Bear Grease - Ep. 438: Render - Turkey Girl on the Sorority Lawn

Episode Date: April 1, 2026

On this episode of Bear Grease Render, host Clay Newcomb is joined by Dr. Misty Newcomb and Josh Spielmaker, along with special guest and Turkey Stories newcomer Holly Newkirk, a sophomore at the University of Arkansas, in the Tecovas Hot Seat. Holly shares the full story behind her remarkable first solo turkey hunt, where she harvested her first gobbler and then turned heads by bringing it back to her sorority house lawn for photos, creating an unforgettable scene. The crew also dives into an unexpected but important thread from the Turkey Stories episode: hunting safety, and the lessons that surfaced along the way. Thank you to our sponsor, Tecovas. If you have comments on the show, send us a note to [e-mail] Connect with Clay and MeatEater Clay on Instagram MeatEater on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, Youtube, and Youtube Clips MeatEater Podcast Network on YouTube Shop Bear Grease MerchSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This is an I-Heart podcast. Guaranteed Human. First Lights fieldware collection is made for the work that happens long before opening day and continues when the season ends. Products built for early mornings, full days and real use. Hard wearing where they need to be versatile where it matters. No shortcuts. Just gear designed for the work that earns the season.

Built to perform, built to last. Check out. First Light's new field. Worldware gear at firstlight.com. My name is Clay Newcomb, and this is a production of the Bear Grease podcast called The Bear Grease Render, where we render down, dive deeper, and look behind the scenes of the actual Bear Grease podcast. Brought to you by Toccova's boots. I'm a cowboy bootman, and I've been wearing Tocobas for years.

They're the most comfortable boot I've ever put on. Good boots for good times. Welcome to the Bear Grease Render. We have a skeleton crew today, but we knew that it was going to work out because of the hard-hitting guests that we have. That's right. That's right. That's right. We have, we'll go counterclockwise, actually clockwise, and we'll introduce our special guest at the end who is sitting in the Tocovas hot seat.

You may not have known that. If you've noticed there's boots on your chair, you are in the Tocovas hot seat. But to my left, I have my wife. I have my wife, Dr. Misty Newcomb. Good to be here? So great to have you here. Always good to be here. Yes.

We got Josh Lambridge Spillmaker. I'm here. I'm here. Yep. Who randomly, I have to tell people why his nickname is Landbridge. Yeah. I did it earlier today on a different podcast. But 20 years ago, Holly, I'm not introduced you yet, but foreshadowing our special, special guest is named Holly.

Holly, 20 years ago. Josh Spillmaker had such a great mustache that it inspired me to learn about the Bering Land Bridge, all in a flash. It was like, it was like, it was like a revelational moment. I looked at Josh. Was there like an aura around my mustache? It was like that. I don't know that I'd ever thought about the Bering Land Bridge of my life. And I looked at Josh one day in the stash. It was like it was connecting two continents. and I went and ordered a book called Beringia. And it was not great. And you read it and then passed it to me and it was unreadable.

It was, yeah. And that kind of set my life on a trajectory to be really interested in like anthropology and human history and the Americas and stuff. So Josh Landridge Spillard. You are welcome America. Yes. You are the history. But our very special guest is Holly Newkirk.

Yes, I'm happy to be here. Yes. It's great to have you. And Holly was one of our storytellers on the Bear Greece Turkey Stories episode that was titled, Bobcat Attacks. I got shot or getting shot, bobcat attacks and flintlocks. Yeah, it was a good story, too. It was a really great story. Yeah, so we're going to get in, we're going to talk to Holly in detail in just a minute.

But there's, first off, this is, this is. Meat Eaters Turkey Week. So during Turkey Week, we're having a bunch of turkey-related content. We're having sales. I am wearing a hat right now. That is a mossy oak-billed hat with a Meteor logo. And we've partnered with the National Wild Turkey Federation

and the Lost Hat Company. And like just they made a short run of a bunch of different styles of hats. And I got them right here. They're pretty cool. Yeah. Holly, this is just one of the surprises today. Would you like one of these hats? I would love to give you one if you saw one that you liked him.

Wait, I actually really liked this one. Yeah, you liked that one? Yeah. You liked that one? Yeah, yeah. I like this one a lot. I saw when I first walked up to you, I was like, well, I'll like his hat. Oh, cool.

