:07,080 Speaker 2: in killing a spring gobbler is indescribable. And that's why 76 00:05:07,160 --> 00:05:13,120 Speaker 2: this week we're celebrating the wild turkey. We're gonna come 77 00:05:13,120 --> 00:05:16,040 Speaker 2: in hot with our first storyteller. You may have heard 78 00:05:16,080 --> 00:05:19,040 Speaker 2: of him. They call him yacht Yawk, but his name 79 00:05:19,120 --> 00:05:21,800 Speaker 2: is David Ellis and he's from West Point, Mississippi. 80 00:05:23,080 --> 00:05:24,279 Speaker 3: This is about a. 81 00:05:24,279 --> 00:05:27,560 Speaker 2: Wild hunt that he had in Missouri with his good 82 00:05:27,560 --> 00:05:31,400 Speaker 2: buddy po Daddy. Pay attention because this story takes some 83 00:05:31,520 --> 00:05:33,640 Speaker 2: quick twists and turns. 84 00:05:34,040 --> 00:05:35,000 Speaker 3: Here's yat yacht. 85 00:05:48,320 --> 00:05:50,800 Speaker 1: So the most I don't know if people say it 86 00:05:50,839 --> 00:05:53,039 Speaker 1: was scary, the most war out, but me and my 87 00:05:53,080 --> 00:05:55,640 Speaker 1: buddy went up to Missouri. I'd have been up here 88 00:05:55,640 --> 00:05:57,680 Speaker 1: about three times trying to kill him in that national forest. 89 00:05:58,320 --> 00:06:00,640 Speaker 1: And uh, I always wanted to be this guy named 90 00:06:00,680 --> 00:06:03,479 Speaker 1: Eddie Salter. You know, Eddie Salter was the guy that 91 00:06:03,560 --> 00:06:06,880 Speaker 1: you watched on TV. You saw him on the Saturday 92 00:06:06,880 --> 00:06:10,120 Speaker 1: mornings and he had that call sign when he killed 93 00:06:10,120 --> 00:06:11,880 Speaker 1: a turkey and he went over and got picked it up. 94 00:06:11,920 --> 00:06:16,160 Speaker 1: He goes, you know, and that embedded in my head, 95 00:06:16,200 --> 00:06:18,279 Speaker 1: you know, all of all these years, and I was like, 96 00:06:18,560 --> 00:06:20,560 Speaker 1: I said, I want to meet Eddie Salter one day. 97 00:06:20,600 --> 00:06:22,800 Speaker 1: And so anyway, me and my buddy PO Daddy, we 98 00:06:22,839 --> 00:06:25,640 Speaker 1: caught his name's Paul, nicknames PO Daddy. And he wasn't poor. 99 00:06:25,680 --> 00:06:26,560 Speaker 1: He's just really cheap. 100 00:06:26,640 --> 00:06:26,800 Speaker 5: You know. 101 00:06:26,880 --> 00:06:29,279 Speaker 1: We we get a hotel with one bed to save 102 00:06:29,320 --> 00:06:33,200 Speaker 1: ten dollars, you know. So we went up there and 103 00:06:33,200 --> 00:06:34,800 Speaker 1: I'd have been up there about three times trying to 104 00:06:34,839 --> 00:06:36,840 Speaker 1: kill them. The mountains I call them mountains to me. 105 00:06:37,000 --> 00:06:40,120 Speaker 1: You know, they steep hills. Finally I ended up with 106 00:06:40,160 --> 00:06:43,440 Speaker 1: a guy that had four thousand acres one block of 107 00:06:43,560 --> 00:06:46,320 Speaker 1: lamb and through a friend of a friend, he said, 108 00:06:46,360 --> 00:06:49,920 Speaker 1: just come on, I'm loaded with turkeys. Well the first day, man, 109 00:06:50,600 --> 00:06:52,320 Speaker 1: we got in there, and them hills was just as 110 00:06:52,360 --> 00:06:55,440 Speaker 1: bad as over at them. But they had plenty of birds. 111 00:06:55,440 --> 00:06:57,479 Speaker 1: You would mess up or a bird leave you over here. 112 00:06:57,680 --> 00:07:01,960 Speaker 1: He'd hammer over here when you just go to another one, 113 00:07:02,000 --> 00:07:04,080 Speaker 1: you know. We finally one day we just split up, like, man, 114 00:07:04,360 --> 00:07:06,320 Speaker 1: you got birds over here. I got birds over here. 115 00:07:06,880 --> 00:07:09,840 Speaker 1: But them mountains was just wearing us out, them hills 116 00:07:09,840 --> 00:07:12,360 Speaker 1: and valleys. And they call them ridge runners for a reason. 117 00:07:12,440 --> 00:07:14,080 Speaker 1: They just run up down the ridge were trying to 118 00:07:14,120 --> 00:07:14,640 Speaker 1: run over them. 119 00:07:14,680 --> 00:07:15,560 Speaker 6: You know, we ain't. 120 00:07:15,840 --> 00:07:17,760 Speaker 1: We wasn't smart enough to figure it out, you you know. 121 00:07:18,000 --> 00:07:23,440 Speaker 1: So about three days of more thunderstorms, them more ridges 122 00:07:23,520 --> 00:07:25,360 Speaker 1: was wearing me down. I mean one ridge took us 123 00:07:25,360 --> 00:07:27,120 Speaker 1: five stops to get to the top hug one day. 124 00:07:27,480 --> 00:07:30,520 Speaker 1: And so the last day I told po Dad, I said, 125 00:07:30,520 --> 00:07:32,920 Speaker 1: you know what I'm done with this. I said, I'm 126 00:07:32,920 --> 00:07:35,240 Speaker 1: going back to what I used to do and know 127 00:07:35,360 --> 00:07:37,000 Speaker 1: how I know how to kill turkeys, because you know 128 00:07:37,040 --> 00:07:39,440 Speaker 1: how This is when you hunt with somebody. You just 129 00:07:39,480 --> 00:07:42,040 Speaker 1: play it differently. You don't move like maybe you should 130 00:07:42,080 --> 00:07:44,120 Speaker 1: because you got two people. You don't call like maybe 131 00:07:44,160 --> 00:07:46,560 Speaker 1: you should, or not call like you shouldn't. You just 132 00:07:46,560 --> 00:07:47,800 Speaker 1: play it different. And I told them, I said this 133 00:07:47,920 --> 00:07:50,440 Speaker 1: last day, I said, I'm tired of these thunderstorms. I'm 134 00:07:50,480 --> 00:07:52,520 Speaker 1: tired of these hills. I said, when them turkeys hit 135 00:07:52,560 --> 00:07:53,720 Speaker 1: the ground to day, I said, I ain't gonna have 136 00:07:53,720 --> 00:07:55,360 Speaker 1: these boots on, had to running shoes. I'm gonna be 137 00:07:55,440 --> 00:07:58,200 Speaker 1: like you, same boat. I said, when it's go times, 138 00:07:58,240 --> 00:07:58,600 Speaker 1: go time. 139 00:07:58,640 --> 00:07:58,840 Speaker 3: I said. 140 00:07:58,880 --> 00:08:01,040 Speaker 1: When they hit the ridge running, they gonna run down it. 141 00:08:01,040 --> 00:08:02,520 Speaker 1: I said, I'm gonna be on the other side. I said, 142 00:08:02,560 --> 00:08:04,160 Speaker 1: I'm gonna pop up. And I said I'm gonna bust him. 143 00:08:04,520 --> 00:08:06,680 Speaker 1: I said, We're going home. He said, we'll go get 144 00:08:06,720 --> 00:08:10,239 Speaker 1: them some So right at daylight, themb old ile started 145 00:08:10,280 --> 00:08:20,800 Speaker 1: getting to going. I said, all right, Poe Daddy, I said, 146 00:08:20,840 --> 00:08:22,280 Speaker 1: you just stay right here. I said, I'll be back 147 00:08:22,320 --> 00:08:25,520 Speaker 1: in just to see. They just kept on as it 148 00:08:25,600 --> 00:08:34,800 Speaker 1: got more and more daylight. At that time, they hit 149 00:08:34,840 --> 00:08:36,120 Speaker 1: the side of that ridge and I hit the other 150 00:08:36,160 --> 00:08:37,600 Speaker 1: side of that ridge, and I was running down there 151 00:08:37,600 --> 00:08:39,760 Speaker 1: with that shotgun, and they were just hammering all the way. 152 00:08:41,200 --> 00:08:42,640 Speaker 1: They knew whe they was going, and I knew where 153 00:08:42,600 --> 00:08:43,680 Speaker 1: they was going, and all they need to do was 154 00:08:43,679 --> 00:08:45,240 Speaker 1: pop on the other side of the ridge. And as 155 00:08:45,280 --> 00:08:46,600 Speaker 1: I run and run and run. As I got to 156 00:08:46,640 --> 00:08:49,160 Speaker 1: the edge of that ridge, they pitched up in flu. 157 00:08:50,160 --> 00:08:51,880 Speaker 1: They ain't pitched up in flu the whole time, They've 158 00:08:51,880 --> 00:08:54,080 Speaker 1: been walking all week, and today they pitched up in flu. 159 00:08:54,559 --> 00:08:56,360 Speaker 1: And I knew the ridge we was on because we 160 00:08:56,360 --> 00:08:58,439 Speaker 1: had stopped five times the day before. And that thing, 161 00:08:58,520 --> 00:09:01,520 Speaker 1: I said, you know what, I ain't giving up. I 162 00:09:01,600 --> 00:09:03,920 Speaker 1: shot down in that valley and I started coming all 163 00:09:03,920 --> 00:09:05,400 Speaker 1: the way up, and they were still hammering on the 164 00:09:05,400 --> 00:09:07,760 Speaker 1: next ridge, and it just kept driving me, driving me, 165 00:09:07,760 --> 00:09:09,440 Speaker 1: and I pulled myself to the top and I got up. 166 00:09:09,480 --> 00:09:11,000 Speaker 1: I could feel the sweat just running off of him. 167 00:09:11,000 --> 00:09:12,640 Speaker 1: I was hot, I had a pull over on, I 168 00:09:12,640 --> 00:09:14,959 Speaker 1: got a hood I'm always wearing a hoodie. I was sweating, 169 00:09:15,000 --> 00:09:17,079 Speaker 1: and they were just over there, just hammering, running away. 170 00:09:17,240 --> 00:09:18,559 Speaker 1: I got on the other side of that ridge and 171 00:09:18,600 --> 00:09:20,760 Speaker 1: I took off, and as I got closer, I could 172 00:09:20,760 --> 00:09:23,840 Speaker 1: see them spinning full struck, and I seen an old 173 00:09:23,880 --> 00:09:26,440 Speaker 1: pine top in that song on was just brown. So 174 00:09:26,520 --> 00:09:28,280 Speaker 1: I slid up under that pine top. I knew I 175 00:09:28,320 --> 00:09:31,120 Speaker 1: was gonna be about forty yards and as I raised 176 00:09:31,200 --> 00:09:34,200 Speaker 1: up and went to shoot them turkeys, it was boom 177 00:09:36,640 --> 00:09:40,240 Speaker 1: and everything got dark, and I knew I didn't pull 178 00:09:40,280 --> 00:09:44,240 Speaker 1: the trigger. I didn't think I did, but I felt blinded. 179 00:09:44,320 --> 00:09:46,920 Speaker 1: I felt the pain. I could feel the sweat, and 180 00:09:46,960 --> 00:09:49,280 Speaker 1: it's a little bit of blood just run down to 181 00:09:49,360 --> 00:09:49,720 Speaker 1: my lip. 182 00:09:49,840 --> 00:09:50,560 Speaker 5: I could taste it. 183 00:09:51,280 --> 00:09:52,800 Speaker 1: I have a lot of nose bleed, so I knew 184 00:09:52,840 --> 00:09:57,000 Speaker 1: what the blood tasted like. And as I sat there, thinking, Lord, 185 00:09:57,440 --> 00:10:01,120 Speaker 1: am I dead? Did I die? And about that time 186 00:10:01,480 --> 00:10:06,480 Speaker 1: I heard out and I took my face mask and 187 00:10:06,520 --> 00:10:08,920 Speaker 1: the pine straws all stubble in my face, and I 188 00:10:08,960 --> 00:10:12,599 Speaker 1: pulled it down and I looked and I said, that 189 00:10:12,679 --> 00:10:15,400 Speaker 1: said it is softer. Edi Sautera doesn't shot me in 190 00:10:15,400 --> 00:10:20,199 Speaker 1: the face. So I laid there and as that guy 191 00:10:20,320 --> 00:10:24,640 Speaker 1: walked over there and he picked up both turkeys. And 192 00:10:24,720 --> 00:10:26,360 Speaker 1: I don't think you could shoot two turkeys in the 193 00:10:26,360 --> 00:10:30,760 Speaker 1: state of missis Missouri at the time, but he did. Now, 194 00:10:30,760 --> 00:10:32,920 Speaker 1: this wasn't Eddy Softer, but that was in my mind 195 00:10:33,280 --> 00:10:37,320 Speaker 1: and enabled it. All I heard was the HOODI and 196 00:10:37,360 --> 00:10:41,560 Speaker 1: as I laid there, I was thinking, was I trustpassing? 