The Spring Legion Podcast

Spring Legion Turkey Hunting

Welcome to a year-round discussion on the wild turkey and those who hunt them. Hosted by Hunter Farrior, founder of Spring Legion and author of Ballad of a Turkey Hunter, the weekly podcast is geared for all outdoor communities and dives deeper than the usual tactics and calling tips. Holding true to the brand, topics are built upon respecting the heritage and challenges of hunting, with a never-ending appreciation for all that the spring season provides. Enjoy insight from special guests like Dave Owens of Pinhoti Project, Cuz Strickland of Mossy Oak, our friends at NWTF and Muscadine Bloodline, and so many more widely known for their impact in the turkey hunting community, as well as the deer, duck, and waterfowl realm, who exhibit the obsession of which only a real turkey hunter may truly understand. Thanks for listening.

  1. JAN 5

    Turkey Vests: From Old Faithfuls to Making Our Own in 2026

    Introducing the new Spring Legion Turkey Vest for Spring 2026, we reflect on the vests we've worn over the years and a few stories that came with them.  First signs of spring are back—birds waking up, weeds popping, and that itch to get your vest dialed. We’ve been obsessed with building a turkey vest that actually helps you hunt better, and we finally pulled the curtain back. High and tight so it doesn’t slap your knees. Quiet, durable fabric that molds to your body. MOLLE-compatible layout to add what you need and drop what you don’t. No magnets to fail in a thicket or mess with your compass. A butt pad that rides slim but still gives you that post-shot flop that feels like victory. We walk through the decisions that took years to refine: a detachable box call holder that doesn’t rattle, striker storage that won’t lose your favorites, slate pockets with a divider for conditioning pads, and a dump pocket for tags, zip ties, batteries, and the random essentials you actually use. Hydration is routed clean through the strap so you can take a sip without shifting a gun off your knee. Fit extensions and an XL option make it accessible without turning it into a bulky mess. Then we take you to Tennessee. Picture pounding rain, cattle pastures, and a square of yellow flowers. We break down how we moved through livestock, secured permission, managed wind with a box call, and threaded a barrel through a heavy panel fence to set up a clean shot on two strutters. When the tom tried to recover, the ability to move fast without snagging gear made the difference. Along the way we dig into loadout philosophy—Thermacell over DEET, permethrin-treated clothes, two strikers you trust, one slate or glass, and a box call when the timber demands reach. We finish with tactics that travel anywhere: using a real wing for subtle fly-downs that keep mystery alive, scratching to mark location without overcommitting, and reading silence as movement. If a gobbler shuts up after a wing beat, he might be on the way. Stay just below the crest, pull him to an edge, and let curiosity do the work. Hit play to learn why simple, quiet, and modular beats heavy and complicated—and how to set yourself up for a better spring. Subscribe, share with a buddy who’s tweaking his vest this week, and leave a quick review to help more turkey 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

    1 hr
  2. 12/22/2025

    Turkeys Given and Taken Away: The Best and Worst Luck We've Ever Experienced + Hunter Goes Deer Hunting

    We begin this episode with the irony of trading Black Friday greed for Christmas giving, then carry that theme into the turkey woods with stories where the hunt gives… and where it yanks the rug out from beneath us. From a rattled-in one-horn buck to a public land gobbler, we unpack patience, luck, and the grind that makes hunting worth it. • cold deer hunt that unfolded like a turkey setup • gifts vs ungifts theme across multiple turkey seasons • calling mistakes that still led to a limb-hanger on public • midday nap turning into two red heads and a quick shot • close-roost lessons, misses and setup discipline • Paw Paw memories, calls, and minivan clay pits • the road gobbler with hooks and the sudden house pad • patience, woodsmanship and showing up when the tide turns Thank y’all for subscribing, liking, sharing, telling friends about it, and all the feedback we receive is always welcomed with open arms. We hope y’all have a very safe and sincere holiday season and wish y’all Merry Christmas. Follow us on socials for new stuff dropping soon. 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