Well, that's the one I'm wearing, isn't it? Yes, sir. Okay, yeah, I can't see. Awesome. Big win. So, Turkey Week. Man, you know what? that are they doing a turkey call contest?

I haven't heard anything about it. Okay. I think you've just put the hammer down so many times that may have just given up. I think so. That's where I was going to go with this. Is that I have won the meat eater turkey call contest the last two years running, the only two times. With your turkey call? Yes.

Both years? No, no, no, just like a mouth call. I wonder if I could win against Clay without a call. Oh, just by the phone. Oh, mouth, natural voice? I have a decent turkey call. Let's hear it. Well, okay, I've got this microphone here.

Pull the microwave, microphone away from your mouth. Just go for it. I'm being told two things at the same time. Listen to the boss. Okay, okay. Well, and I haven't practiced. So sometimes it's the second time that's really good, but let's just try. No, it's a second time.

Hold on, hold on, hold on, hold on. Just slow it down just a little bit. Why don't you start? You do it. Natural voice, Misty's got it. She's got a good tone, like a good raspy, any tone. Yeah.

Yeah, that's good. Oh, that's really good. Can you call with your mouth, Polly? That was good, Misty. That was good, Misty. I've got one skill set. I'm impressed. I've got one, one, one.

really good wilderness skillset. Education policy reform and neutral voice turkey calling. So Turkey Week 2, Phelps Turkey Calls. Yep. So, man, this is cool. This is actually the third year that we've had this meat eater

Phelps three pack of prime cuts. And there's a, me and Jason Phelps designed one of the calls on here. Jason Phelps has a call and Steve Ronella has a call. And the biggest validation that I've ever received about this call was Lake Pickle. Okay.

Requested specifically the Newcomb Prime cut. I praise. Could he be playing me like a fiddle? Yes. Probably. He could. I mean like if a guy had his name on a turkey call, I'd be calling him up and be like, man, that's the best call I ever heard. You might send me one? Yeah. I mean, that's pretty much what happened. But Lake, I believe him. I believe Lake. I think he actually likes it a lot. Let's see this. So it's a, so anyway, Holly. I hope you bought a gift bag. Oh, wow. Holly. This is a huge day from.

You had no idea. Would you like this meteor prime cuts, diaphragm calls? Yeah, and the bottom one's yours? It is. Yeah. Well, I saw that one out. Wait, these are awesome. What's special?

I think, I mean, those are normal size. You said you'd like the smaller. These will be fun. You can trim them down. You can cut the tape, like take a pair of scissors if it's too big, but I mean, there's a youth diaphragm call that the actual, you know, like the metal in the call is smaller, but you're probably not using one of those, are you?

The one I ordered to say many. It was a mini, whatever, what would I just say it was? Woodhaven. Woodhaven. As a mini Woodhaven. Okay. I think these will be fun.

Yeah, this one looks small. This is awesome. This is awesome. Thank you all. Yeah, yeah. What did you, when you were designing your turkey call? Yes. What specifically, yours does look different than the other two.

What specifically? Well, so in the turkey call business, guys that make turkey calls, you could tell them what you wanted the call to focus on. So some guys want a call that's just like really loud and raspy, say like that's the main thing they're interested in is just, yeah, y'-y-up, just really wailing on one. So a call maker would then use a style of latex and a cut on the re-react. that makes that happen. Other guys would want something that was soft and subtle, as we say in the business. And soft and subtle would be a lighter latex that you could just make little purrs and clucks. And I went to Jason, and I said, I want both.

And he was like, I've been just waiting for someone to tell me that. He said, I don't know why anyone's never thought of this, that you could actually have both. No, there's some, so it's a batwing cut. So all these cuts, Misty, if you look at them, all the cuts on these calls, it looks random, but it's very specific and produces a certain sound. Oh, super interesting. And Jason Phelps is one that knows all that? Yeah. That's really impressive.

Hey, the Phelps calls, now, I mean, full disclosure, Phelps is owned by a meat eater. Like, this is a company that we, I mean, it's our company. Right. But I've blown every call known to man, and there are some great calls. Woodhaven is great. I'd be using Woodhaven if it wasn't for Phelps. Honestly, was before. But the Phelps calls uses quality of components as any call company.

