A turkey call can be a tool, a craft, and a time capsule all at once. From a back room at NWTF, we sit down with Clay Townsend and his son Dawson of Clay Townsend Calls to dig into what it really takes to build handmade turkey calls that hunters trust and judges reward. Clay lays out the unglamorous part most people skip: building daily, scrapping what doesn’t work, leaning on honest critique, and slowly finding a process that produces consistent sound and clean finish.

We also talk about the pull of the Grand National Callmaking Competition. Clay tells the story of sending in his first trumpet and finishing dead last, then coming back year after year until the work finally broke through, including a huge run on the amateur friction side and later wins on the air-call stage. A highlight is the “champion of champions” class and the meaning behind earning the Billy Bice Award, named for a legend Clay knew personally. Dawson shares his own competition path, what he’s learned building pot calls, and why trumpets feel like the next precision challenge.

Then we bring it back to the woods: a hard-earned Osceola hunt in South Florida, a first-turkey double that lit a fire under Clay’s wife, and why scouting without a gun can make you a better turkey hunter and a better caller. We wrap with what’s new at the bench, including Clay’s durable plastic injection molded design and where you can find their work online. If you enjoy turkey hunting, turkey calling, and the culture of custom callmaking, subscribe, share this with a buddy, and leave us a review.

LINK: Save 10% on your next North Mountain Gear Leafy Jacket with code LEGION26 at northmountaingear.com

LINK: SAVE 10% on the new 2026 Line of Turkey Hunting Gear at springlegion.com with code POD10

Follow us on Instagram:
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@hunter.farrior
@chasefarrior

We'd like to thank the following sponsors for making this podcast possible:

• North Mountain Gear
• Mossy Oak
• Apex Ammunition
• Vortex Optics

This week, the conversation turns personal, as Hunter shares why one particular spring morning matters a little more to his family, hunting on his late son, William's, birthday for the first time, and how grief can resurface years later. Most importantly, how his faith in God and the spring woods can pull you toward gratitude for God's blessings, even during the loss of a loved one.

From there, we get practical about public land turkey hunting. We cover how we handle crowded pull-offs, why we avoid crowding another hunter even when a gobbler is close, and the small habits that keep you from blowing up someone else’s setup. We also dig into early season turkey calling tactics that match real conditions: softer yelps, fewer notes, longer pauses, and using hens and terrain to help a gobbler commit instead of hanging up.

That leads into a wild play-by-play hunt with a fired-up hen, a longbeard closing hard, and a chaotic Jake almost crashing the party at the last second.

If you enjoy honest turkey hunting stories, public land strategy, and the deeper reasons for why we keep showing up every spring, you’ll feel at home here. Subscribe, share this with a hunting buddy, and leave a review so more folks can find the Spring Legion Podcast.

Use Code SPRING26 for FREE Mask and Gloves with purchase of a New Spring Legion Turkey Vest through April 1st, 2026.

LINK: Save 10% on your next North Mountain Gear Leafy Jacket with code LEGION26 at northmountaingear.com

LINK: SAVE 10% on the new 2026 Line of Turkey Hunting Gear at springlegion.com with code POD10

Follow us on Instagram:
@springlegion
@hunter.farrior
@chasefarrior

We'd like to thank the following sponsors for making this podcast possible:

• North Mountain Gear
• Mossy Oak
• Apex Ammunition
• Vortex Optics

Opening weekend doesn’t ease you back into turkey season. It shoves you in. We roll into the 2026 Mississippi spring turkey season with pollen in the air, gear scattered from the offseason, and that familiar feeling that we’re already behind the sunrise. Then the woods remind us why we do this: one gobble and suddenly every step and every yelp matters again.

We break down a “pine straw jungle” hunt in thick Southern pines where sound gets muffled, gobblers can drum forever without showing themselves, and a bird can go from nowhere to 15 yards in a blink. We talk about when to stay quiet, when to give a louder hen calls, and how small details like sunlight on your gun barrel or a hidden logging road can decide the whole setup. If you’ve searched for turkey calling tips, drumming distance, or how to set up on a pressured longbeard, this one is packed with real-world context.

We also get into the public land side of opening weekend: crowded pull-offs, the value of a quick conversation to keep everyone safe, and how fast pressure changes turkey behavior. We finish with the season’s bigger themes, from hunting with family to the superstition and humility that come with chasing birds that feel “nine years old” by day two.