197 00:10:41,920 --> 00:10:44,760 Speaker 1: Was I not trustpassing? And as a guy took his 198 00:10:44,800 --> 00:10:47,000 Speaker 1: turkeys off, he picked him up by the heads where 199 00:10:47,000 --> 00:10:48,360 Speaker 1: I'm from, picked him up by the feet, throw the 200 00:10:48,360 --> 00:10:51,520 Speaker 1: movers shoulder, and as he walked off down through the valley, 201 00:10:51,920 --> 00:10:53,800 Speaker 1: I got up and wiped the sweat and rest the 202 00:10:53,840 --> 00:10:56,319 Speaker 1: blood off my face and I leamped back down there 203 00:10:56,360 --> 00:10:58,079 Speaker 1: till my buddy Poe Daddy. It took a little bit, 204 00:10:58,160 --> 00:11:00,160 Speaker 1: and as I got up there my buddy Poe Dad, 205 00:11:00,240 --> 00:11:03,800 Speaker 1: he said, he looked at me, and well, did you 206 00:11:03,840 --> 00:11:07,400 Speaker 1: get him? I said, no, I got shot. That's what 207 00:11:07,480 --> 00:11:11,960 Speaker 1: I got. You ain't say nothing to him, say something 208 00:11:12,040 --> 00:11:15,000 Speaker 1: to him. I didn't know if I was actually trespassing time, 209 00:11:15,080 --> 00:11:18,440 Speaker 1: but all I could think of was if I am truspassing, 210 00:11:18,720 --> 00:11:20,880 Speaker 1: not only did I get shot, I may have to 211 00:11:20,880 --> 00:11:24,800 Speaker 1: pay a thousand dollars for I wanted Finn to get shot. 212 00:11:25,200 --> 00:11:29,679 Speaker 1: I am paying a thousand dollars. I said, we're going home, son. 213 00:11:31,760 --> 00:11:34,880 Speaker 1: But in the end, I was not trustpassing, and I 214 00:11:34,880 --> 00:11:38,240 Speaker 1: hadn't crossed no fences. But in my mind I never 215 00:11:38,360 --> 00:11:41,840 Speaker 1: thought that he was truspassing, so we called. You know, 216 00:11:41,960 --> 00:11:45,080 Speaker 1: I just thought i'd automatically obviously got so zoned in 217 00:11:45,120 --> 00:11:48,600 Speaker 1: on a turkey that I just lost why I was anyway, 218 00:11:48,640 --> 00:11:51,000 Speaker 1: we called landowner and come to find out, we find 219 00:11:51,040 --> 00:11:53,480 Speaker 1: out who actually killed him, and they took the you know, 220 00:11:53,559 --> 00:11:55,640 Speaker 1: denr took care of it. But he was a fellow 221 00:11:55,640 --> 00:11:57,839 Speaker 1: that lived next door to that four thousand acres that 222 00:11:58,000 --> 00:12:02,040 Speaker 1: nobody ever turkey hunted, and verywell could have been you know, 223 00:12:02,080 --> 00:12:04,000 Speaker 1: I could have lost my life. A lot of things 224 00:12:04,040 --> 00:12:06,480 Speaker 1: could have happened. God did not know he shot me. 225 00:12:07,000 --> 00:12:09,800 Speaker 1: So he's probably thirty or forty year yards on the 226 00:12:09,800 --> 00:12:11,679 Speaker 1: other side of those turkeys, and he shot both of them. 227 00:12:11,679 --> 00:12:14,640 Speaker 1: Between the two turkeys and the tree top. Saved me 228 00:12:14,679 --> 00:12:15,920 Speaker 1: from probably losing my eyes. 229 00:12:15,920 --> 00:12:16,160 Speaker 7: Sigh. 230 00:12:17,080 --> 00:12:19,960 Speaker 1: I had about eight good stings in the face, you know, 231 00:12:20,040 --> 00:12:22,480 Speaker 1: where the blood was coming out. So if it would 232 00:12:22,480 --> 00:12:25,600 Speaker 1: have been for him killing both turkeys and that tree top, 233 00:12:25,640 --> 00:12:27,120 Speaker 1: they didn't tell how many I would have took. 234 00:12:32,720 --> 00:12:37,280 Speaker 2: Wow, that was incredibly scary, and David tells it so 235 00:12:37,440 --> 00:12:41,319 Speaker 2: funny it's hard not to chuckle. But the actual trespasser 236 00:12:41,720 --> 00:12:44,880 Speaker 2: did not know at the time that he'd shot David, 237 00:12:45,040 --> 00:12:46,960 Speaker 2: who had permission to be there David did. 238 00:12:47,800 --> 00:12:49,199 Speaker 3: David never heard what. 239 00:12:49,320 --> 00:12:53,040 Speaker 2: Happened to the illegal turkey hunter. That's a wild story, 240 00:12:53,400 --> 00:12:56,160 Speaker 2: and thank god it wasn't more serious for David. I 241 00:12:56,160 --> 00:12:58,840 Speaker 2: bet that was a long ride back to Mississippi with 242 00:12:58,880 --> 00:13:02,240 Speaker 2: no gobbler in the truck. David has a podcast and 243 00:13:02,280 --> 00:13:06,240 Speaker 2: a YouTube channel titled in his signature yacht brand. And 244 00:13:06,320 --> 00:13:09,840 Speaker 2: I've told you before, these Mississippi turkey hunters are just 245 00:13:10,000 --> 00:13:16,000 Speaker 2: made different. Our next storyteller is also made different. It's 246 00:13:16,040 --> 00:13:20,520 Speaker 2: none other than my friend Andy Brown from Western Arkansas. 247 00:13:21,000 --> 00:13:24,120 Speaker 3: He needs no introduction. He's a Bear Grease regular. 248 00:13:24,960 --> 00:13:27,920 Speaker 2: I'd never heard this story, but it involves a coat 249 00:13:27,960 --> 00:13:31,840 Speaker 2: and tie and a major mishap at the moment of truth. 250 00:13:33,440 --> 00:13:34,080 Speaker 3: Here's Andy. 251 00:13:34,960 --> 00:13:37,920 Speaker 5: Anyway, Wayne, One time he calls me and I had 252 00:13:37,960 --> 00:13:40,439 Speaker 5: just went to work with the place I work at now, 253 00:13:40,480 --> 00:13:43,959 Speaker 5: and this was in nineteen ninety. He calls me, he said, 254 00:13:44,040 --> 00:13:45,480 Speaker 5: we'll tell me getting off and I said, I'll be 255 00:13:45,520 --> 00:13:46,719 Speaker 5: off at five o'clock. He said, you want to go 256 00:13:46,760 --> 00:13:49,319 Speaker 5: try to roost a turkey and I said, sure, I'll 257 00:13:49,320 --> 00:13:51,320 Speaker 5: go with you. And I'll never forget this. I had 258 00:13:51,320 --> 00:13:54,440 Speaker 5: a pair of black slacks on white shirt with a 259 00:13:54,480 --> 00:13:59,199 Speaker 5: black tie William. He made us wear ties from Labor 260 00:13:59,280 --> 00:14:01,440 Speaker 5: Day to Memorial Day, so we always had to wear 261 00:14:01,440 --> 00:14:03,520 Speaker 5: a tie. So that's that was our tire, you know. 262 00:14:03,800 --> 00:14:06,320 Speaker 5: Of course I was decked out, you know. And so 263 00:14:06,440 --> 00:14:08,440 Speaker 5: we drive out the board camp and we go in 264 00:14:08,480 --> 00:14:11,000 Speaker 5: there to a spot and cross the creek and pull 265 00:14:11,080 --> 00:14:12,880 Speaker 5: them ountain there. And he had a four wheel drive 266 00:14:13,480 --> 00:14:16,880 Speaker 5: Chevrolet pickup that took us thousands of miles tark getting. 267 00:14:16,880 --> 00:14:18,960 Speaker 5: But anyway, we pull in there and he said, do 268 00:14:19,040 --> 00:14:21,920 Speaker 5: you want my jacket, camouflage jacket. He said, why don't 269 00:14:21,960 --> 00:14:24,680 Speaker 5: you take that sixteen gage? He had another shotgun too. 270 00:14:25,200 --> 00:14:26,920 Speaker 5: I said, wait, ain't gonna need that. I said, I'm 271 00:14:26,960 --> 00:14:29,320 Speaker 5: just going to walk out here east where I could 272 00:14:29,360 --> 00:14:30,880 Speaker 5: hear good. He said, well, I'll go west out here, 273 00:14:30,920 --> 00:14:32,240 Speaker 5: and I said, I'm gonna gout here east. So I 274 00:14:32,280 --> 00:14:36,000 Speaker 5: go out there, and of course by getting down there 275 00:14:36,040 --> 00:14:38,400 Speaker 5: after five o'clock the sun's starting to go down then. 276 00:14:38,800 --> 00:14:40,880 Speaker 5: But I had those slacks on and I didn't want 277 00:14:40,880 --> 00:14:43,200 Speaker 5: to sit down on the ground and those slacks. And 278 00:14:43,240 --> 00:14:45,320 Speaker 5: I looked and there was a little piece of plyboard. 279 00:14:45,360 --> 00:14:48,120 Speaker 5: I guess a storm had blowed in there, about sixteen 280 00:14:48,160 --> 00:14:51,080 Speaker 5: inches wide. And I took that plyboard, and I just 281 00:14:51,120 --> 00:14:52,880 Speaker 5: set it down by a tree there and sit down 282 00:14:52,880 --> 00:14:56,360 Speaker 5: on it. I did wear his camouflage jacket, but I 283 00:14:56,400 --> 00:14:58,880 Speaker 5: didn't take the gun. So I had black pants, white shirt, 284 00:14:58,880 --> 00:15:01,120 Speaker 5: camouflage jacket. The black I didn't have it button. I 285 00:15:01,200 --> 00:15:03,600 Speaker 5: just sitting there, and you know, so I sit there 286 00:15:03,640 --> 00:15:05,560 Speaker 5: and sit there, and of course you know, if you're 287 00:15:06,080 --> 00:15:08,880 Speaker 5: gobbler turkeys lots of times will not gobble till you 288 00:15:08,920 --> 00:15:10,920 Speaker 5: think it's too late to gobble. And that's when day 289 00:15:10,920 --> 00:15:13,680 Speaker 5: of gobble. It's it's after the twilight everything, when you 290 00:15:13,720 --> 00:15:16,080 Speaker 5: think that it's they're not going to do it. But anyway, 291 00:15:16,760 --> 00:15:18,600 Speaker 5: I was sitting there and it's starting to get dark. 292 00:15:21,000 --> 00:15:23,840 Speaker 5: All of a sudden I heard him coming, and I knew, 293 00:15:23,920 --> 00:15:26,960 Speaker 5: there's there's no doubt when I know you've heard this, 294 00:15:27,040 --> 00:15:28,720 Speaker 5: But when a gobbler turkey is on a mission, it 295 00:15:28,760 --> 00:15:31,720 Speaker 5: sounds just like a person walking. It's just crunch, crunch, 296 00:15:32,080 --> 00:15:33,920 Speaker 5: And I could hear him coming from a long ways. 297 00:15:33,920 --> 00:15:36,760 Speaker 5: It was dry, and I look, here come my big grascal, 298 00:15:37,040 --> 00:15:41,280 Speaker 5: right right to me. And he just walks up there 299 00:15:41,280 --> 00:15:43,840 Speaker 5: at about twenty steps of me. He just walks up 300 00:15:43,920 --> 00:15:46,840 Speaker 5: the mountain there, right up on top about thirty yards 301 00:15:46,840 --> 00:15:49,760 Speaker 5: from me, flies up a tree right on top and 302 00:15:49,800 --> 00:15:52,160 Speaker 5: there I sat. So I had to wait till it 303 00:15:52,200 --> 00:15:55,760 Speaker 5: got completely dark. So when I drug back into the 304 00:15:55,800 --> 00:15:57,920 Speaker 5: truck and said where you in, I said, well, I 305 00:15:57,920 --> 00:15:59,640 Speaker 5: told you about the story, I said, but man, in 306 00:15:59,680 --> 00:16:02,480 Speaker 5: the morning, I said, we gonna get this dude, because 307 00:16:02,760 --> 00:16:05,600 Speaker 5: he's gonna go back just exactly like he come in there. 308 00:16:05,760 --> 00:16:07,520 Speaker 5: You know, he's put his hens to bed. And I said, 309 00:16:07,560 --> 00:16:09,560 Speaker 5: he's gonna go back the other way. So the next morning, 310 00:16:10,000 --> 00:16:13,960 Speaker 5: we get up extremely early. We go in park, we 311 00:16:14,080 --> 00:16:16,280 Speaker 5: go around the south side of the mountain, hit an 312 00:16:16,280 --> 00:16:19,480 Speaker 5: old road, get over on the north side. We're gonna 313 00:16:19,480 --> 00:16:22,040 Speaker 5: we're gonna get set up, you know. And so we 314 00:16:22,080 --> 00:16:23,800 Speaker 5: walk a little ways, and walk a litle ways, and 315 00:16:23,840 --> 00:16:26,080 Speaker 5: we look at it and I said, this don't I said, 316 00:16:26,120 --> 00:16:28,000 Speaker 5: let's go a little further. So we we go a 317 00:16:28,000 --> 00:16:30,680 Speaker 5: little further and we get out there and and I'm 318 00:16:30,680 --> 00:16:33,280 Speaker 5: out there, got my pocket knife and I'm cutting I'm 319 00:16:33,280 --> 00:16:36,040 Speaker 5: cutting limbs, building the blinds, you know, and get in 320 00:16:36,080 --> 00:16:37,880 Speaker 5: where we can hide, you know. And I get all 321 00:16:37,920 --> 00:16:41,720 Speaker 5: that fixed and I sit out there way he's right 322 00:16:41,760 --> 00:16:44,400 Speaker 5: there with it. It starts a little bit. I mean, 323 00:16:44,440 --> 00:16:46,080 Speaker 5: we could have tuck a nap, it was so early. 324 00:16:46,120 --> 00:16:48,800 Speaker 5: But anyway, it starts getting daylight, and I look out 325 00:16:48,800 --> 00:16:51,000 Speaker 5: there and I thought, what is that right up? I 326 00:16:51,000 --> 00:16:54,040 Speaker 5: can see something light covered and I look out there 327 00:16:54,160 --> 00:16:59,120 Speaker 5: and there's that piece of plyboard where I mean, we 328 00:16:59,200 --> 00:17:03,360 Speaker 5: are setting under that turkey, you know, And I thought, oh, no, 329 00:17:03,480 --> 00:17:05,960 Speaker 5: about that time he gobbles just blows her hats off 330 00:17:06,040 --> 00:17:09,280 Speaker 5: right there. And when we did, he just pitches off 331 00:17:09,600 --> 00:17:12,000 Speaker 5: on the south side of the mountain. He didn't pitch 332 00:17:12,160 --> 00:17:15,000 Speaker 5: back off the way he'd come in and went right 333 00:17:15,040 --> 00:17:17,840 Speaker 5: east there he went gobbling, and he went right back 334 00:17:17,880 --> 00:17:20,439 Speaker 5: around there to what we call Bible gap. Anyway, I 335 00:17:20,440 --> 00:17:22,520 Speaker 5: told man, I said, come on, let's let's go try 336 00:17:22,560 --> 00:17:25,640 Speaker 5: to kill that dude. We go back around, we come 337 00:17:25,640 --> 00:17:27,480 Speaker 5: into the gap, and the time we get into the gap, 338 00:17:27,520 --> 00:17:29,760 Speaker 5: he's kind of off on the south side off that on. 339 00:17:30,200 --> 00:17:33,560 Speaker 5: It's pretty opening there. He's down there with some hens. Anyway, 340 00:17:33,600 --> 00:17:35,720 Speaker 5: we got in there and got stashed and I put 341 00:17:35,760 --> 00:17:37,600 Speaker 5: in on him and he went to goblin. I mean 342 00:17:37,760 --> 00:17:40,280 Speaker 5: that he was doing it. And I looked off down 343 00:17:40,320 --> 00:17:43,000 Speaker 5: there and here he come. Now he just here, he came, 344 00:17:43,200 --> 00:17:45,040 Speaker 5: just kept it coming, kept it coming. And I could 345 00:17:45,040 --> 00:17:46,960 Speaker 5: have killed him at thirty yards right in front of me, 346 00:17:47,000 --> 00:17:50,360 Speaker 5: but he was getting to my left and just right 347 00:17:50,400 --> 00:17:52,200 Speaker 5: there there was a game trail come up a lake, 348 00:17:54,920 --> 00:17:57,119 Speaker 5: and I don't know why I didn't shoot him down there, 349 00:17:57,119 --> 00:17:58,720 Speaker 5: but anyway, I'm just gonna let him keep it coming. 