So there's all types of grades of materials that they use in those things that actually make them last longer, make them sound better, richer, easier to use. anyway it's a legit call it's a legit call but calls do are people like certain brands just because they fit their mouth i mean so it's possible you could use a call and just be like man i blow this one better or that one better so that that happens for sure right but uh yeah so get yourself some turkey week yeah turkey week phelps get that prime cuts uh just little housekeeping as well before we move on the lion film came out. Yep.

Yep. Last week. So I went lion hunting in Utah with Hunter and McLean Meekam and Ty Evans. And if you hadn't seen the film, you should watch it. It's meat eaters 12 and 26. And so they're in, I described this in detail earlier. 26 stands for 2026. 12 stands for the months of the year.

So they're going to make 12 films this year that are full-length films. So Meteor usually makes like 20-minute episodes. These are 12 full-length films. Janice had one last month. This one, this month is mine. And anyway, they're cool. I thought, I think we should give a shout out to the graphics design on the thumbnail for this one. because they made Clay's eyes look like a mountain lions.

Oh. Did y'all notice? I didn't notice that. Go back and look. When I looked at it, he looked. You were like, me, yeah. They did something that made it, but I don't think they were trying to mirror my eyes to look like a lion's eyes because the lion's eyes are brown.

Maybe your eyes just look like a lion's eyes. I don't know, you kind of looked similar to that mountain line. Let's all stare deeply into Clay's eyes. We'd have to ask Hunter Spencer. Clay's got good eyes. I wish the world could meet Hunter Spencer. Yeah. Hunter Spencer is a meteor's graphic design guy.

And he lives in Virginia. And he is like, his wife's a veterinarian, he's just like a super smart, educated, delightful person. And he says, I dear. I dear. He's like, I got an idea. I thought you're saying like idea I don't know where you're going to. But when he says, because we talk about,

he used the word ideas a lot with me because he's a graphic designer so when we talk to him, we're like, hey, I got an idea. And he says, I got an idea. I'm just like, let's go. Yeah, I like it. I like it.

You can trust the person who says idea. I got a good idea. And then when he can do what he does, anything that's graphic designed by me or is going to be designed by him. But he did the eye thing. Yeah, I'd like to talk to Hunter about how, like, does Clay just have a natural similarity? I think he needed a portrait of him up in your house with the mountain lion. Because they've got a mountain lion over here, and then Clay's got this, like, real, like, serious look.

And the mountain lion's got a serious look, and they're both looking. And it's just kind of like, oh, okay. Jake, make sure we get a thumbnail of this popped up on this video podcast. Yeah, yeah, yeah. I don't even think I actually looked at the camera like that. I think it's probably like AI or something. No, no, I don't think so. Yeah.

I don't think so. Well, you can check out the film. I think you had a soul-try look. The film was great. The film was great. I really enjoyed it. It was great the second time. I think we have to address the elephant in the media room.

No, they uploaded the wrong video at first. So it was kind of a bummer. So for like five or six hours, there was, it wasn't a bad video. It was just the wrong one. I mean, it was my, it was, it was the video of a lion hunt, but there was no narration. It was the exact same video. It just didn't have the narration on it. Right, which dramatically compromises the story.

I think we should release both in the future, and you can choose your own adventure. Yeah, I think that's a good idea. I think that's a good idea. Because some people said, oh, you know, I really like that. I really like it. It was just a lot in his mouth. It happens. There was like a lot of really long, like, cinematic.

Yeah. Like drone shots across the landscape. With no music and no. With just like nothing. And then so in the correct version, there was voiceover. So I would like, I'd be like, we were in Idaho for five days and we were doing this and doing that. You know, so you kind of take the story along with narration. And so the first version of it didn't have that.

And so like at midnight. It was like the real hunt, like the raw hunt. Yeah, it was just, yeah, yeah. Kind of, yeah. When I hunt, though, there's narrate. When I'm in the woods, it's like, turn to the left. I can actually attest to this. There's always, Clay's always narrating.

Like, I feel like my life has narration. Yeah, true. I have a narrator and an interpreter who's always trying to. Yeah. True story. It's a big benefit of being married to Clay as you just get, like, narration. Interpretation. I like to think it's just interpreting life for those around.

Yeah, and I appreciate it. I only talk a lot on podcasts. That's not true. It's pretty true. That one must have been a big loss. Do your mom and dad, do they laugh at each other and make fun of each other? So this is okay. We established earlier that we're basically your parents.