    54 min
  3. 12/15/2025

    Repeat Encounters in the Turkey Woods: 3 Hunts, Same Tree

    Three years with your back against the same tree can teach you more than a stack of tags, or perhaps it only further proves there are no certainties in turkey hunting. In this episode, we unpack three seasons centered on the same setup and why gobblers kept working that ground in eerily similar ways.  From loud leaves that accidentally “called” a bird, to a light wind that gave us just enough cover, to a hot gobbling longbeard that veered at the last second, we trace how small choices and familiar terrain create repeatable opportunities without turning hunting into a script. We dig into the biology and the woodsmanship. Dr. Chamberlain’s insight on lek-like behavior gives a scientific reason birds revisit certain areas, while field stories highlight the patterns you can actually use: favor dark timber over bright openings, let terrain hide your feet, and plan for what turkeys are unlikely to do. When you add clear team roles—who calls, who shoots, who films—you multiply your windows and take cleaner shots. We also reflect on the details that tell a turkey’s story after the shot: stained wing bars, the grit inside a gizzard, and what those clues say about where he spent yesterday. Not every plan works. We break down a painful miss, the lesson in brush lanes and shot windows, and why returning to proven ground still demands flexibility. Access changes, pressure resets, and sometimes the smartest move is to take the knowledge and go try something new. If you’re thinking about patterns, ridges, ditches, and how to make the next setup count, you’ll find practical, field-tested takeaways to carry into spring—without losing the joy and mystery that keep us going back. If this resonated, follow the show, share it with a buddy who lives for March mornings, and leave a quick review so more turkey hunters can find us. Your support helps us bring more stories, more lessons, and more wild mornings to your feed. 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

    55 min
  4. 12/08/2025

    Drumming Turkeys: A Series of Old Hunting Stories

    On this episode, hosts Hunter Farrior and Chase Farrior are talking about a few good drumming turkeys from the back corners of their minds. From a high school before‑class bird that taught Chase his first lesson in throwing soft yelps over a terrain roll, to the heaviest Alabama gobbler we’ve ever carried—whose drum hit harder than his gobble—this one is packed with practical wisdom you can use the next time the woods go quiet. We unpack how to recognize real drumming by cadence, separate it from log trucks and wind‑flexed roots, and move only when the rhythm gives you a beat to steal ground. You’ll hear how cemetery high points and creek‑bottom bowls shape sound, why cedar walls look right but hunt wrong, and what to do when hens drift by within arm’s reach and your gun is tangled in branches. We also revisit low‑tech scouting—reading fresh tracks in mud and using water holes like analog trail cameras—to confirm travel without burning a spot. Close calls drive the best lessons: wing drags at five yards without a shot window, half‑strut toms that never fan but drum non‑stop, and the discipline to hold your call when you can already hear the drum. If you’ve ever asked when to move, when to call, and how to set up for a shot lane instead of a pretty view, these stories give you a blueprint. Subscribe, share with a hunting buddy who lives for tough birds, and drop your best “heard him before I saw him” story in a review—we might read it on the show next week. 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

    53 min
  5. 11/24/2025

    Turning Mistakes into Woodsmanship: Top Lessons from Turkey Season

    Ever have a gobbler prove your first instinct right while you sit in the wrong spot? That’s the thread running through this one: trust the high seat when the terrain says high, let the bird lay the first card, and don’t let a cutoff clock rush you into a bad setup. We start with the good stuff—our Greenleaf drop and Black Friday bundles—then get straight into fieldcraft that held up under pressure: roost strategy, reading hills, and taking the shot before the window slides shut. We break down two hunts that tested our patience. A hen crossed a gravel road and pulled us low; the tom flew to the bottom, climbed to the crown, and marched toward the road—exactly where we would have been if we hadn’t second-guessed ourselves. Then a giant bird roosted shockingly low along a pasture ditch and drummed in the dark. By daylight he’d shifted to the top, again proving that discipline in what you already know beats improvising around a weird detail. The pattern is clear: stop trying to make turkeys do things; start listening when the woods tell you what the bird wants. From there we talk shot selection and calling. On pressured ground, you’re lucky to get one clean look. Know your range, build lanes, and pull the trigger when his head hits the window. With calling, timing and direction do the work. A soft note thrown into the gap you want him to check can force the exact two steps you need. Drumming became our compass, letting us course silent birds over rolls and into view without blowing the setup. And yes, we’re upgrading how we capture it—barrel cams and smarter filming so you can see how those choices unfold. Grab the new Greenleaf gear while the bundles last, follow along for more hunts dropping Mondays at 6 a.m., and tell us: when your gut says take the hill, do you climb or keep debating? If this resonated, tap follow, share it with a hunting buddy, and leave a quick review so more turkey nuts can find us. 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

    59 min
4.9
out of 5
347 Ratings

About

Welcome to a year-round discussion on the wild turkey and those who hunt them. Hosted by Hunter Farrior, founder of Spring Legion and author of Ballad of a Turkey Hunter, the weekly podcast is geared for all outdoor communities and dives deeper than the usual tactics and calling tips. Holding true to the brand, topics are built upon respecting the heritage and challenges of hunting, with a never-ending appreciation for all that the spring season provides. Enjoy insight from special guests like Dave Owens of Pinhoti Project, Cuz Strickland of Mossy Oak, our friends at NWTF and Muscadine Bloodline, and so many more widely known for their impact in the turkey hunting community, as well as the deer, duck, and waterfowl realm, who exhibit the obsession of which only a real turkey hunter may truly understand. Thanks for listening.

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