350 00:17:58,760 --> 00:18:01,199 Speaker 5: You know, he'd come right on up he hit that 351 00:18:01,240 --> 00:18:03,800 Speaker 5: game trail. This is the way it works. There was 352 00:18:03,800 --> 00:18:06,160 Speaker 5: one another one in big bull pines there and all 353 00:18:06,200 --> 00:18:08,640 Speaker 5: he's got to do when he walked in behind that 354 00:18:08,920 --> 00:18:11,440 Speaker 5: pine tree, I just moved my gun to the left 355 00:18:11,480 --> 00:18:13,360 Speaker 5: of it. I had to. I was facing this way, 356 00:18:13,400 --> 00:18:16,159 Speaker 5: but I had to turn my gun and there's nothing. 357 00:18:16,200 --> 00:18:18,480 Speaker 5: It's just like this this floor here on both sides. 358 00:18:18,480 --> 00:18:20,639 Speaker 5: There's not even a huckleberry bush. I mean, he's in 359 00:18:20,760 --> 00:18:24,280 Speaker 5: behind the tree at fifteen yards. All he's got to 360 00:18:24,320 --> 00:18:26,919 Speaker 5: do is just and he just walks right in. You know, 361 00:18:26,960 --> 00:18:28,560 Speaker 5: he's in a walk in about that. When he gets 362 00:18:28,600 --> 00:18:31,920 Speaker 5: behind that tree, it just stops. It's called patience. The 363 00:18:31,960 --> 00:18:34,160 Speaker 5: guy should have. You should have a little patience because 364 00:18:34,160 --> 00:18:37,400 Speaker 5: there's really no way this turkey can get away hardly, 365 00:18:37,680 --> 00:18:42,359 Speaker 5: you know. But I'm kind of you know, my body 366 00:18:42,440 --> 00:18:45,040 Speaker 5: is this way and I've got my gun like this 367 00:18:45,160 --> 00:18:48,919 Speaker 5: right here, and I go to leaning to see if 368 00:18:49,000 --> 00:18:52,200 Speaker 5: I get, you know, leaning over like that. And about 369 00:18:52,280 --> 00:18:59,719 Speaker 5: that time I just tumped over. I just stumped over, 370 00:19:00,160 --> 00:19:02,240 Speaker 5: and that old turkey running his head up there. Of 371 00:19:02,240 --> 00:19:04,760 Speaker 5: course I'm laying on the ground like cat. And but 372 00:19:04,880 --> 00:19:07,400 Speaker 5: the problem was I shot him too low, I mean, 373 00:19:08,520 --> 00:19:12,280 Speaker 5: and I chup up and I run to get him. 374 00:19:12,320 --> 00:19:14,520 Speaker 5: In course, he got his legs under me and got 375 00:19:14,520 --> 00:19:16,520 Speaker 5: his wings on him, and he flew right out through 376 00:19:16,520 --> 00:19:18,440 Speaker 5: a little old notch in the mountain. And as far 377 00:19:18,440 --> 00:19:19,639 Speaker 5: as I know, he's still going. 378 00:19:22,440 --> 00:19:25,040 Speaker 2: Now, that was a good story, Andy, and I figure 379 00:19:25,040 --> 00:19:28,239 Speaker 2: that turkey is still flying. A fella could take a 380 00:19:28,240 --> 00:19:31,240 Speaker 2: few notes on how to kill a turkey from Andy Brown, 381 00:19:31,600 --> 00:19:34,520 Speaker 2: but also on how to tell a turkey story. The 382 00:19:34,560 --> 00:19:38,440 Speaker 2: perfect story is just the right mix of details, humor, passion, 383 00:19:38,520 --> 00:19:44,440 Speaker 2: and know how. Thanks Andy. Our next storyteller hails from 384 00:19:44,480 --> 00:19:48,080 Speaker 2: the Smoky Mountains of southern Appalachia and Green County, Tennessee. 385 00:19:48,760 --> 00:19:52,399 Speaker 2: His name is Clifford Loying. The first turkey you ever 386 00:19:52,480 --> 00:19:55,640 Speaker 2: killed in the nineteen seventies was the first turkey ever 387 00:19:55,840 --> 00:20:00,200 Speaker 2: checked in Green County. He calls this the story worry 388 00:20:00,480 --> 00:20:03,359 Speaker 2: a big Red, a big red, and hain't a turkey. 389 00:20:04,359 --> 00:20:09,280 Speaker 8: Clifford Lowing, I live here basically all my life, except 390 00:20:09,600 --> 00:20:13,080 Speaker 8: in the military for a while, and work construction for 391 00:20:13,119 --> 00:20:15,919 Speaker 8: a couple of years out west around Colorado and around. 392 00:20:16,800 --> 00:20:20,680 Speaker 8: I'll tell you one about the big Red. My nephew 393 00:20:21,440 --> 00:20:25,640 Speaker 8: had got a big red handas three wheeler. I rode 394 00:20:25,680 --> 00:20:27,360 Speaker 8: it around my house or in the yard a time 395 00:20:27,440 --> 00:20:30,199 Speaker 8: or two, so all I ever wrote it. And I 396 00:20:30,320 --> 00:20:32,840 Speaker 8: was working construction at the time, worked at Dold of 397 00:20:32,920 --> 00:20:35,320 Speaker 8: Jarvis up for I was working for Seeing's email right, 398 00:20:35,440 --> 00:20:38,160 Speaker 8: working construction and talking to a boy and he said, 399 00:20:38,160 --> 00:20:40,120 Speaker 8: you've been turkey hunting rode it lately? 400 00:20:40,160 --> 00:20:42,560 Speaker 7: And I said no, I said, hadn't been up here 401 00:20:42,560 --> 00:20:43,240 Speaker 7: in years. 402 00:20:43,880 --> 00:20:46,000 Speaker 8: He said, we've been trying to kill one up told 403 00:20:46,040 --> 00:20:47,639 Speaker 8: me where he was at and I said, that's the 404 00:20:47,760 --> 00:20:50,520 Speaker 8: area where I kill my first turkey. He said, we 405 00:20:50,560 --> 00:20:52,399 Speaker 8: can't call him in, said he would get to Goblin 406 00:20:52,800 --> 00:20:54,720 Speaker 8: and what they was doing. If he wouldn't come to 407 00:20:54,760 --> 00:20:56,440 Speaker 8: they try to get closer, and he just go away 408 00:20:56,440 --> 00:20:57,560 Speaker 8: from him and they'd following. 409 00:20:58,320 --> 00:21:00,600 Speaker 7: Then we're smart toms. They'll take you round and round, 410 00:21:00,720 --> 00:21:00,919 Speaker 7: you know. 411 00:21:01,440 --> 00:21:04,760 Speaker 8: So I would work and got off early at evening, 412 00:21:04,760 --> 00:21:07,000 Speaker 8: I called my brother because I didn't have a four 413 00:21:07,040 --> 00:21:08,680 Speaker 8: wheel drive to get back in there at the time. 414 00:21:08,720 --> 00:21:11,640 Speaker 8: And I called him. I said, this, my boy, Brendan's 415 00:21:11,640 --> 00:21:13,840 Speaker 8: big red you go pancreck Turkey Hunty. He said, yeah, 416 00:21:13,840 --> 00:21:16,199 Speaker 8: come and get it, So I said, evening hunt. So 417 00:21:17,000 --> 00:21:18,760 Speaker 8: I reloaded up in the back of the truck, took 418 00:21:18,840 --> 00:21:20,680 Speaker 8: it over and dampt it out and started up in there. 419 00:21:21,400 --> 00:21:24,080 Speaker 8: There's a little road that runs up the back bottom 420 00:21:24,080 --> 00:21:26,479 Speaker 8: of the mountain there. It's kind of steep getting up 421 00:21:26,480 --> 00:21:28,639 Speaker 8: to it, and like I said, I didn't know much 422 00:21:28,640 --> 00:21:30,720 Speaker 8: about that big grid. So I started up there, and 423 00:21:31,400 --> 00:21:34,640 Speaker 8: like riding a motorcycle in the mountains, if it starts 424 00:21:34,680 --> 00:21:37,760 Speaker 8: rearing up, what do you do? You throw your feet down. 425 00:21:38,920 --> 00:21:40,680 Speaker 8: I learned the hard way you don't throw your feet 426 00:21:40,720 --> 00:21:43,159 Speaker 8: down on one of big rids. Of cause when I 427 00:21:43,200 --> 00:21:46,680 Speaker 8: got stopped, the wheels was about in behind my knees there, 428 00:21:47,600 --> 00:21:49,159 Speaker 8: and like I said, didn't have no referse on it. 429 00:21:49,160 --> 00:21:51,720 Speaker 8: And I'm sitting there on that steep bank. I said, 430 00:21:51,760 --> 00:21:54,760 Speaker 8: I'm in trouble here. Couldn't get off of it. I 431 00:21:54,800 --> 00:21:57,760 Speaker 8: finally got it killed, couldn't get it pushed forward enough 432 00:21:57,840 --> 00:21:59,080 Speaker 8: and finally got it. 433 00:21:59,720 --> 00:22:01,919 Speaker 7: Took me about five minutes. I said, I'm in trouble 434 00:22:01,920 --> 00:22:04,800 Speaker 7: here if nobody's over here. Finally got it off of me, 435 00:22:05,160 --> 00:22:06,320 Speaker 7: old on it flipped over. 436 00:22:06,359 --> 00:22:08,320 Speaker 8: It didn't flip over it, but it run up my 437 00:22:08,320 --> 00:22:12,600 Speaker 8: back legs the wheels when it reared up, I throw 438 00:22:12,720 --> 00:22:16,040 Speaker 8: my legs down and the rear tars is right there 439 00:22:16,119 --> 00:22:17,959 Speaker 8: and they come up in my back of my legs 440 00:22:18,560 --> 00:22:21,320 Speaker 8: and had it had me pinned. Oh wow, And I'm 441 00:22:21,359 --> 00:22:24,840 Speaker 8: sitting on that steep hill pinned with my leg yeah. 442 00:22:24,920 --> 00:22:28,560 Speaker 8: My knees were on the ground, almost on the ground. Yeah, 443 00:22:28,640 --> 00:22:31,960 Speaker 8: And I'm pinned where. I can't keep dothing about it. 444 00:22:31,960 --> 00:22:34,360 Speaker 8: And I worked there for a walk. Finally got out 445 00:22:34,359 --> 00:22:38,760 Speaker 8: of it, luckily, and I eased on up that road 446 00:22:38,840 --> 00:22:41,760 Speaker 8: and I had my shotgun didn't have back in them days. 447 00:22:41,800 --> 00:22:43,560 Speaker 8: I just had a rope tied to it and opened 448 00:22:43,560 --> 00:22:46,560 Speaker 8: my shoulder. Eased up through there. And there's a place 449 00:22:46,680 --> 00:22:48,439 Speaker 8: or two there was a limb hanging. I'd have to 450 00:22:48,640 --> 00:22:50,880 Speaker 8: get around that. And I got up there and feel 451 00:22:51,000 --> 00:22:53,800 Speaker 8: where i'd kill my first turkey. Stopped, got off of 452 00:22:53,840 --> 00:22:56,960 Speaker 8: it and walked around there for the wall, looking for sign. 453 00:22:57,080 --> 00:22:59,760 Speaker 8: And it's probably about the air before dark. So I 454 00:22:59,800 --> 00:23:02,399 Speaker 8: got call out. I used mouth call. I got it 455 00:23:02,440 --> 00:23:05,920 Speaker 8: down in a cackle, real loud. Over on the next ridge, 456 00:23:07,680 --> 00:23:10,919 Speaker 8: I said, well, so I got across this hollow and 457 00:23:10,960 --> 00:23:12,840 Speaker 8: I don't want to get this done all before dark 458 00:23:12,920 --> 00:23:15,600 Speaker 8: or not. I stood. I couldn't stand it no longer. 459 00:23:15,920 --> 00:23:19,639 Speaker 8: I took off, got over and eased up there and 460 00:23:19,680 --> 00:23:22,080 Speaker 8: found a pretty place to sit down and had a 461 00:23:22,080 --> 00:23:24,560 Speaker 8: little level flat in it, and went up the ridge. 462 00:23:25,040 --> 00:23:27,439 Speaker 7: I called and gobbled right up on the ridge above me. 463 00:23:28,080 --> 00:23:31,240 Speaker 8: He just he gobbled every time I call, he gobbled 464 00:23:31,320 --> 00:23:33,280 Speaker 8: up here, and then he come back down here. I said, 465 00:23:33,320 --> 00:23:37,359 Speaker 8: he's not coming down, and it's getting on down. And 466 00:23:37,800 --> 00:23:40,960 Speaker 8: I'd like the tape, said old Rob Keck said, if 467 00:23:40,960 --> 00:23:42,760 Speaker 8: you got one to hang up, just turn your head 468 00:23:42,760 --> 00:23:45,200 Speaker 8: and call time to and spit it out and just 469 00:23:45,359 --> 00:23:46,160 Speaker 8: don't call them more. 470 00:23:46,600 --> 00:23:48,280 Speaker 7: So I did, and he gobbled. Well. 471 00:23:48,359 --> 00:23:51,359 Speaker 8: I just sat there seemed like forever, and I seen 472 00:23:51,359 --> 00:23:55,080 Speaker 8: a black spot moving on the ridge above me. He'd 473 00:23:55,119 --> 00:23:58,160 Speaker 8: stop and start turning around and around, strutting. I guess 474 00:23:58,160 --> 00:24:01,600 Speaker 8: that's the best hunt I ever had. He'd take a 475 00:24:01,640 --> 00:24:05,000 Speaker 8: few more feet, gobble, turn around and around. I wouldn't 476 00:24:05,160 --> 00:24:08,520 Speaker 8: I've done my calls. Laying on the ground, I just 477 00:24:08,560 --> 00:24:10,760 Speaker 8: sat there and watched him and watched him. It seemed 478 00:24:10,800 --> 00:24:13,720 Speaker 8: like I took forever for that bird to get to me. 479 00:24:14,680 --> 00:24:17,920 Speaker 8: And I let him get about fifteen twenty yards. He 480 00:24:18,119 --> 00:24:21,240 Speaker 8: just go around around circle, drum spitting, drum gobble. 