Oh, yeah, they're basically my parents. Her sibling structure is identical to our children. All of their siblings and their kids are the same age. my siblings. But you have three girls and one boy, right? Yes. Yeah, that's, that's, so we've got two girls and two boys, but basically the same ages. All the same ages. Yeah, within a year. So that's a great, that's a great time to talk to Holly. We haven't introduced. No, we did. We did. This is Holly Newkirk. She was, she told a turkey story.

Yeah. But Holly, you're a sophomore at the University of Arkansas. Yes, sir. What do you study in? I'm doing ag business with a minor in entomology, and then soon, hopefully you'll be a master's in entomology. Okay. Entomology. I really should know that word. Study of bugs. That's what I thought. Okay. That's what I thought.

So is that going to be used in like crop science kind of stuff? Yes, sir. Like bugs that are bad? Yes, sir. Yep. For the crops. This past couple summers, I've worked through the university's research station in Stuttgart. And we do trials all across Arkansas, spraying chemicals and trying to get rid of the bugs.

Okay. And all the raw crops. What's your, what's the worst bug out there? I think it's the army worms. Because the army worms come in so fast, they eat it all down and they're gone. And what do they eat? What do they eat? What do army worms eat?

They eat from the leaf part of the plant all the way up. They, the entire thing. I don't think we have Army worms in northwest Arkansas. Are any of the crops I have that I'm aware of? What do they eat in southeast? I could. I don't know if they're up here. We never come up here.

Yeah. Down south more east. The big grow crops. They're like, if you have any wheat field or rice, it's just going to look like you mowed through it. Really? It's going to look like it's completely mowed down. Oh, man. That's still a real issue today in modern agriculture.

Army worms. Fall army worms are really bad. So the army worm is, does it turn into a moth or a butterfly or something? Honestly. I should know this, but I... Shouldn't you know this? I should know this. We don't get past this stage.

What's your professor's name? There's basically a test here. Yeah, well, I should have known. No, I just, I don't, I don't know either. But if it's a worm, it just makes me think, I wonder if it's a larvae stage of like a... It is, it is... No, I'm thinking of a different bug now. I don't know.

I should know this. Just call it. We don't know. She's just a sophomore. Hey, will you look it up? Will you look it up, Josh? This is going to be bad because my sister's boyfriend's going to listen to this and he's a PhD so I work under him.

Oh, no. I'm going to get it on now. He's like, we can edit. We can edit. Sorry. Let me ask you something at Bull Weevil. Is that still an issue? No.

Those are not issues hardly anymore. Oh, really? What happened to them? They got, they started, they had, there's some sort of, like, moth that went out. They breeded these. Army worm. Army worm. Armyworm moths, I bet.

Prodenia is another name for genus Spotup Terra, a group of moths in the family Noctuide, commonly known as Army Worms or Cut Worms. They do turn into a moth. They do turn into a moth. I have never dealt with them as a moth. Okay, so the bow-weevels used to be major. They used to be major issues.

Yeah. I hope I'm telling all the right facts here. Oh, it's okay. Just say it really confidently. I know there's, how do you think this whole? thing works, Holly. I know there's bowl worms and stuff that we do in cotton,

but I'm trying to make sure I'm getting the right facts here. I work as, there's so many bugs that go on at one time. But if I'm thinking of the right story that I got told, I think they, by my professor, so it wasn't even the one I work with. So my professor, he could be wrong here. Yeah. This is on him. This is on him.

Don't even know his name. I can't even put the blame when I'm going to know his name. But they, um, had these multi-deal that they bred and they went out and ate the larvae of the boathes. Okay. If I'm correct, that could be a total different bug I'm thinking of, but I'm pretty sure it's the bone. But I think I have heard that the bow weevil is not what it used.

It's not the, it used to be like the thing. Oh yeah. And then now it's not that big a deal. Kind of like. I haven't seen a bowl weevil. So it's never seen a bow weevil. I've never caught one or seen one while I'm working these past. Now are bull weevils what you'd find in your flower sometimes?

Like your breadflower. Yeah, like the breadflower. Yeah, like when I was a kid, like you'd find bull weevils. Really? Back in 1930? I am about to be 50, so, yeah. It was a long time ago. Do you know, I didn't know this, but you can't grow cotton in Arkansas unless you have a permit for it.

Really? I didn't know that, but there was a... This podcast has just taken a complete direction I wasn't anticipating. I love it, let's go. I think we should keep... I was in ag, too. Yeah. We're going to get there, Holly.