If you like these honest turkey hunting stories and practical strategy talk, subscribe to the Spring Legion Podcast, share this with a hunting buddy, and leave a review so more turkey hunters can find it.

LINK: Save 10% on your next North Mountain Gear Leafy Jacket with code LEGION26 at northmountaingear.com

LINK: SAVE 10% on the new 2026 Line of Turkey Hunting Gear at springlegion.com with code POD10

Follow us on Instagram:
@springlegion
@hunter.farrior
@chasefarrior

We'd like to thank the following sponsors for making this podcast possible:

• North Mountain Gear
• Mossy Oak
• Apex Ammunition
• Vortex Optics

March flips the switch. The maps come out, trucks get loaded, and our heads fill with plans, spots, and what-ifs. We press pause on the chaos to share the five principles that keep our turkey season rooted: faith first, people over tallies, mobility with purpose, a learner’s mindset, and the courage to slow down when spring tries to speed you up.

We start with practical updates—fresh gear, reworked bundles, a free-shipping fix, and a POD10 code—then step into the mental game that makes or breaks a season. We talk about walking closer to Christ in the woods, choosing to hunt with more friends and family, and honoring those unwritten public-land rules that hold our community together. We dig into how to find a truly “killable” turkey, why it’s okay to bail on a stubborn bird, and how having plans B through E turns pressure into options rather than anxiety.

Curiosity drives the rest. We’re journaling weather and behavior to spot real patterns, not myths. We’re pushing our comfort zones, exploring new ground we’ve driven past for years, and admitting when filming helps or hurts the hunt. There’s a bigger balance here too—bringing a fly rod for roadside water, grabbing a diner breakfast, or letting the family tag along so the trip becomes more than a tally. Above all, we protect one nonnegotiable: our livelihood won’t depend on killing a turkey, because guarding the resource, the heritage, and that first gobble’s thrill matters more than any number.

If you’re ready for a season that’s more intentional, more present, and more fun, tap play. Grab the code POD10, check the bundles, and tell us: what principle will guide your spring? Subscribe, share with a friend, and leave a review to help more hunters find the show.

LINK: Save 10% on your next North Mountain Gear Leafy Jacket with code LEGION26 at northmountaingear.com

LINK: SAVE 10% on the new 2026 Line of Turkey Hunting Gear at springlegion.com with code POD10

Follow us on Instagram:
@springlegion
@hunter.farrior
@chasefarrior

We'd like to thank the following sponsors for making this podcast possible:

• North Mountain Gear
• Mossy Oak
• Apex Ammunition
• Vortex Optics

We sit down with Eric “Sleazy” Warlick of The Pinhoti Project to trace his path from a young turkey hunter in North Carolina to a 49-state Super Slam, built on old-school mentors, truck camping, and a working man’s calendar. Along the way we talk family hunts, small travel hacks, and the kind of luck you earn in the turkey woods.

• origin of the “Sleazy” nickname
• first turkey seasons in North Carolina and early mentors
• the moment those hooks set on a young Sleazy
• learning without internet, tapes and magazines
• completing the 49-state Super Slam without rigid plans
• balancing a full-time upholstery job with travel
• truck-camping setups, cold-night tricks, simple meals
• superstitions, lucky camo, and minimalist gear
• favorite hunts, first birds, and family milestones
• safety on the road and in the woods

Be sure to like, follow, and subscribe to the podcast! There's plenty in store for spring turkey season 2026!

LINK: Save 10% on your next North Mountain Gear Leafy Jacket with code LEGION26 at northmountaingear.com

LINK: SAVE 10% on the new 2026 Line of Turkey Hunting Gear at springlegion.com with code POD10

Follow us on Instagram:
@springlegion
@hunter.farrior
@chasefarrior

We'd like to thank the following sponsors for making this podcast possible:

• North Mountain Gear
• Mossy Oak
• Apex Ammunition
• Vortex Optics

Today, Chase sits down with Roy "Curl" Holdford to unpack all that he's learned in his lengthy turkey hunting travels, and how a leap of faith reshaped his seasons, his budget, and his career—from a THP internship to a full-time role at Outdoor Life.

We get into the nuts and bolts of a roaming spring: why a two-wheel-drive Transit can be enough, how 33 mpg changes what states you can afford to hunt, and the evolution from plastic drawers and a sleeping pad to a solar-powered build with water, AC, and an inverter.