481 00:24:21,760 --> 00:24:23,560 Speaker 7: I was tore all the pieces. I don't say. 482 00:24:23,560 --> 00:24:26,680 Speaker 8: I kept send my shotgun shake, you know, I said, 483 00:24:26,760 --> 00:24:28,520 Speaker 8: I'm finally have to shoot him. So I shot him, 484 00:24:29,480 --> 00:24:31,600 Speaker 8: got him, got back to the three wheeler. It was 485 00:24:31,640 --> 00:24:35,000 Speaker 8: almost dark, I mean, it was getting on down there. 486 00:24:35,800 --> 00:24:38,320 Speaker 8: So I tied him on the three wheeler and tied 487 00:24:38,320 --> 00:24:40,680 Speaker 8: my shotgun back across my shoulder and took off down 488 00:24:40,680 --> 00:24:43,800 Speaker 8: through there, and it was getting pretty black. But then 489 00:24:44,440 --> 00:24:46,960 Speaker 8: and I didn't remember the tree hanging across the trail, 490 00:24:49,040 --> 00:24:52,480 Speaker 8: and my shotgun hooked it. The next thing I knowed, 491 00:24:52,520 --> 00:24:54,640 Speaker 8: I was eating the ground and the three wheelers going 492 00:24:54,680 --> 00:24:59,640 Speaker 8: down through the woods with my turkey. So I survived 493 00:24:59,640 --> 00:25:02,000 Speaker 8: that one, got it and got on out there. That's 494 00:25:02,040 --> 00:25:03,960 Speaker 8: more careful getting on out of there after that, Just 495 00:25:04,520 --> 00:25:06,640 Speaker 8: as the last time I rode Big Red to the mountains. 496 00:25:09,520 --> 00:25:11,000 Speaker 3: That was a good story, Clifford. 497 00:25:11,640 --> 00:25:14,800 Speaker 2: It's a wonder any outdoorsman survived the nineteen eighties, as 498 00:25:14,880 --> 00:25:17,879 Speaker 2: much of the backwoods travel was done on Honda Big 499 00:25:17,920 --> 00:25:21,120 Speaker 2: Red three wheelers. From the very beginning, they were known 500 00:25:21,160 --> 00:25:25,720 Speaker 2: as widow makers and death traps. Gary Believer Nukomb never 501 00:25:25,840 --> 00:25:28,920 Speaker 2: had a Big Red, but he had a Kawasaki one 502 00:25:29,080 --> 00:25:32,399 Speaker 2: ten three wheeler, which was just as dangerous, just not 503 00:25:32,480 --> 00:25:35,639 Speaker 2: as iconic of a machine. That actually bought me a 504 00:25:35,680 --> 00:25:38,960 Speaker 2: little two stroke Yamaha try Zinger three wheeler when I 505 00:25:39,040 --> 00:25:42,320 Speaker 2: was four years old. I still remember tumping that thing 506 00:25:42,400 --> 00:25:44,840 Speaker 2: over a time or two and once hitting a barbed 507 00:25:44,840 --> 00:25:47,719 Speaker 2: wire fence. It's a wonder any of us are still alive. 508 00:25:48,359 --> 00:25:50,960 Speaker 2: If turkey's had three legs, they'd be easy to kill. 509 00:25:51,520 --> 00:25:58,160 Speaker 2: You could just tip them over on an incline. Our 510 00:25:58,200 --> 00:26:01,920 Speaker 2: next story is probably going to surprise you. The mode 511 00:26:01,960 --> 00:26:04,879 Speaker 2: of transportation isn't a three wheeler, an old four by 512 00:26:04,960 --> 00:26:09,600 Speaker 2: four pickup, or a mule. It's rather a jet. This 513 00:26:09,760 --> 00:26:13,760 Speaker 2: is Slade Johnson of Tuscaloosa, Alabama. He's a very serious 514 00:26:13,800 --> 00:26:18,320 Speaker 2: turkey hunter with a very unique forty five hours of 515 00:26:18,359 --> 00:26:21,720 Speaker 2: turkey hunting to tell us about. And you're gonna need 516 00:26:21,760 --> 00:26:25,240 Speaker 2: to know that a turkey hunting grand Slam is killing 517 00:26:25,320 --> 00:26:29,399 Speaker 2: the four subspecies of turkeys in the United States, an 518 00:26:29,440 --> 00:26:33,800 Speaker 2: osceola only in Florida, an Eastern turkey in the eastern 519 00:26:33,800 --> 00:26:37,080 Speaker 2: deciduous forest, a Merriam in the western US, and the 520 00:26:37,200 --> 00:26:39,240 Speaker 2: Rio Grande in the Southwest. 521 00:26:39,840 --> 00:26:40,439 Speaker 3: Here's slave. 522 00:26:43,880 --> 00:26:45,480 Speaker 9: I grew up turkey hunting. That was, like I said, 523 00:26:45,680 --> 00:26:48,120 Speaker 9: that was my passion, passed down my grandfather and dad 524 00:26:48,160 --> 00:26:50,560 Speaker 9: since before I could walk. It's my favorite thing to 525 00:26:50,560 --> 00:26:52,879 Speaker 9: do out of all the turkey and I try not 526 00:26:52,920 --> 00:26:54,520 Speaker 9: to miss a day of turkey hunting in the spring. 527 00:26:54,600 --> 00:26:56,720 Speaker 9: But out of all the turkey hunt I've done, probably 528 00:26:56,720 --> 00:26:59,840 Speaker 9: the most, my favorite trip was I guess it was 529 00:27:00,440 --> 00:27:01,359 Speaker 9: three years ago. 530 00:27:01,480 --> 00:27:01,760 Speaker 5: Now. 531 00:27:02,240 --> 00:27:05,400 Speaker 9: One of the investors in my company's Big Outdoorsman. He's 532 00:27:05,440 --> 00:27:08,280 Speaker 9: a pilot, and we were he likes to just do challenging, 533 00:27:08,359 --> 00:27:12,439 Speaker 9: crazy things, and so we had found out that we 534 00:27:12,480 --> 00:27:16,280 Speaker 9: were just curious, like, hey, what wonder what the quickest 535 00:27:16,320 --> 00:27:19,760 Speaker 9: time anybody's ever completed the Grand Slam, And so we 536 00:27:19,760 --> 00:27:21,679 Speaker 9: looked it up and it was actually a friend of 537 00:27:21,720 --> 00:27:24,439 Speaker 9: ours was one of the guys that did it, and 538 00:27:24,480 --> 00:27:27,280 Speaker 9: they'd done it in forty six hour, Somewhere between forty 539 00:27:27,320 --> 00:27:28,760 Speaker 9: six and forty seven hours. 540 00:27:29,080 --> 00:27:30,840 Speaker 6: And we're like, oh, we can beat that, or. 541 00:27:30,960 --> 00:27:33,160 Speaker 9: Thinking we could at least, you know, And so we're 542 00:27:33,160 --> 00:27:35,640 Speaker 9: starting to put this big strategy together of like all right, 543 00:27:35,760 --> 00:27:39,000 Speaker 9: let's uh, let's make this a fundraiser for the NWTF. 544 00:27:39,119 --> 00:27:41,760 Speaker 9: Let's let's use you know, swap trips with guys through 545 00:27:41,800 --> 00:27:42,520 Speaker 9: trips for trade. 546 00:27:42,880 --> 00:27:44,320 Speaker 6: John would fly his plane. 547 00:27:44,320 --> 00:27:45,800 Speaker 9: He's a pilot, like I said, so that would make 548 00:27:45,800 --> 00:27:47,840 Speaker 9: things a lot more efficient to get to each of 549 00:27:47,880 --> 00:27:50,200 Speaker 9: the birds. And but our goal was we're going to 550 00:27:50,280 --> 00:27:53,199 Speaker 9: do this in under thirty six hours, and so we 551 00:27:53,200 --> 00:27:55,879 Speaker 9: were thinking, you know, that'd be really two full days 552 00:27:55,880 --> 00:27:58,399 Speaker 9: of daylight of hunting. And then we found out that 553 00:27:58,440 --> 00:28:00,399 Speaker 9: the guys had done it before started to claw on 554 00:28:00,440 --> 00:28:03,000 Speaker 9: the first gun shot, so then the story you see 555 00:28:03,000 --> 00:28:05,440 Speaker 9: that that made a difference. So we decided, all right, 556 00:28:05,520 --> 00:28:08,400 Speaker 9: as soon as we harvest the first bird, the clock starts, 557 00:28:08,840 --> 00:28:11,520 Speaker 9: when we harvest the last, when it stops, we'll see 558 00:28:11,520 --> 00:28:14,280 Speaker 9: if we can break this forty six hour world record. 559 00:28:15,680 --> 00:28:19,040 Speaker 9: So anyways, we started in Alabama, thought that was going 560 00:28:19,080 --> 00:28:21,160 Speaker 9: to be a layup because that's his personal farm cover 561 00:28:21,240 --> 00:28:22,800 Speaker 9: up and birds very low pressure. 562 00:28:23,240 --> 00:28:24,760 Speaker 6: And it took us till like. 563 00:28:24,800 --> 00:28:26,919 Speaker 9: Nine thirty in the morning, to get it done at 564 00:28:26,960 --> 00:28:29,359 Speaker 9: that farm, which we were like, oh man, this is 565 00:28:29,480 --> 00:28:31,680 Speaker 9: killing our time. We really thought we needed to kill 566 00:28:31,680 --> 00:28:34,520 Speaker 9: off the lamb this morning, so we killed that bird. 567 00:28:34,800 --> 00:28:37,960 Speaker 9: We'd run over to the plane take off, landing near 568 00:28:38,080 --> 00:28:41,160 Speaker 9: Orlando in Florida, we hop in a rental car. There 569 00:28:41,320 --> 00:28:43,040 Speaker 9: we drive to this farm, which is a trip for 570 00:28:43,120 --> 00:28:46,000 Speaker 9: trade gal on a swap and no pressure on this 571 00:28:46,080 --> 00:28:49,280 Speaker 9: farm too, hoping that we could get it done, and 572 00:28:49,360 --> 00:28:51,280 Speaker 9: those birds again thought it was going to be a 573 00:28:51,320 --> 00:28:53,240 Speaker 9: lay up and they whooped us. We got all the 574 00:28:53,240 --> 00:28:55,800 Speaker 9: way down to the last probably I guess it was 575 00:28:55,840 --> 00:28:58,120 Speaker 9: probably the last five minutes of shooting light, and we're like, 576 00:28:58,160 --> 00:28:59,800 Speaker 9: it's done. We're not gonna be able to do this 577 00:29:00,200 --> 00:29:03,280 Speaker 9: if we don't harvest this bird this evening, And like 578 00:29:03,320 --> 00:29:06,920 Speaker 9: an answered prayer, these two longbeards come out, not answering calls, 579 00:29:07,040 --> 00:29:09,600 Speaker 9: not gobbling, they just come walking out into the field 580 00:29:09,640 --> 00:29:11,320 Speaker 9: and John was able to get it done there. 581 00:29:11,360 --> 00:29:13,560 Speaker 6: So we're high five and we're all fired up. 582 00:29:14,480 --> 00:29:18,120 Speaker 9: So again back to the airport, we fly overnight to Kansas. 583 00:29:18,320 --> 00:29:21,280 Speaker 9: Buddy Casey's there a credible turkey hunter. He had got 584 00:29:21,280 --> 00:29:23,280 Speaker 9: permission on a farm for us to hunt a rio 585 00:29:23,360 --> 00:29:26,800 Speaker 9: there in Kansas and had roosted them, which so many 586 00:29:26,840 --> 00:29:30,000 Speaker 9: people involved with this it was incredible to see. And 587 00:29:30,080 --> 00:29:33,200 Speaker 9: so that morning, right there, they're set up on this tree. 588 00:29:33,240 --> 00:29:35,520 Speaker 9: They know where he's roosted, about to get you know, 589 00:29:35,600 --> 00:29:38,719 Speaker 9: daybreaks about to happen, and they look over and two 590 00:29:38,800 --> 00:29:41,480 Speaker 9: guys are poaching coming in from the road. Somebody dropped 591 00:29:41,480 --> 00:29:44,640 Speaker 9: them off and they're walking in between under the trees 592 00:29:44,680 --> 00:29:45,920 Speaker 9: the turkeys are roosted in. 593 00:29:46,440 --> 00:29:48,000 Speaker 6: So they're at this dilemma. 594 00:29:47,600 --> 00:29:51,240 Speaker 9: Too of like do we stop the poachers and confront 595 00:29:51,320 --> 00:29:53,240 Speaker 9: them do we just like hope they don't screw it 596 00:29:53,280 --> 00:29:54,440 Speaker 9: up this hunt because we're on the clock. 597 00:29:54,720 --> 00:29:55,800 Speaker 6: We want to screw up the hunt. 598 00:29:55,800 --> 00:29:56,480 Speaker 1: It's now or never. 599 00:29:56,520 --> 00:29:59,280 Speaker 9: This only birds we've got on this farm. And so 600 00:29:59,640 --> 00:30:02,120 Speaker 9: they were like, we'll worry with them after hopefully they 601 00:30:02,240 --> 00:30:03,840 Speaker 9: keep walking. So we don't even know where they ended 602 00:30:03,920 --> 00:30:07,280 Speaker 9: up going. But the birds woke up answered, you know, 603 00:30:07,320 --> 00:30:10,120 Speaker 9: God went on the limb, pitched right down. Just picture 604 00:30:10,120 --> 00:30:13,400 Speaker 9: perfect hunt. So now we're on cloud nine. We're you know, 605 00:30:13,720 --> 00:30:17,440 Speaker 9: this is daybreak of the second day in Kansas, you know, 606 00:30:17,560 --> 00:30:20,040 Speaker 9: six fifteen, whatever the time he is, we're we've already 607 00:30:20,120 --> 00:30:22,840 Speaker 9: killed the rio. So back to the plane. We're in 608 00:30:22,880 --> 00:30:26,280 Speaker 9: South Dakota by like eleven, and so we land in 609 00:30:26,320 --> 00:30:29,280 Speaker 9: the bad lands. Shaan's up there are awesome, dude. They 610 00:30:29,280 --> 00:30:32,000 Speaker 9: got a big Indian reservation property that we could hunt. 611 00:30:33,320 --> 00:30:35,880 Speaker 9: And by the time we land and walk in there, 612 00:30:35,880 --> 00:30:38,280 Speaker 9: he's like, I saw a group of verds in this field. 