Well, I think the one thing that you guys should know, because since you're in ag, you probably would never be on, like, a gardening Facebook page. it is can be a little bit of an unhealthy environment the gardening Facebook pages it's brutal sometimes they're really helpful but like you put up a non-native plant someone does that and I'm like oh no that person's about to get eviscerated I mean there and they just like go at them in the comments and so anyway rolling on the garden pages someone someone put out a request they were like hey I'll drive I'd like to grow some cotton I'll drive I'll drive anywhere to go get it and boy the comment section lit up and I had no idea. Everyone was, everyone said, that is illegal. We're going to have to take this post off. Wow. And then they made like a statement that, because you're not allowed to have illegal, there's a press release. Illegal plants on the gardening page. And I didn't know that, but it's, it's illegal unless you have a permit, because I, maybe disease, maybe, uh, bugs that can come

in with plants. I don't know. But it's got to be, it's somehow, cotton's regulated. Highly regulated. And that was interesting to me because Lewis Joplin, my great grandpa, one time my dad and I, My great grandpa loved to grow, like, weird stuff. Like, he loved to grow just for the sake of being, like, you know, purple broccoli and things like that. He loved to grow things that no one else said that you could, everybody else said you couldn't grow. And we lived in the Washatolls, and one day we drove up to his house, and he was just staring, only person there outside at his garden, just staring at it, smiling. And my dad said, what did he grow?

And we walk in there. And he knew he had grown something. And we walk over there. And he was not, he didn't talk a ton, you know, like he was not a man of many words. And we walked over there, and he didn't even look up at us. He just sat there smiling and he said, they say, you can't grow a cotton in the wash of toss. And he pointed at it, and he had grown four little plants of cotton. Anywho, so he probably broke the law.

He probably broke the law and would have been not, I don't think he would have made it in the gardening pages. Yeah, I think he would have gotten in trouble a lot on that gardening page. Well, you know what we need to do right off the top, though, is the big thing for Holly. A big reveal. That Josh was trying to... I'm about to spill the beans on. Yeah. So because you're in the Toccova's hot seat, if you would like, we would love to give you a pair of Toccova's boots of your choice.

Wait, that's... Yes, you would. That's so awesome. I don't know if you wear cowboy boots much. They have a lot of different kind of women's shoes. that additional to like boots. But, yeah. So we're going to give you,

we're going to give you a gift certificate. Oh, thank you. That you will be able to go to. There's a TCOVA store here in Rogers. In Rogers. I think it's the only one in Arkansas. Or you can order it on. Well, I might just go check that out today.

It's the Marty in town. You might as well. Yeah. Awesome. I thought that somehow Josh asked, like, of all of our guests, what size shoe they wore. When you said we've got a pair of, Well, see, that's the challenge.

Tocovas is so awesome to us. They're like, they're crazy. They really are. Give everybody boots. They're like, just everybody that comes in the door, get them some boots. But it's kind of, it's hard. It's hard when you don't know what shoe size is. You know, you want to try have hair boots on.

Yeah, that's very generous. And Tocovus is great. Like, if you order online and you get a pair of boots that don't fit, just set them. Well, and they also have a bunch of gear. Like, that's a Tocovov's a sweater. I'm kind of, I'll put it out. To Cova's shirt. Clova's shirt. Cova's sponsor.

Yeah, yeah, yeah. Awesome. Thank you, y'all. Yeah. Okay. All right. I hope you brought a bag. I did.

I got a whole car. I can pack it in there. Anything else we want to give you. You can put in your car. So you are an entomology student at the University of Arkansas. Yes, sir. And what will you do with that degree? Right now the plan is to be a chemical sales rep.

That's the goal. But anything can change. I'm open to anything. Now, why would you, this is, this is not, this question could sound like I was trying to, like, dig at you. I'm not. Why would you want to be a chemical sales route? I just want to be in sales. Something in cells and chemicals sounds, that's what we've been working with a lot, is just chemicals trying them out and testing them.

Yeah. And it just sounds fun. And my cousin, Turkey hug him a lot. He told me to give him a shout-outs of shout-out, Trevor. But he got me set up through this whole entomology path, and I was only been on the phone to me, they're like, you don't have to do chemical. because I told you, I'm like, no, that sounds awesome. And especially just because he's set me up on the path and he knows people and he's hooked me up the whole way and I'm like, thank you Trevor.

