The Turkey Hunter Podcast with Andy Gagliano | Turkey Hunting Tips, Strategies, and Stories

Turkey Talk with Adam Butler

This week, Adam Butler, the Wild Turkey Program Coordinator with the Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries, and Parks, joins Cameron and Andy on the show.

Adam discusses the state of the wild turkey within the state of Mississippi, recent regulation changes made in the state, and the history of the wild turkey within the state and how trap and transfer efforts helped to reintroduce turkeys in certain areas.

Adam also talks about how flooding affects the turkey populations within the state a great deal since Mississippi is primarily low land state.

This is a very interesting episode, even for those who have no intention of ever hunting in the state of Mississippi. Mississippi is making changes that could be implemented in any state in the country to minimize reduction of hunting opportunities while still protecting the wild turkeys.

Listen in, and be sure to get your raffle tickets by using the link below...

https://rafflecreator.com/pages/78793/wild-turkey-hunt-fundraiser

We hope you win!

Home At Last Is The Hunter with Chip Gross

This week Chip Gross joins Cameron and Andy on the show to talk about his book, Home At Last Is The Hunter.

Chip is a former Wildlife Officer with the state of Ohio, and he is also the author of the book Poachers Were My Prey that is about RT Stewart's undercover Wildlife Officer work. (RT Stewart was on the show a few weeks ago talking about some of his undercover operations.)

Chip shares some stories about how he came to write the book about RT, but mainly he shares the story behind the semi-fictional book, Home At Last Is The Hunter. Chip tells us how the book came to be and shares a very interesting fact about part of the book that involves the main character being involved in a hunting accident. 

This is a great interview that you will not want to miss. Cameron also highly recommends both books to our listeners. Listen in to this episode to hear how you can buy an autographed copy of Home At Last Is The Hunter as well as Poachers Were My Prey by Chip Gross.

You can get a copy of these books on Chip's website: Chip Gross - Writer, Photographer, Speaker

Lastly, if you want to buy raffle tickets for a chance to win one of two hunts in South Texas in February of 2024, then you can go to Wild Turkey Hunt Fundraiser | Raffle Creator to buy those tickets. Remember 1/2 of the proceeds will go to the NWTF and 1/2 of the proceeds from the raffle will go to TFT. So, buy early and buy often.

The History of the Wild Turkey with Brent Rogers

This week, Brent Rogers joins Cameron and Andy to discuss the history of the wild turkey in America. We talk about the role of the wild turkey in the lives of settlers of the US, the decline of wild turkeys due to subsistence before and during the Great Depression, relocation, restocking, and the boom of turkey populations.

This is a fun episode with lots of discussion of historical accounts of wild turkey in America. Listen in!

Don't forget to get your raffle tickets this week. Two lucky winners will join Cameron and Andy in South Texas in late February of 2024. Proceeds will be split between the NWTF and Turkeys for Tomorrow. Get your tickets here.

A Little Afternoon Delight

This week, Cameron and Andy share one of Cameron's hunts from this past Spring season where Cameron was able to mark off another state from his list of states needed to complete his Super Slam.

As you can probably tell by the title of the show, this is an afternoon hunt, and we all know those can be fast and furious.

This is an exciting hunt with some really good audio and a great story of a great day. Listen in, and don't forget to buy your raffle tickets for a chance to hunt with Cameron and Andy in South TX in late February. Click this link to buy yours today.

Turkey Dogging with JT Byrne

This week, Cameron and Andy have JT Byrne back on the show to talk about the unique form of turkey hunting called turkey dogging. 

JT explains what turkey dogging is all about and talks about the "breed" of turkey dogs that his dad created several decades ago, which is the Appalachian Turkey Dog.

In addition to that, he shares a few hunting stories with us as an example. 

If you like to hunt behind dogs and you like to turkey hunt, you will not want to miss this episode. Listen in!

Here is the link for the Rio Grande wild turkey hunt with Cameron and Andy being held in late February of 2024.

www.tinyurl.com/55heeu99

The Man Who Hunted Men

This week, RT Stewart joins Cameron and Andy again to share several stories from his time being an undercover game warden, infiltrating poaching rings, and bringing the poachers to justice. 

In this episode, we hear about the trial of the turkey and deer poachers from Operation Redbud as well as stories from bringing duck hunters to justice as well. This is another fascinating, and oftentimes hilarious, episode that you will not want to miss. So, listen in!

Cameron and Andy also share more information about their late winter February Texas Rio hunt raffle for 2024. If you are interested in buying tickets for an opportunity to hunt with Cameron and Andy and to raise money for TFT and the NWTF, then you can buy tickets by going to https://tinyurl.com/55heeu99. You can also buy tickets by scanning the QR Code below.

Buy early and buy often.

The Man Who Hunted Men with RT Stewart - Part 1

This week, Cameron and Andy present you with part 1 of the fascinating interview with RT Stewart who is a retired conservation officer who went undercover to bust what was at the time the largest poaching ring ever busted.

The bust resulted in 26 convictions of poachers who illegally killed wild turkeys and deer out of season, over the legal bag limit, at night, and just for kicks.

RT was a pioneer in undercover work for the Ohio DNR, and he literally became a member of the community in which these poachers were living and put his own life at risk getting video evidence of these violations in the process.

This is an interview you won't want to miss!

Before the interview though, Cameron and Andy have a huge announcement for all of their friends of the show and for wild turkeys as well. They are raffling off two Rio Grande wild turkey hunts in late February for the opportunity to harvest two wild turkeys for each hunter who wins in the drawing. You'll want to listen in for information on the raffle, and you'll want to buy your raffle tickets early and often. Below is the link where you can purchase your raffle tickets to join Cameron and Andy in South Texas at El Mapache Blanco Ranch to hunt wild turkeys while almost everyone else is sitting at home with the winter doldrums. 

https://tinyurl.com/55heeu99

or you can scan this URL code to get to the website to buy tickets.

Proceeds from the raffle will go to benefit The National Wild Turkey Federation and Turkeys for Tomorrow.

The Slam of All Slams

This week, Chip Davis joins Cameron and Andy to talk about completing the slam of all slams. Chip is the second person to complete the Grand Slam, US Super Slam, Royal Slam, World Slam, Canadian Slam, and Mexican Slam. 

This process took Chip over 30 years to complete all of the slams, and his last turkey in Canada presented him an absolute fit. Chip shares that story with us as well as the feelings he experienced when he harvested that turkey and completed the slam.

Chip is a great story teller. We think you'll enjoy this show. Listen in!

Check out this week's episode to hear an exciting hunt that Andy and Cameron shared together this past spring out West. Join us in Ponderosa Pine Country as we locate and make a move on a rowdy bunch of Merriams turkeys. After the hunt, stay tuned for one of the greatest recipe's the world has ever seen that was concocted on this trip. 

Hope ya'll enjoy reliving a spring memory with your hosts. 

Early Fall Turkey Soup

This week, Cameron and Andy cook up a little turkey soup to help warm you up with the first cool front of the Fall season rolling through most of the country.

Wild turkey news articles from Ohio, Nebraska, Kansas, California, and Tennessee are among the states covered in the articles and press releases in this episode. There are some great wild turkey research projects going on around the country right now that we are hopeful will shed some light on a few of the reasons for wild turkey declines.

Of course, we love to throw in a weird wild turkey story into these soup episodes, so we share one this week of a wild turkey that has been misgendered... by Cameron.

Listen in!