613 00:30:38,520 --> 00:30:40,200 Speaker 9: You know, we should be on them within an hour. 614 00:30:40,760 --> 00:30:43,520 Speaker 9: So we had our first set up there in South Dakota. 615 00:30:43,760 --> 00:30:47,040 Speaker 9: The clock was at twenty seven hours in and so 616 00:30:47,520 --> 00:30:50,760 Speaker 9: that would have obviously been an incredible just time for 617 00:30:50,840 --> 00:30:53,840 Speaker 9: doing that the challenge, but then. 618 00:30:53,800 --> 00:30:56,480 Speaker 6: They just gave us the runner around. We had. 619 00:30:56,520 --> 00:30:59,640 Speaker 9: We hunted all day, we had six different opportunities on birds, 620 00:30:59,680 --> 00:31:02,400 Speaker 9: we had missus, we had ran out of you know, 621 00:31:02,680 --> 00:31:05,920 Speaker 9: lost shells, just everything you can imagine, just thinking we 622 00:31:05,960 --> 00:31:07,400 Speaker 9: could not get it done on the Miriam. 623 00:31:08,240 --> 00:31:09,440 Speaker 6: And so we're getting down to the. 624 00:31:09,480 --> 00:31:13,400 Speaker 9: End of the day and we realize this is we're 625 00:31:13,400 --> 00:31:14,239 Speaker 9: not gonna be able to do it. 626 00:31:15,440 --> 00:31:17,320 Speaker 6: So we're defeated. We are like whooke. 627 00:31:17,520 --> 00:31:19,960 Speaker 9: We're sitting at dinner that night just like heads in 628 00:31:20,000 --> 00:31:22,160 Speaker 9: our hands, you know, just like Collie, we put all 629 00:31:22,200 --> 00:31:24,720 Speaker 9: this effort into trying to do this, and we didn't 630 00:31:24,760 --> 00:31:27,520 Speaker 9: do it, and we're doing the math and we're like, wait, 631 00:31:28,000 --> 00:31:31,760 Speaker 9: since we didn't kill till nine to fifteen in Alabama, 632 00:31:31,880 --> 00:31:34,840 Speaker 9: that gives us thirty minutes of daylight to still be 633 00:31:34,960 --> 00:31:38,320 Speaker 9: under the world record the next day. But we had 634 00:31:38,320 --> 00:31:41,040 Speaker 9: a rainstorm coming in, so we're like, there's a little hope, 635 00:31:41,040 --> 00:31:44,560 Speaker 9: but like it's probably not going to happen. And so 636 00:31:44,600 --> 00:31:48,200 Speaker 9: sure enough, the rainstorm ended that morning right before daybreak, 637 00:31:48,600 --> 00:31:51,200 Speaker 9: and it was the most perfect timet. We're sitting up 638 00:31:51,200 --> 00:31:53,240 Speaker 9: setting up on the edge of this field. I bet 639 00:31:53,320 --> 00:31:55,880 Speaker 9: you there was twenty plus long Beer's goblin in the 640 00:31:55,920 --> 00:32:00,000 Speaker 9: trees around us, like just pure big group. Miriam fat 641 00:32:00,200 --> 00:32:04,720 Speaker 9: and bird pitches down. I'm calling on this one and 642 00:32:05,320 --> 00:32:07,280 Speaker 9: John's up in front of me to shoot, and he 643 00:32:07,520 --> 00:32:09,840 Speaker 9: just we can't get him to break the distance. He's 644 00:32:09,880 --> 00:32:11,480 Speaker 9: just strutting out in the field at the distance and 645 00:32:11,520 --> 00:32:13,240 Speaker 9: we're like counting the seconds. 646 00:32:13,400 --> 00:32:15,480 Speaker 6: We need you to come over here. 647 00:32:15,960 --> 00:32:19,440 Speaker 9: Anyways, Finally he broke and came in close enough to 648 00:32:19,440 --> 00:32:22,200 Speaker 9: get the shot. John made a great shot. We picked 649 00:32:22,240 --> 00:32:24,800 Speaker 9: him up and we ended up harvest Needburg. When we 650 00:32:24,840 --> 00:32:28,400 Speaker 9: stopped the time, it was I think forty five hours 651 00:32:28,680 --> 00:32:30,080 Speaker 9: in fifty two minutes. 652 00:32:29,840 --> 00:32:31,960 Speaker 6: So we had eight minutes left uspare to like. 653 00:32:32,280 --> 00:32:36,080 Speaker 9: For the world record, so that was That's probably one 654 00:32:36,080 --> 00:32:38,200 Speaker 9: of the most meaningful hunts I've had. 655 00:32:38,560 --> 00:32:40,240 Speaker 6: You know, it was a lot of people involved. 656 00:32:40,320 --> 00:32:43,440 Speaker 9: You got to see every subspecies of turkeys in the US, 657 00:32:43,480 --> 00:32:45,760 Speaker 9: so that was a lot of fun. And then ultimately 658 00:32:45,840 --> 00:32:48,120 Speaker 9: the as I Mentioneder of the fundraiser side, I think 659 00:32:48,120 --> 00:32:51,200 Speaker 9: there was like twenty five or twenty six thousand dollars 660 00:32:51,240 --> 00:32:53,520 Speaker 9: worth of money of people donating that we're watching this 661 00:32:53,520 --> 00:32:56,200 Speaker 9: this live on Instagram and everything donating money to be 662 00:32:56,240 --> 00:32:59,920 Speaker 9: in the raffle that we were able to donate to NWTF. 663 00:33:02,960 --> 00:33:05,840 Speaker 2: I wasn't expecting a jet when Slade started telling me 664 00:33:05,960 --> 00:33:09,959 Speaker 2: this story. That's pretty wild. I'll be impressed when somebody 665 00:33:09,960 --> 00:33:12,800 Speaker 2: makes a turkey slam only using a Honda Big Red 666 00:33:12,880 --> 00:33:16,800 Speaker 2: three wheeler as their mode of transportation. Slade runs a 667 00:33:16,840 --> 00:33:20,720 Speaker 2: business called Trips for Trade where they connect people looking 668 00:33:20,840 --> 00:33:24,360 Speaker 2: to trade hunts with other people across the country. It's 669 00:33:24,360 --> 00:33:29,880 Speaker 2: a pretty neat business. Our next storyteller is my friend 670 00:33:30,240 --> 00:33:33,880 Speaker 2: Dale Craig from Western Arkansas. Dale told one of the 671 00:33:33,880 --> 00:33:37,440 Speaker 2: best deer stories ever told on this podcast about calling 672 00:33:37,520 --> 00:33:39,960 Speaker 2: in a buck with a rolling apple do you all 673 00:33:39,960 --> 00:33:43,760 Speaker 2: remember that one. He's a veteran woodsman and a mountain hunter. 674 00:33:44,520 --> 00:33:48,400 Speaker 2: Here's Dale with a short story about a gobbler putting 675 00:33:48,440 --> 00:33:51,000 Speaker 2: the voodoo on him and his buddy Travis. 676 00:33:54,000 --> 00:33:57,120 Speaker 10: One thing, men, Travis got into one time side he's 677 00:33:57,160 --> 00:33:59,520 Speaker 10: going to work the turkeys over, you know, kill us one. 678 00:34:00,280 --> 00:34:02,960 Speaker 10: And we've been all over the country. It was right 679 00:34:03,320 --> 00:34:05,320 Speaker 10: just two or three days for the season was over with, 680 00:34:05,960 --> 00:34:08,400 Speaker 10: and uh, I pull up here to the house. I 681 00:34:08,440 --> 00:34:12,080 Speaker 10: hear this turkey goblin over here just east of my house. 682 00:34:12,520 --> 00:34:15,919 Speaker 10: He's right at dark. I called Travis up. I said hey, 683 00:34:16,160 --> 00:34:18,799 Speaker 10: I said, I just roosted a turkey. He said where at? 684 00:34:19,440 --> 00:34:21,560 Speaker 10: I said right here, I'm right standing right here in 685 00:34:21,560 --> 00:34:23,640 Speaker 10: the yard. And I said it's over east of the house. 686 00:34:24,120 --> 00:34:27,840 Speaker 10: And we'd been we'd been all over the mountains everywhere 687 00:34:28,000 --> 00:34:29,480 Speaker 10: trying to get We had neither one of us to 688 00:34:29,680 --> 00:34:30,280 Speaker 10: kill the turkey. 689 00:34:30,920 --> 00:34:32,440 Speaker 5: And he said, well, how do. 690 00:34:32,440 --> 00:34:33,319 Speaker 10: We get in there to it? 691 00:34:33,360 --> 00:34:33,520 Speaker 5: You know? 692 00:34:33,560 --> 00:34:35,279 Speaker 10: And I told him where we was going to go 693 00:34:35,360 --> 00:34:38,040 Speaker 10: the next morning. So we met up way for daylight, 694 00:34:38,560 --> 00:34:41,879 Speaker 10: parked and the neighbors have met him. We slipped off 695 00:34:41,960 --> 00:34:44,480 Speaker 10: up there on the edge of that ridge and it 696 00:34:45,080 --> 00:34:48,520 Speaker 10: starting to get light. Called for all this turkey just 697 00:34:48,920 --> 00:34:53,040 Speaker 10: gobbled and just set in, just tearing the woods up. 698 00:34:53,280 --> 00:34:55,279 Speaker 10: And I told Travis, I said, we need to get 699 00:34:55,440 --> 00:34:57,200 Speaker 10: you know, get up here and get get set up. 700 00:34:57,280 --> 00:34:59,799 Speaker 10: I said, that turkey's you'll come in just a little bit. 701 00:35:00,200 --> 00:35:02,359 Speaker 10: So we eased on up on the ridge. He got 702 00:35:02,400 --> 00:35:05,360 Speaker 10: up there and we got set up. Travis. He had called, 703 00:35:05,440 --> 00:35:05,960 Speaker 10: he called for. 704 00:35:05,960 --> 00:35:08,000 Speaker 5: A little bit, and that turkey just gobble. 705 00:35:07,640 --> 00:35:08,320 Speaker 7: Gobble, gobble. 706 00:35:09,440 --> 00:35:13,479 Speaker 10: I tried with my call, just kept a gobble right 707 00:35:13,600 --> 00:35:16,160 Speaker 10: right there in that same place. So we decided he 708 00:35:16,360 --> 00:35:19,719 Speaker 10: had some hens with him, so we kept We just 709 00:35:19,760 --> 00:35:23,560 Speaker 10: start easing that way, being real quiet, and every once 710 00:35:23,560 --> 00:35:25,799 Speaker 10: in a lot of turkey gobble. So we got set 711 00:35:25,880 --> 00:35:29,240 Speaker 10: up again. We called that dude just gobble gobble, gobble 712 00:35:29,400 --> 00:35:30,560 Speaker 10: right there in that same place. 713 00:35:30,600 --> 00:35:31,799 Speaker 5: Wouldn't come, wouldn't come. 714 00:35:32,760 --> 00:35:35,560 Speaker 10: We sit there and listened to that thing forever, and 715 00:35:35,640 --> 00:35:38,000 Speaker 10: I mean every time you called, he just cut you off. 716 00:35:38,440 --> 00:35:40,560 Speaker 10: We decided he was gonna sneak off down there and 717 00:35:40,600 --> 00:35:43,360 Speaker 10: try to put the ambush on him. You know. We 718 00:35:43,440 --> 00:35:45,799 Speaker 10: got slipping off down there and slipping on down the 719 00:35:45,840 --> 00:35:49,080 Speaker 10: ridge air and got off the side of it, and 720 00:35:49,080 --> 00:35:53,680 Speaker 10: then I heard a rooster crow. We looked at one another, 721 00:35:54,680 --> 00:35:56,919 Speaker 10: and then we decided that turkey was in a pen 722 00:35:57,120 --> 00:35:57,640 Speaker 10: down there. 723 00:36:00,680 --> 00:36:02,440 Speaker 3: I didn't know that house was back in there. 724 00:36:02,480 --> 00:36:04,520 Speaker 10: I hadn't been back in that country in years. I 725 00:36:04,600 --> 00:36:05,839 Speaker 10: used to coon on all in there. 726 00:36:08,520 --> 00:36:09,440 Speaker 3: This old gobler. 727 00:36:09,600 --> 00:36:11,840 Speaker 10: We slipped them down there a week. See that old gobler. 728 00:36:11,840 --> 00:36:13,160 Speaker 10: You could see him down there in that pin. 729 00:36:13,239 --> 00:36:13,799 Speaker 5: You could hit that. 730 00:36:13,840 --> 00:36:16,279 Speaker 10: Call that dude, disc gobble, gobble gobble. He's in that 731 00:36:16,320 --> 00:36:21,080 Speaker 10: pen banes with a bunch of chickens. But that I 732 00:36:21,120 --> 00:36:23,839 Speaker 10: didn't even know that house, that house had been when 733 00:36:23,880 --> 00:36:27,400 Speaker 10: it was built or anyway, we was gonna ambush that 734 00:36:27,480 --> 00:36:32,040 Speaker 10: old turkey, and he kind of put the voodoo on us. 735 00:36:34,000 --> 00:36:35,600 Speaker 3: The old pen turkey story. 736 00:36:36,120 --> 00:36:38,960 Speaker 2: Any bona fide turkey hunter should have sniffed that one 737 00:36:39,000 --> 00:36:43,080 Speaker 2: out after Dale's opening the line. But I walked into 738 00:36:43,120 --> 00:36:46,240 Speaker 2: it like an ox to slaughter, or like a nineteen 739 00:36:46,280 --> 00:36:49,239 Speaker 2: eighties middle class man walking into a Honda dealership and 740 00:36:49,280 --> 00:36:52,840 Speaker 2: buying a big red. What got me was that it 741 00:36:52,920 --> 00:36:55,959 Speaker 2: was by Dale's house, and I knew that he would 742 00:36:56,000 --> 00:36:59,000 Speaker 2: have known what was going on near his own land. 743 00:36:59,280 --> 00:37:03,120 Speaker 2: I didn't see the turkey coming anyway. Good story, tell 744 00:37:04,680 --> 00:37:07,360 Speaker 2: our next story is from the mountains of East Tennessee, 745 00:37:07,800 --> 00:37:11,200 Speaker 2: told by a man named Kevin Laws. He's a humble 746 00:37:11,239 --> 00:37:13,719 Speaker 2: fellow with a string of turkey spurs durned there long 747 00:37:13,840 --> 00:37:15,840 Speaker 2: enough to wrap around a volkswagon. 