So I'm just following his footsteps right now. There you go. And so you grew up in the Arkansas Delta. So for people. And he grew up even in Stuckart. So he was right there. Okay. They kind of the heart of it.

So like in Arkansas, I've said so many times, but the eastern side of Arkansas is where the lot of ag land, Mississippi River Delta, flat land, lot of ag. Yeah. The part that we're in right now, northwest Arkansas is, no ag. I mean, we're hours from any kind of row crop agriculture to any degree. But people that live over in the east

kind of know that world. So you kind of grew up around row crop agriculture. Oh, yeah. My front yard is a field. In my side, everything around me is just filled. You live in Deval's Bluff. Yes, sir. Which I would know Deval's Bluff, not because I have duck hunted there, but you hear people talk about duck hunting in that part of the world. It's just right besides

duckers, so it's, there you go back and forth. Yep. Last spring, Clay Newcomb and I collaborated with Jason Phelps at Phelps game calls and building each of our own favorite turkey diaphragms called prime cuts. Now, I'm going to tell you, I love mine because it's easy to use. I'm not going to go, I'm not going to win a turkey calling contest. It's just not going to happen. But when I run this call, I get the sounds that gobblers are looking for.

I have a great turkey hunting track record. If you go listen to real turkeys out in the woods, they're not going to win calling contests, right? That's who I listen to. I can make those sounds on my cut. I also hunt with Phelps's cut and I hunt with Clay's cut because they're all three great cuts. Check out Prime Cuts

at Phelpsgamecalls.com. I think you'll be glad you did and you'll find out that the Steve Ronella cut is an easy-to-use cut for beginning callers who just want to start making good turkey noises and getting action. Are you duck hunter?

I am a duck hunter. I don't do very good, but I do really enjoy it. Yeah. Yeah. Can you call? Can you duck call? I actually told myself I would not learn a duck call just so I always have somebody to go with me. I told myself to not learn a duck call because I don't like go by myself.

So I'm like, if I don't learn, somebody's always going to go with me. They're going to have to. And if I wear my dow down long enough, he's just going to be like, okay, let's go. Let's go. But I have a family friend that he goes with me most of the time and he calls for me all the time. And I just stand there. You know what? Me and you have the exact same philosophy on duck kind of.

Exactly. I can't duck call. I just like going with people that can. I started to learn. I was like, nope, this is not for me. I'm a girl. I should always be hunting with me if I'm going duck hunting anyway.

But turkey hunting's different though. Turkey hunting is different. Yeah, you got that one alone. I did that one by myself. Very impressive. Yes. With turkey hunting, you have to go further and travel further. It's not just in my backyard,

so I have to learn that one on my own and be able to find it out myself. Okay. Man, when I heard your story, I mean, I was like, I was probably like your dad. I was proud of you. I was like, dang, that's, to go out and find land. And then, number two, I mean, I'm a grown adult, and it's intimidating to go ask, like, cold call on someone

and ask them for permission to hunt on their property. It was so scary. Actually, the reason I even went to their house was, like, I wasn't supposed to be going that direction. I was delivering flowers. I did some side job delivering flowers, and she sent me way out there. And it was one night, I had plans, and I was so mad.

I did not want to go up there. I was like, dad, this lady's sending me out, like, 50 miles out of town. I do not want to go. And I was so mad to go out there. Then I'll get out there. I'm like, oh, it's so pretty. So I dropped a pin on my ex.

And I started looking at land all around. I'm like, oh, let's see, which has big set of big chunks of land out here. So like three days later, I go back out there and start knocking on doors with everybody. I probably knocked on like 10 or so doors. Really? Oh, yeah.

It was scary. And he was actually the second guy I knocked on. He was like, yeah. And I was like, wait, really? Because I just knock on the door. He's like, come in. And I'm like, oh, shoot. Like, first thing he said was come in and I'm like, he does not know who I am.

And I'm in the middle. I've driven down dirt roads forever. Like, I don't know who people are. So what, did you go in? Oh, yeah, I went in. Did you? What did your dad say about that? He told me not to do that next time.