Curl explains where he sleeps—legally at gates when possible—and how a simple “turkey hunting, be right back” note has saved him from tow trucks and worried sheriffs. If you’ve wondered how to balance comfort, cost, and speed, this is a blueprint.

Food fuels the miles. Curl shares the mix that keeps him steady: calorie-dense bars and yogurt for fast mornings, fruit that won’t mash, and batch-cooked rice and veggies tossed on a Blackstone after dark. We talk pre–April 15 routing through Florida, Mississippi, Texas, and beyond, then pivot to why short camps with friends multiply scouting, sharpen reads on terrain, and lead to more gobbles.

We also tackle permission etiquette—only knocking when patterns are clear, treating ground with respect, and avoiding the mistakes that close gates for everyone.

Curl’s media path threads through it all: grinding a slow deer year with THP, stacking reps in the field, freelancing for brands, and packing into backcountry hunts to film elk and even moose. The takeaway is a mindset: either tag a bird or learn something that gets you closer tomorrow. If you’re planning a long road trip or multi-day swing this turkey season, you’ll leave with practical steps and a lighter pack.

Enjoy the conversation, then subscribe, share with a hunting buddy, and leave a quick review so more folks find the show. Where will the road take you this spring?

LINK: Save 10% on your next North Mountain Gear Leafy Jacket with code LEGION26 at northmountaingear.com

LINK: SAVE 10% on the new 2026 Line of Turkey Hunting Gear at springlegion.com with code POD10

Follow us on Instagram:
@springlegion
@hunter.farrior
@chasefarrior

We'd like to thank the following sponsors for making this podcast possible:

• North Mountain Gear
• Mossy Oak
• Apex Ammunition
• Vortex Optics

We sit down with Toby Dean Smith and Taylor Boland from Mississippi's 21 South crew at this week's NWTF Convention and Sports Show to talk filming turkeys with discipline, long road trips, and building a vest that fits the most active of turkey hunters. We trade hard-won lessons on gear, scouting, food on the road, and why community beats competition.

• filming tips for clean turkey hunts
• mirrorless vs handycam trade-offs in the field
• building an athletic, run and gun style turkey vest
• big-lens stories and first filming mistakes
• long-haul travel, truck sleep, and cheap hotels
• fast food vs local diners on the road
• 2026 spring plans across multiple states
• adapting scouting when maps and acorns lie
• deer and turkey behavior in a heavy acorn year
• community over competition across brands

New: Spring Legion YouTube Turkey Hunts every Tuesday at 6:00 PM CST

LINK: Save 10% on your next North Mountain Gear Leafy Jacket with code LEGION26 at northmountaingear.com

LINK: SAVE 10% on the new 2026 Line of Turkey Hunting Gear at springlegion.com with code POD10

Follow us on Instagram:
@springlegion
@hunter.farrior
@chasefarrior

We'd like to thank the following sponsors for making this podcast possible:

• North Mountain Gear
• Mossy Oak
• Apex Ammunition
• Vortex Optics

We stack booth 607 with spring bundles, then shift into pure story mode with Seals: a youth hunt that ends in laughter, all-day chess with a Kansas gobbler, a heavy Missouri bird, and quiet lessons from boss hens and foggy Florida mornings. The thread is simple—stay patient, hunt the bird in front of you, and let the woods set the pace.

• NWTF week setup at the Gaylord and booth 607
• $250 spring bundles and surprise giveaways for Spring Legion gear
• Youth hunt chaos and a strutter at the pines
• Kansas grind with a 4:01 a.m. sit and payoff
• Illinois hardwoods, Missouri double, and travel timing
• Shotcams, misses, and carrying the memory
• Ant-bed crawl and the discipline to stay silent
• Florida fog, drumming, and waiting 40 minutes post-shot
• One soft-spoken boss hen pulling a gobbler from the limb
• Counting down to March and planning new hunts

Come by the Spring Legion booth 607, talk turkey, and grab your $250 bundle while supplies last

LINK: Save 10% on your next North Mountain Gear Leafy Jacket with code LEGION26 at northmountaingear.com

LINK: SAVE 10% on the new 2026 Line of Turkey Hunting Gear at springlegion.com with code POD10

Follow us on Instagram:
@springlegion
@hunter.farrior
@chasefarrior

We'd like to thank the following sponsors for making this podcast possible:

• North Mountain Gear
• Mossy Oak
• Apex Ammunition
• Vortex Optics