748 00:37:16,560 --> 00:37:17,200 Speaker 3: Here's Kevin. 749 00:37:21,320 --> 00:37:24,120 Speaker 11: When I started out turkey uning, It's probably been about 750 00:37:24,480 --> 00:37:28,280 Speaker 11: about twenty five years ago, I guess, because I always 751 00:37:28,400 --> 00:37:32,040 Speaker 11: kept bagels and coon dogs and bear dogs, and I 752 00:37:32,520 --> 00:37:34,480 Speaker 11: used to didn't like nothing if he didn't have a 753 00:37:34,480 --> 00:37:37,640 Speaker 11: dog involved in it. I mean, that's all I've ever 754 00:37:37,640 --> 00:37:40,240 Speaker 11: done is bear hunted and rabbit hunted and con hunting. 755 00:37:40,600 --> 00:37:44,640 Speaker 11: I wasn't interested in no turkey. I finally decided there 756 00:37:44,719 --> 00:37:47,399 Speaker 11: that I would give it a try. In the first year, 757 00:37:47,440 --> 00:37:50,719 Speaker 11: I didn't kill no turkey. And then me and my 758 00:37:50,760 --> 00:37:54,840 Speaker 11: brother went together and he killed a big gobbler earlier 759 00:37:54,840 --> 00:37:57,880 Speaker 11: that morning, and there was another one with it and 760 00:37:57,960 --> 00:38:01,799 Speaker 11: hit run past me, and I killed it and it 761 00:38:01,920 --> 00:38:05,000 Speaker 11: had two beards. That was my first turkey that I'd 762 00:38:05,000 --> 00:38:09,640 Speaker 11: ever killed. After that, I just got the hunting and 763 00:38:10,120 --> 00:38:14,600 Speaker 11: learning as a wind. But there's a lot better turkey 764 00:38:14,680 --> 00:38:17,880 Speaker 11: hunters than I am around here. I mean, there's some 765 00:38:17,960 --> 00:38:22,239 Speaker 11: good turkey hunters in this part of the country. I 766 00:38:22,320 --> 00:38:26,240 Speaker 11: remember one time I had been up in the mountains 767 00:38:26,280 --> 00:38:30,160 Speaker 11: and I had this turkey up and I got the 768 00:38:30,239 --> 00:38:33,800 Speaker 11: calling on it, and I mean he was doing some goblin, 769 00:38:33,920 --> 00:38:35,520 Speaker 11: and my brother was. 770 00:38:35,480 --> 00:38:36,239 Speaker 7: With me that day. 771 00:38:36,960 --> 00:38:43,239 Speaker 11: I finally got him called in and when he come in, 772 00:38:43,360 --> 00:38:46,600 Speaker 11: he come around kindly behind me, and my brother was 773 00:38:46,640 --> 00:38:50,239 Speaker 11: on this other side over here, and so I just 774 00:38:50,320 --> 00:38:53,160 Speaker 11: kind of eased around with my shotgun there and got 775 00:38:53,160 --> 00:38:55,800 Speaker 11: me a good beat on him. And when I shot 776 00:38:56,160 --> 00:39:00,919 Speaker 11: he left out, I missed him. I mean, he was gone, son, 777 00:39:01,040 --> 00:39:05,600 Speaker 11: I missed him. That was about I don't know how 778 00:39:05,680 --> 00:39:07,799 Speaker 11: long I've been hunting, but I still haven't been hunting 779 00:39:07,800 --> 00:39:10,759 Speaker 11: a long time. Then, and we waited two or three 780 00:39:10,840 --> 00:39:13,920 Speaker 11: days and went back and we called him there again, 781 00:39:14,160 --> 00:39:17,960 Speaker 11: and we got him to goblin and he come in 782 00:39:18,120 --> 00:39:23,359 Speaker 11: and then he left back out, went way down through 783 00:39:23,360 --> 00:39:25,960 Speaker 11: the hall of there. Must have been seemed like a 784 00:39:26,000 --> 00:39:28,440 Speaker 11: half a mile. I don't know if it was or not, but. 785 00:39:29,120 --> 00:39:30,200 Speaker 6: It was pretty good peace. 786 00:39:30,640 --> 00:39:33,120 Speaker 11: And I thought, well, he's gone, I mean, you know. 787 00:39:33,840 --> 00:39:38,480 Speaker 11: And this was of evening, and I told my brother, 788 00:39:38,560 --> 00:39:41,359 Speaker 11: I said this, give him one more call and see 789 00:39:41,400 --> 00:39:44,560 Speaker 11: what happens. And so I let out a big cackle 790 00:39:44,680 --> 00:39:45,879 Speaker 11: or I had a mouth call. 791 00:39:45,960 --> 00:39:47,040 Speaker 7: I let out a big cackle. 792 00:39:47,080 --> 00:39:50,000 Speaker 11: Man he gobbled down in there and and a few 793 00:39:50,040 --> 00:39:53,359 Speaker 11: minutes he come on. He was still gobbling. My brother said, 794 00:39:53,400 --> 00:39:57,480 Speaker 11: he's coming, He's coming. So I just sat there and 795 00:39:57,520 --> 00:39:59,319 Speaker 11: waited for him. And he came up here and jumped 796 00:39:59,400 --> 00:40:02,600 Speaker 11: up on a big lagger and stood like he was 797 00:40:03,239 --> 00:40:06,640 Speaker 11: pretty brave, you know whatever. So I blowed him off 798 00:40:06,680 --> 00:40:11,480 Speaker 11: the lagger and he was I was pretty good, pretty 799 00:40:11,480 --> 00:40:14,840 Speaker 11: good hunt right there. And then it wasn't. But a 800 00:40:14,920 --> 00:40:18,080 Speaker 11: few days later it was getting closer to the end 801 00:40:18,120 --> 00:40:20,880 Speaker 11: of season, I guess, and uh. We went back to the 802 00:40:20,920 --> 00:40:23,399 Speaker 11: mountains again there, and my brother was with me again 803 00:40:23,440 --> 00:40:28,000 Speaker 11: there too, And I liked hunting mountains because sometimes you 804 00:40:28,040 --> 00:40:32,440 Speaker 11: can call and they may be there in ten or 805 00:40:32,440 --> 00:40:35,560 Speaker 11: fifteen minutes, and then sometimes it may be two hours. 806 00:40:35,880 --> 00:40:40,360 Speaker 11: And I got a burn. We called and I was 807 00:40:40,400 --> 00:40:44,640 Speaker 11: one gobbled about three ridges over, and we called a 808 00:40:44,640 --> 00:40:46,600 Speaker 11: few more times. My brother's sitting out here on the 809 00:40:46,680 --> 00:40:49,680 Speaker 11: left side of me, and I was watching for the 810 00:40:49,680 --> 00:40:53,440 Speaker 11: turkey come up through here, and I mean it wasn't. 811 00:40:54,480 --> 00:40:55,200 Speaker 7: It wasn't. 812 00:40:55,520 --> 00:40:57,480 Speaker 11: I'd say it was less than ten minutes, and I 813 00:40:57,520 --> 00:41:00,920 Speaker 11: mean he was over like three ridges, and man, he 814 00:41:01,480 --> 00:41:03,319 Speaker 11: was there and all of a sudden, I hear my 815 00:41:03,360 --> 00:41:06,960 Speaker 11: brother shoot, you know, and and he's killed a turkey. 816 00:41:07,520 --> 00:41:11,600 Speaker 11: But it was I mean him some fun hunt tracked there. 817 00:41:11,880 --> 00:41:14,400 Speaker 11: I like him. 818 00:41:14,440 --> 00:41:17,360 Speaker 2: Those were good stories, Kevin. I like those kind of 819 00:41:17,400 --> 00:41:22,560 Speaker 2: hunts too. Our next storyteller is also from East Tennessee, 820 00:41:22,640 --> 00:41:26,320 Speaker 2: near Greenville. His name is Chris Hopson, and he's gonna 821 00:41:26,320 --> 00:41:29,160 Speaker 2: tell us about chasing one the hard way with a 822 00:41:29,200 --> 00:41:33,799 Speaker 2: bow with no blind and no decoys and no hand 823 00:41:33,840 --> 00:41:34,359 Speaker 2: the big red. 824 00:41:36,239 --> 00:41:39,520 Speaker 12: Well, my name is Chris Hobson. I'm from Greenville, Tennessee. 825 00:41:40,280 --> 00:41:43,759 Speaker 12: I guess I got started briefly turkey hunting back when 826 00:41:43,760 --> 00:41:47,840 Speaker 12: I was a kid, when there was hardly any turkeys around, 827 00:41:47,920 --> 00:41:51,360 Speaker 12: you know, But that was just the early stages, and 828 00:41:51,400 --> 00:41:55,920 Speaker 12: didn't get really involved big with it until probably in 829 00:41:55,960 --> 00:41:58,839 Speaker 12: the late eighties, you know, early nineties, of course, when 830 00:41:58,840 --> 00:42:01,440 Speaker 12: I was a kid. I mean, you've very rarely ever 831 00:42:01,480 --> 00:42:05,120 Speaker 12: seen a turkey, you know, and he's like seeing a bobcat, 832 00:42:05,160 --> 00:42:08,040 Speaker 12: you know, you're just really surprised to see one. I've 833 00:42:08,080 --> 00:42:11,240 Speaker 12: had some really good times in the Turkey woods and 834 00:42:11,320 --> 00:42:14,560 Speaker 12: some good success, and there's a lot better turkey hunters 835 00:42:14,600 --> 00:42:16,799 Speaker 12: than I am. I don't really believe in luck, but 836 00:42:16,880 --> 00:42:20,480 Speaker 12: I've I've been fortunate enough to you know, kill my 837 00:42:20,600 --> 00:42:24,040 Speaker 12: share of turkeys. But this one is a I don't know. 838 00:42:24,040 --> 00:42:26,719 Speaker 12: It's right around where I live, at a home. I 839 00:42:26,760 --> 00:42:29,000 Speaker 12: had decided I was just going to dedicate half the 840 00:42:29,040 --> 00:42:32,800 Speaker 12: season to bow hunting turkeys. There was a particular gobbler 841 00:42:33,000 --> 00:42:36,040 Speaker 12: hanging around there around the house, and I picked the 842 00:42:36,040 --> 00:42:39,399 Speaker 12: wrong one to bow hunt after I'd got to chasing him. 843 00:42:39,400 --> 00:42:41,799 Speaker 12: So because he we live on a farm there and 844 00:42:42,120 --> 00:42:43,920 Speaker 12: he would get out in a big pasture field was 845 00:42:43,960 --> 00:42:48,200 Speaker 12: probably it was probably fifteen acres and every morning I'd 846 00:42:48,200 --> 00:42:50,800 Speaker 12: be down there and I'd know exactly where he was 847 00:42:50,880 --> 00:42:51,399 Speaker 12: roosted and. 848 00:42:51,360 --> 00:42:52,040 Speaker 7: Try to set up. 849 00:42:52,640 --> 00:42:55,280 Speaker 12: And when I said I was dedicating half the season 850 00:42:55,280 --> 00:42:58,040 Speaker 12: to bow hunt, I meant with no ground blind or anything. 851 00:42:58,040 --> 00:43:00,360 Speaker 12: I just put a gilly suit on and wanted to 852 00:43:00,400 --> 00:43:02,200 Speaker 12: hunt it, you know, just out of the woods and 853 00:43:02,560 --> 00:43:06,520 Speaker 12: try to blend in. Wasn't usually decoys, and which is 854 00:43:06,520 --> 00:43:10,760 Speaker 12: a very it's very hard to do well. This particular turkey, 855 00:43:11,440 --> 00:43:13,440 Speaker 12: I picked the wrong one to bow hunt because he 856 00:43:13,480 --> 00:43:15,480 Speaker 12: would come out in the when he would come off 857 00:43:15,520 --> 00:43:18,000 Speaker 12: the roost, he would go right in the middle of 858 00:43:18,080 --> 00:43:21,080 Speaker 12: the pasture field and he would stand there for hours, 859 00:43:21,520 --> 00:43:23,840 Speaker 12: just hours, just going back and forth, back and forth, 860 00:43:23,920 --> 00:43:24,480 Speaker 12: just strutting. 861 00:43:25,000 --> 00:43:25,200 Speaker 7: You know. 862 00:43:25,280 --> 00:43:27,400 Speaker 12: He'd have a couple of hands with him, but he 863 00:43:27,520 --> 00:43:29,360 Speaker 12: was just he was very stubborn. 864 00:43:29,360 --> 00:43:30,120 Speaker 3: And it took me. 865 00:43:30,760 --> 00:43:34,120 Speaker 12: I probably hunted that turkey for a week and a half, 866 00:43:35,160 --> 00:43:38,040 Speaker 12: just I got really close a few times. But you know, 867 00:43:38,120 --> 00:43:41,680 Speaker 12: bow hunting is it's a game of yards and feet 868 00:43:42,080 --> 00:43:45,360 Speaker 12: most of the time. He finally made a mistake. I 869 00:43:45,680 --> 00:43:49,279 Speaker 12: got up one morning for daylight and he was he 870 00:43:49,320 --> 00:43:52,479 Speaker 12: was roosted in a different spot that morning. He flew 871 00:43:52,520 --> 00:43:54,760 Speaker 12: out in the edge of the pasture field that morning, 872 00:43:55,520 --> 00:43:57,719 Speaker 12: and then he skirred around some of the other fields there, 873 00:43:58,160 --> 00:44:00,400 Speaker 12: and I would just back off and you know, go 874 00:44:00,480 --> 00:44:02,759 Speaker 12: back behind the ridge, you know, get behind him and 875 00:44:02,840 --> 00:44:04,759 Speaker 12: where he could see me, try to sit up in 876 00:44:04,800 --> 00:44:05,319 Speaker 12: front of him. 877 00:44:05,320 --> 00:44:05,520 Speaker 13: You know. 878 00:44:06,480 --> 00:44:11,000 Speaker 12: I tried all different types of cows, you know, diaphragms, 879 00:44:11,000 --> 00:44:13,680 Speaker 12: and wouldn't use any decoys. That's pretty hard to do, 880 00:44:14,200 --> 00:44:17,279 Speaker 12: especially if you got one stubborn like that. There was 881 00:44:17,280 --> 00:44:19,200 Speaker 12: a little pond there, and he went towards the little 882 00:44:19,200 --> 00:44:21,919 Speaker 12: pond and I got there was some little blow down 883 00:44:22,080 --> 00:44:24,680 Speaker 12: trees down there and I got in behind that those 884 00:44:24,719 --> 00:44:28,720 Speaker 12: trees and I just set I had caught him crossing. 885 00:44:28,760 --> 00:44:30,560 Speaker 12: There was a bottom there, and he was coming down 886 00:44:30,600 --> 00:44:34,239 Speaker 12: that bottom sometimes. And you know, late morning, I got 887 00:44:34,280 --> 00:44:36,640 Speaker 12: set up over there on one of those blown down 888 00:44:36,680 --> 00:44:38,080 Speaker 12: tree and a a cedar tree or something there, and 889 00:44:38,160 --> 00:44:40,400 Speaker 12: I just you know, skirted it up behind it and 890 00:44:41,040 --> 00:44:44,080 Speaker 12: he come. I probably shot him at twelve thirteen yards. 891 00:44:44,560 --> 00:44:46,279 Speaker 12: I had to draw before he got there, you know, 892 00:44:46,320 --> 00:44:47,560 Speaker 12: and I had to you know, I had to wait. 893 00:44:47,560 --> 00:44:49,000 Speaker 12: Of course, I had a low pound of bowl because 894 00:44:49,000 --> 00:44:50,839 Speaker 12: it don't take a whole lot of pounds to kill. 895 00:44:50,719 --> 00:44:51,439 Speaker 7: A turkey with a bow. 896 00:44:51,520 --> 00:44:55,279 Speaker 12: But made a really good shot on him. And and 897 00:44:55,840 --> 00:44:58,319 Speaker 12: you know, I tell a lot of people I liked 898 00:44:58,320 --> 00:45:01,520 Speaker 12: to bow hunt them. But there's just something about a shotgun. 899 00:45:01,560 --> 00:45:01,719 Speaker 13: You know. 900 00:45:01,800 --> 00:45:05,000 Speaker 12: It's it's because there's some you know, a turkey's vitals 901 00:45:05,000 --> 00:45:07,840 Speaker 12: are so small, you know, when you're bow hunting turkey, 902 00:45:07,880 --> 00:45:10,759 Speaker 12: I mean it's you know, you've got to be precise 903 00:45:11,160 --> 00:45:14,160 Speaker 12: on your shot placement. And I just hit everything just 904 00:45:14,239 --> 00:45:16,520 Speaker 12: lined up that day to you know, for it to happen. 905 00:45:16,840 --> 00:45:19,439 Speaker 12: You know, I just I'm just a bow hunter at heart. 906 00:45:19,480 --> 00:45:21,560 Speaker 12: I just loved to bow hunt. But I like a 907 00:45:21,600 --> 00:45:24,000 Speaker 12: shotgun hunt them too, you know, I just I don't. 908 00:45:24,040 --> 00:45:26,680 Speaker 12: I don't bow hunt them a whole lot now, but 909 00:45:26,920 --> 00:45:30,000 Speaker 12: because I'm just taking my nephew and my daughter a 910 00:45:30,080 --> 00:45:32,439 Speaker 12: lot now, it's you know, there's a lot of those 911 00:45:32,480 --> 00:45:35,279 Speaker 12: hunts that stands out that's really special to me with 912 00:45:35,320 --> 00:45:39,080 Speaker 12: my daughter and my nephew. I have to give them credit. 913 00:45:39,120 --> 00:45:42,520 Speaker 12: They they hung in there pretty good and killed some 914 00:45:42,600 --> 00:45:44,120 Speaker 12: pretty tough turkeys too. 915 00:45:49,160 --> 00:45:52,480 Speaker 2: Chasing the turkey with a bow without a blind or 916 00:45:52,600 --> 00:45:58,280 Speaker 2: decoys is as difficult a turkey hunt as there is period. 917 00:45:59,200 --> 00:46:01,560 Speaker 2: I've just started to notice that some turkey hunters are 918 00:46:01,560 --> 00:46:05,239 Speaker 2: giving people a hard time for killing turkeys out of blinds. 919 00:46:05,760 --> 00:46:08,200 Speaker 2: I didn't realize we were doing that, like giving people 920 00:46:08,200 --> 00:46:11,239 Speaker 2: a hard time about this. It's no doubt easier when 921 00:46:11,280 --> 00:46:13,360 Speaker 2: you're in a blind, and I don't really have a 922 00:46:13,400 --> 00:46:15,560 Speaker 2: dog in the fight. I've never killed a turkey out 923 00:46:15,560 --> 00:46:18,520 Speaker 2: of a blind, But it's interesting that we're ribbing people 924 00:46:18,600 --> 00:46:23,800 Speaker 2: about a method to take anyway. Just an observation. Good job, Chris, 925 00:46:24,360 --> 00:46:29,240 Speaker 2: thank you for the story. Our next story is being 926 00:46:29,360 --> 00:46:33,840 Speaker 2: told in the Mississippi Wildlife Heritage Museum in Leland, Mississippi. 927 00:46:34,440 --> 00:46:37,800 Speaker 2: Bill Baird is from Indianola and is a long, long 928 00:46:37,920 --> 00:46:41,560 Speaker 2: time turkey man. I'm just gonna let these two stories 929 00:46:41,560 --> 00:46:44,640 Speaker 2: that he's about to tell us unfold on their own 930 00:46:44,920 --> 00:46:48,560 Speaker 2: without much foreshadowing. But I figured the first story should 931 00:46:48,600 --> 00:46:50,240 Speaker 2: be called Before Could Stick. 932 00:46:54,280 --> 00:46:58,160 Speaker 13: My name is Bill Baird. I'm from Indianola, Mississippi. I 933 00:46:58,160 --> 00:47:00,839 Speaker 13: guess if I remember the first turkey jun I went on. 934 00:47:01,000 --> 00:47:03,320 Speaker 13: My father, I was about twelve years old, had a 935 00:47:03,400 --> 00:47:08,600 Speaker 13: sixteen gage browning, and I think the first time that 936 00:47:08,680 --> 00:47:11,640 Speaker 13: we went, he set me off by myself and I 937 00:47:11,719 --> 00:47:15,560 Speaker 13: missed a turkey, and then we went on that afternoon. 938 00:47:15,000 --> 00:47:15,640 Speaker 3: To kill one. 939 00:47:15,719 --> 00:47:18,560 Speaker 13: So that kind of got me started. Kids nowadays start 940 00:47:18,640 --> 00:47:22,200 Speaker 13: hunting when they're five, six, seven years old, but most 941 00:47:22,239 --> 00:47:25,080 Speaker 13: of the older men back in those days, we needed 942 00:47:25,080 --> 00:47:27,840 Speaker 13: to be about twelve years old to be able to 943 00:47:27,880 --> 00:47:30,040 Speaker 13: handle a gun to where we could hunt. So that's 944 00:47:30,120 --> 00:47:34,840 Speaker 13: I guess that's when I started turkey hunting. Well, you know, 945 00:47:35,680 --> 00:47:38,879 Speaker 13: I enjoy all hunting, but I don't know. There's something 946 00:47:38,880 --> 00:47:41,400 Speaker 13: about a turkey. When you fool with a turkey in 947 00:47:41,440 --> 00:47:44,480 Speaker 13: the fall, you see them and they're really dumb, you know, 948 00:47:44,560 --> 00:47:46,640 Speaker 13: they just they'll stand there and look at you on 949 00:47:46,800 --> 00:47:48,719 Speaker 13: side of the road. But when you start hunting a 950 00:47:48,760 --> 00:47:51,359 Speaker 13: bigger old turkey, a four or five three or four 951 00:47:51,440 --> 00:47:54,440 Speaker 13: five year old turkey, he's been through several seasons and 952 00:47:54,560 --> 00:47:57,799 Speaker 13: he's wised up. When you get an old turkey and 953 00:47:57,840 --> 00:48:01,000 Speaker 13: you trick him, you've really done. So you know you 954 00:48:01,080 --> 00:48:04,040 Speaker 13: said something about that earlier, about a favorite hunt. There's 955 00:48:04,040 --> 00:48:06,160 Speaker 13: so many of them that I can remember with one 956 00:48:06,239 --> 00:48:09,959 Speaker 13: particular time that actually, Roy and a friend of ours 957 00:48:09,960 --> 00:48:12,960 Speaker 13: from Mineonola went to Illinois. We'd go to Illinois every year, 958 00:48:13,000 --> 00:48:14,960 Speaker 13: have been doing it for years and hunt with the 959 00:48:15,000 --> 00:48:15,839 Speaker 13: family up there. 960 00:48:15,840 --> 00:48:17,840 Speaker 7: But we could kill two turkeys. 961 00:48:18,400 --> 00:48:20,719 Speaker 13: And I killed one one day and one the next day, 962 00:48:21,440 --> 00:48:23,919 Speaker 13: probably two of my best turkeys. And the first one 963 00:48:24,280 --> 00:48:28,040 Speaker 13: kind of it wasn't mountainous, but it was heels pretty high, 964 00:48:28,239 --> 00:48:30,400 Speaker 13: and the turkeys would kind of roost right off the 965 00:48:30,400 --> 00:48:34,120 Speaker 13: top of the ridges, and I heard one goblin got 966 00:48:34,200 --> 00:48:36,520 Speaker 13: up there that morning. There was a fence, and the 967 00:48:36,560 --> 00:48:38,440 Speaker 13: fence was a line, so I couldn't go on the 968 00:48:38,480 --> 00:48:40,200 Speaker 13: other side of the fence where the turkey was on 969 00:48:40,200 --> 00:48:43,200 Speaker 13: the other side of the fence. So I'd call and 970 00:48:43,280 --> 00:48:46,200 Speaker 13: he'd got and I'd wait, I'd wait and i'd call, 971 00:48:46,280 --> 00:48:48,920 Speaker 13: and he'd gobbled. Finally I just figured out, you know, 972 00:48:49,040 --> 00:48:51,200 Speaker 13: I'm gonna just be silent and make him come look 973 00:48:51,239 --> 00:48:54,280 Speaker 13: for me. Well, I see him coming through the woods 974 00:48:54,520 --> 00:48:58,040 Speaker 13: and he's limpid, and he just walking along, limping like this. 975 00:48:58,160 --> 00:49:00,200 Speaker 13: He kind of got one wing down. I says, I'm 976 00:49:00,239 --> 00:49:03,320 Speaker 13: wrong with that turkey. Well, he got up to the fence, 977 00:49:04,560 --> 00:49:06,399 Speaker 13: and right when he got to the fence, I saw 978 00:49:06,440 --> 00:49:09,560 Speaker 13: him kind of bend down and do something. And he 979 00:49:09,640 --> 00:49:11,279 Speaker 13: came up on the other side of the fence and 980 00:49:11,320 --> 00:49:13,400 Speaker 13: he looked up real tall, and he kept walking on 981 00:49:13,480 --> 00:49:18,000 Speaker 13: towards me, big old beard, old turkey, but he was 982 00:49:18,280 --> 00:49:21,760 Speaker 13: messed up in one foot. We finally got close enough 983 00:49:22,000 --> 00:49:26,279 Speaker 13: and I spoke to him, good morning. Shot him, went 984 00:49:26,320 --> 00:49:28,920 Speaker 13: over there and got him. And under his right wing 985 00:49:29,440 --> 00:49:32,720 Speaker 13: he had a forked stick that he was walking along 986 00:49:33,160 --> 00:49:35,839 Speaker 13: using that stick as a crutch. I don't know what 987 00:49:35,840 --> 00:49:37,799 Speaker 13: I ever did with a stick. I should have kept it, I. 988 00:49:37,719 --> 00:49:41,960 Speaker 3: Guess, Wait a minute, mister Bill, what okay? 989 00:49:42,640 --> 00:49:44,319 Speaker 13: But he was a big old turkey, and he did 990 00:49:44,360 --> 00:49:47,360 Speaker 13: have a gimpt up foot. Now that I told that story, 991 00:49:47,400 --> 00:49:50,400 Speaker 13: and believing or not, how many folks will believe it? 992 00:49:50,440 --> 00:49:54,400 Speaker 13: For a little bit I almost got you there, but 993 00:49:54,480 --> 00:49:56,280 Speaker 13: he was one of the bigger ones. And the next 994 00:49:56,320 --> 00:49:59,560 Speaker 13: morning we went to another ridge. My friend and I 995 00:49:59,600 --> 00:50:02,200 Speaker 13: from any I went to another ridge and the first 996 00:50:02,200 --> 00:50:05,080 Speaker 13: time I messed up my knee. We were walking along 997 00:50:05,160 --> 00:50:07,120 Speaker 13: and I stepped over a log and I tripped and 998 00:50:07,120 --> 00:50:09,680 Speaker 13: I fell. The turkey was gobbling and he was down 999 00:50:09,719 --> 00:50:12,319 Speaker 13: in the bottom, and my friend said, would you just 1000 00:50:12,360 --> 00:50:14,480 Speaker 13: stay here, I'm gonna go on and I'll shoot the turkey. 1001 00:50:14,480 --> 00:50:18,080 Speaker 13: I said, no, no, it's my turn. So we kept going, 1002 00:50:18,160 --> 00:50:20,400 Speaker 13: keep going, and I'm hobbling along. Finally we'd get up 1003 00:50:20,440 --> 00:50:22,200 Speaker 13: there and we peep over a ridge down there. We 1004 00:50:22,320 --> 00:50:24,839 Speaker 13: see the goblet down there with two hens and he's 1005 00:50:24,880 --> 00:50:27,239 Speaker 13: just struck. He won't gobbled, he's just struck with those 1006 00:50:27,280 --> 00:50:29,919 Speaker 13: two hens, and the hens were dust. We sit down, 1007 00:50:30,239 --> 00:50:32,399 Speaker 13: get ready, and we called and I called, and he'd 1008 00:50:32,400 --> 00:50:36,200 Speaker 13: look up every now and then he'd gobbled. The more 1009 00:50:36,239 --> 00:50:39,080 Speaker 13: we called, we got a turkey coming from behind us, 1010 00:50:39,360 --> 00:50:42,600 Speaker 13: and he came up there and my friend ed, said, well, 1011 00:50:42,640 --> 00:50:44,319 Speaker 13: let me shoot this, and I said no, and I 1012 00:50:44,360 --> 00:50:48,080 Speaker 13: had to literally put my foot on his gun. I said, no, 1013 00:50:48,239 --> 00:50:51,080 Speaker 13: we're gonna kill this turkey down here. He's bigger, so 1014 00:50:51,360 --> 00:50:53,640 Speaker 13: he was kept trying to slide his gun out, and 1015 00:50:53,640 --> 00:50:55,760 Speaker 13: he was messing with me, and I'd called, and finally 1016 00:50:55,800 --> 00:50:58,800 Speaker 13: this old gobler came behind us and he started gobling 1017 00:50:58,960 --> 00:51:02,360 Speaker 13: just right at us. Well, the old boog turkey down there, 1018 00:51:02,600 --> 00:51:05,240 Speaker 13: you know, it got him wise, So here he comes. Anyway, 1019 00:51:05,280 --> 00:51:08,440 Speaker 13: he runs up the hill. Long story short, I shoot 1020 00:51:08,520 --> 00:51:10,719 Speaker 13: him and my butt and my knee is hurt, so 1021 00:51:10,760 --> 00:51:12,600 Speaker 13: I can't run. And my buddy runs down there and 1022 00:51:12,600 --> 00:51:14,719 Speaker 13: puts his foot on his head and he says, you, 1023 00:51:14,920 --> 00:51:17,399 Speaker 13: lucky sucker, this is the biggest one you'll ever kill. 1024 00:51:17,480 --> 00:51:19,880 Speaker 13: And it probably was. I think I don't remember what 1025 00:51:19,960 --> 00:51:22,919 Speaker 13: he weighed, but he had an inchy fifteen sixteenth spurs. 1026 00:51:23,320 --> 00:51:27,399 Speaker 13: Those two particular hunts that I went on day back 1027 00:51:27,480 --> 00:51:30,000 Speaker 13: to back, Like said, I'll always remember that, and I 1028 00:51:30,160 --> 00:51:32,279 Speaker 13: always kind of tell that story at the beginning to 1029 00:51:33,120 --> 00:51:35,000 Speaker 13: kind of get off on a good wreck. 1030 00:51:35,080 --> 00:51:35,600 Speaker 5: You know that. 1031 00:51:39,400 --> 00:51:41,520 Speaker 2: When I first met mister Bill, he didn't strike me 1032 00:51:41,560 --> 00:51:44,800 Speaker 2: as a comedian, so the forkstick caught me off guard 1033 00:51:44,880 --> 00:51:47,400 Speaker 2: for a bit. Then when he had to put his 1034 00:51:47,520 --> 00:51:50,600 Speaker 2: foot on his buddy's gun so he wouldn't shoot the 1035 00:51:50,640 --> 00:51:53,480 Speaker 2: smaller turkey so they could get the big one. I 1036 00:51:53,560 --> 00:51:56,040 Speaker 2: then realized I was dealing with a man of rare 1037 00:51:56,239 --> 00:52:01,680 Speaker 2: prowess and wit. Hat tip to mister Bill great stories. 1038 00:52:06,520 --> 00:52:10,040 Speaker 2: Our final storyteller, the one wrapping this thing up, is 1039 00:52:10,080 --> 00:52:15,080 Speaker 2: once again, my friend Russ Arthur from Cleveland, Tennessee. He 1040 00:52:15,200 --> 00:52:17,920 Speaker 2: told the story on the last episode of Finding the 1041 00:52:18,040 --> 00:52:21,480 Speaker 2: Journals of his father. On the day of his father's funeral, 1042 00:52:22,080 --> 00:52:25,160 Speaker 2: on the first page he opened up to he found 1043 00:52:25,239 --> 00:52:29,480 Speaker 2: the story his father had written about Russ's first turkey 1044 00:52:29,560 --> 00:52:31,520 Speaker 2: hunt when he was just a boy. It was a 1045 00:52:31,520 --> 00:52:36,240 Speaker 2: great story. Well, here's another one about Russ's father. 1046 00:52:38,920 --> 00:52:42,520 Speaker 14: We had a special bond with a turkey hunting in 1047 00:52:42,640 --> 00:52:46,080 Speaker 14: one which when he did pass, I realized that I 1048 00:52:46,120 --> 00:52:51,000 Speaker 14: had something really special and a lot of friends, some 1049 00:52:51,080 --> 00:52:54,960 Speaker 14: of which you've met today. That's reminded me through those 1050 00:52:54,960 --> 00:52:59,040 Speaker 14: hard times how lucky I was to have that level 1051 00:52:59,080 --> 00:53:02,279 Speaker 14: of a bond with a father and it was it 1052 00:53:02,400 --> 00:53:08,120 Speaker 14: was truly special. And you know, I know I've got 1053 00:53:08,160 --> 00:53:11,000 Speaker 14: a grandson now. Took him when his first turkey hunt 1054 00:53:11,080 --> 00:53:14,040 Speaker 14: last year he was seven, carried a little four ten 1055 00:53:14,600 --> 00:53:17,480 Speaker 14: and he sat there and I've never been so proud. 1056 00:53:17,280 --> 00:53:20,280 Speaker 7: Of my life. We didn't give a turkey. 1057 00:53:20,320 --> 00:53:22,719 Speaker 14: But we had a hand come in and she was 1058 00:53:22,760 --> 00:53:25,480 Speaker 14: looking for us, and she looked for us for fifteen minutes. 1059 00:53:26,000 --> 00:53:29,720 Speaker 14: I mean she was painting and popping and looking and 1060 00:53:30,000 --> 00:53:33,600 Speaker 14: just raising all kind of cuss to try to find us. 1061 00:53:33,880 --> 00:53:36,920 Speaker 14: And he never blinked, never moved, and as soon as 1062 00:53:36,920 --> 00:53:39,120 Speaker 14: she walked off, he took his head in that office 1063 00:53:39,120 --> 00:53:43,239 Speaker 14: as puppy. I wished I could have shot it, and 1064 00:53:43,320 --> 00:53:46,080 Speaker 14: I thought, you know, hopefully I can pass some of 1065 00:53:46,120 --> 00:53:49,759 Speaker 14: this down that got passed down to me. But he 1066 00:53:49,800 --> 00:53:53,439 Speaker 14: and I shared a special bond. There was a having 1067 00:53:53,480 --> 00:53:58,520 Speaker 14: to understand the mountains, and you understand them, and sometimes 1068 00:53:58,600 --> 00:53:58,919 Speaker 14: you can. 1069 00:53:58,840 --> 00:54:00,720 Speaker 7: Get really remote in this area. 1070 00:54:01,160 --> 00:54:04,959 Speaker 14: And I was about probably five miles from the closest road. 1071 00:54:05,920 --> 00:54:07,080 Speaker 7: It was only up in the day. 1072 00:54:07,400 --> 00:54:09,239 Speaker 14: It's a pretty day, and I was more or less 1073 00:54:09,280 --> 00:54:12,560 Speaker 14: just hiking, scouting and joined the day and I heard 1074 00:54:12,560 --> 00:54:16,160 Speaker 14: a turkey gob. I got my map out, make sure 1075 00:54:16,200 --> 00:54:18,840 Speaker 14: where it was at. You drop off the wrong drainage, 1076 00:54:19,160 --> 00:54:22,080 Speaker 14: you can get in a bad way. Figured out where 1077 00:54:22,080 --> 00:54:26,800 Speaker 14: it was at side, held around across the creek, across 1078 00:54:26,880 --> 00:54:28,920 Speaker 14: another creek. Pull up on the ridge and I looked 1079 00:54:28,920 --> 00:54:33,759 Speaker 14: and I saw this slow rowing little flat and I said, 1080 00:54:33,800 --> 00:54:36,200 Speaker 14: if I can make it to that flat, I believe 1081 00:54:36,200 --> 00:54:38,120 Speaker 14: that turkey will come to that flat. It was a 1082 00:54:38,160 --> 00:54:40,360 Speaker 14: little saddle on both sides, and it appeared to be 1083 00:54:40,440 --> 00:54:43,759 Speaker 14: a springhead. Now, I've never been there, been all over 1084 00:54:43,800 --> 00:54:46,120 Speaker 14: that place, but never been to this actual place, no 1085 00:54:46,239 --> 00:54:49,640 Speaker 14: trail on, no road, and I saw a huge hickory tree. 1086 00:54:50,239 --> 00:54:51,840 Speaker 14: If I can make it to that hickory tree, I 1087 00:54:51,840 --> 00:54:55,040 Speaker 14: can kill a turkey. So I eased around through there 1088 00:54:55,040 --> 00:54:59,680 Speaker 14: and caught up the turkey and killed it and just 1089 00:54:59,719 --> 00:55:02,680 Speaker 14: were really tickled, couldn't wait to get out and tell dad. 1090 00:55:02,719 --> 00:55:04,280 Speaker 7: Of course, this isn't for cell phones. 1091 00:55:04,880 --> 00:55:07,680 Speaker 14: I come out, and I was living fairly close then 1092 00:55:07,760 --> 00:55:10,839 Speaker 14: and working for the forest service then, and I called 1093 00:55:10,920 --> 00:55:12,480 Speaker 14: him soon as I got home. I said, you're never 1094 00:55:12,480 --> 00:55:15,920 Speaker 14: gonna believe where I killed the turkey. 1095 00:55:16,080 --> 00:55:17,399 Speaker 7: And he said where? 1096 00:55:18,040 --> 00:55:21,400 Speaker 14: And I described it to him, and I said, the 1097 00:55:21,480 --> 00:55:23,680 Speaker 14: funny thing about it is, I said, we're going to 1098 00:55:23,800 --> 00:55:24,919 Speaker 14: have to go back in there. 1099 00:55:25,080 --> 00:55:25,799 Speaker 7: He said why. 1100 00:55:26,560 --> 00:55:30,719 Speaker 14: I said, Well, I got so excited that I've got 1101 00:55:30,719 --> 00:55:32,960 Speaker 14: this habit. If I'm going to be hunting in the 1102 00:55:33,000 --> 00:55:36,719 Speaker 14: back country, and I got a turkey and working, and 1103 00:55:36,760 --> 00:55:38,920 Speaker 14: I've got a sling on my gun. I'll take it off. 1104 00:55:39,440 --> 00:55:43,600 Speaker 14: I don't want that extra movement in that gun. So 1105 00:55:43,680 --> 00:55:46,000 Speaker 14: I had taken my old leather sling off and I 1106 00:55:46,160 --> 00:55:48,840 Speaker 14: rolled it up and put it next that tree and 1107 00:55:48,920 --> 00:55:52,319 Speaker 14: covered it up. I said, I left my slink. I 1108 00:55:52,360 --> 00:55:55,920 Speaker 14: got so excited. I come out of there and walked 1109 00:55:55,960 --> 00:55:57,800 Speaker 14: all the way out of there, and I got halfway 1110 00:55:57,800 --> 00:56:00,120 Speaker 14: out before I realized I left my sling. So I'm 1111 00:56:00,120 --> 00:56:03,160 Speaker 14: gonna have to go back in there next day. 1112 00:56:03,760 --> 00:56:04,319 Speaker 5: I had to work. 1113 00:56:04,360 --> 00:56:06,160 Speaker 14: The next day, I come home from work, and when 1114 00:56:06,200 --> 00:56:09,000 Speaker 14: I come home from work, there on my back door 1115 00:56:09,160 --> 00:56:12,000 Speaker 14: was a turkey feather and all it said was call me, 1116 00:56:12,880 --> 00:56:16,120 Speaker 14: oh man, my sling was there. So I called Dad 1117 00:56:16,560 --> 00:56:18,640 Speaker 14: and I said, what's going on? He said, you'll never 1118 00:56:18,640 --> 00:56:21,000 Speaker 14: believe this, but he said, it's such a pretty day. 1119 00:56:21,040 --> 00:56:21,359 Speaker 7: He said. 1120 00:56:21,400 --> 00:56:24,120 Speaker 14: I thought, I go back in there, try to find 1121 00:56:24,120 --> 00:56:24,640 Speaker 14: your sling. 1122 00:56:25,320 --> 00:56:25,960 Speaker 7: And he said. 1123 00:56:26,160 --> 00:56:28,880 Speaker 14: I kind of went in a different way, and about 1124 00:56:28,920 --> 00:56:31,040 Speaker 14: eleven o'clock I heard a turkey and I coursed it 1125 00:56:31,080 --> 00:56:32,839 Speaker 14: and I got my map out and I pulled up 1126 00:56:32,840 --> 00:56:34,640 Speaker 14: there and I saw this saddle, and I thought if 1127 00:56:34,640 --> 00:56:37,520 Speaker 14: I could get to that hickory tree, and he walked 1128 00:56:37,520 --> 00:56:40,480 Speaker 14: and he sat down right at the same tree and 1129 00:56:40,600 --> 00:56:43,680 Speaker 14: killed that turkey the very next day. I mean, it's 1130 00:56:43,719 --> 00:56:44,719 Speaker 14: just unbelievable. 1131 00:56:48,320 --> 00:56:52,360 Speaker 2: That truly is an incredible story. Jim and Russ's knowledge 1132 00:56:52,360 --> 00:56:55,080 Speaker 2: of the land and how to communicate before we had 1133 00:56:55,120 --> 00:56:59,320 Speaker 2: a ax pins on our phone is pretty wild. Great story, Russ. 1134 00:56:59,360 --> 00:57:00,000 Speaker 3: Thank you. 1135 00:57:06,239 --> 00:57:09,520 Speaker 2: I hope you've enjoyed these stories, and I know that 1136 00:57:09,640 --> 00:57:13,440 Speaker 2: I sure enjoyed meeting all these folks face to face. 1137 00:57:13,960 --> 00:57:17,960 Speaker 2: We've really got something to celebrate in the wild. Turkey 1138 00:57:18,800 --> 00:57:22,040 Speaker 2: be safe this year, best of luck in the Turkey woods, 1139 00:57:22,440 --> 00:57:25,600 Speaker 2: and I can't thank you enough for listening to Bear Grease. 1140 00:57:26,480 --> 00:57:29,520 Speaker 2: I'll see all you Western folks on the live tour soon, 1141 00:57:30,040 --> 00:57:32,560 Speaker 2: and I really hope to convince these Meteator boys to 1142 00:57:32,640 --> 00:57:33,360 Speaker 2: come to the. 1143 00:57:33,320 --> 00:57:36,760 Speaker 3: South sometime soon. I hope you have a great Turkey season.