Yeah. I open the door and I'm like, standing at the door thinking they're going to get up and like come greet me and there's just two, an old couple and the wife and the husband. Okay. So the wife was there. Oh, the wife was there. And like, you're, you're. Well, I opened the door and I'm like, easy and I'm kind of like, see what I'm looking at.

and I'm like, they're both sitting there, and he's, like, turning his head to me, and I see his off, okay, they're both here. So I walk in. Okay, that's better. Better. Yes. I was like, I'm hauling. They're like, take a seat.

And I'm like, oh, dear. So I go in and I take a seat and I talk to him for like 30 minutes. I'm like, you can hunt this whenever you want. Like, have that. I'm so proud of you for doing this and coming out of here. Did you sell them some chemicals too? I did not sell them any chemicals. No.

So you're, you were, you discern the situation correctly, like that these were genuine, decent people. Yeah. They were so. became that. Oh yeah. I visit them a couple of times. You're already not even being turkey season just to keep the relationship because they're so sweet to be around.

Wow, that's awesome. But what makes people really sweet sometimes is when they have 10 strutters in their front yard? Is that what you said? Oh, yeah. Pulling up. And I was pulling up that day. I was like, this has got to be a joke.

I thought I was being prank or something. Somebody's got decoys out there. They knew you were coming. I was like, I've got to be pranked. Like, what's going on here? I'm looking around. I was like, my eyes were like as big as my whole face. And I was like, what am I looking at right now?

And it was awesome. I was like, my heart started being as soon as I walked up. And I was like, okay, if I don't get this land, I'm going to, like, be heartbroken. And it was the only land out of any of the doors I knocked on that I saw turkeys on before I knocked on the door. Wow. And it was the only one I got a yes to. So they would have been, you know, sometimes when you meet ranchers or landowners that aren't hunters, they have like little awareness of what's on their land. But I assume driving there, seeing turkeys, like they knew there were turkeys there.

Oh, they definitely knew there was turkeys. He told me, as soon as I said something about turkey, he goes, I got those everywhere. And he was, he thought I was like, no. He's like, could you send me that pin? No, I'm going to keep that one, I think. But I said something, or I said something about turkey. Like, I got turkey honey. He goes, we've got turkeys everywhere.

Like, you're just selling his back porch to shoot someone. And I'm like, oh, like, I like to put a little effort. And I'm not going to sit in your back door and shoot a turkey. So the day I finally killed the turkey, I went up to his door and told him, he's like, okay. I was like, wait, this is a big deal. Like, I'm sitting there celebrating. Oh, he didn't think much. He went in like pumps.

Cool. Like, he just thought it was casual. And I'm like, yeah. He's never, I found out there's a couple weeks ago, he's never even been turkey hunting. He's got elk hunting in Colorado and bear hunting. Oh, wow. All the hunting, deer hunting, duck hunting, everything except for turkey hunting. But doesn't turkey hunting.

Wow. Yeah, so he didn't. He's missing out. He's missing out big time. He didn't understand the significance of it. Hopefully he doesn't listen to this podcast. He'll be fine. And then he'll be like, oh, man, I need to, I need it.

Well, okay. So the surprising part of. your story to me. And the scary part and the part that kind of built a little bit of a storyline in the whole episode which was completely unintentional was this issue of safety, really.

Like your first part of your story? That was terrifying. So you're sitting there, you know, she's sitting there calling in this bird, sees the bird. She believes she's the only one on the property, at least on this side of the property that you were on. And like, you're about to shoot these turkeys. Oh, I was

gunned up. I was dead on these turkeys. I was like, They were pretty much in range Whenever they were there But I'm like There's no need to stretch it And I was like They're coming They're coming

Like there's nothing stopping them here Like yep I'm not they can't see me I'm on behind a big tree I'm like they can see me I can see them Yeah I was chilling

And they were coming in And they were gobbling Just at themselves And everything And I'm like this is ideal So I'm just in here waiting on them And yeah Out of nowhere

The guy shoots And I'm like what And I like jolt back When he shoot Where was he in relationship Yeah So like you're You're pointing your gun

at like 12 o'clock. Let's say, like on a clock. Yeah, if I'm shooting this way. Okay, I'm going to go right here because that's in front of me. Yep, yeah, just right up. Just go shoot you now. Yeah, she's pointing at me.

She's the turkey's coming at me, and I'm sitting this way. They're literally like right here. They are just to my right, probably 45, 50 yards. And there's like a little, it goes up right there and there's tree, so I couldn't see over that. It's just a tiny little up,

but I couldn't see over that little bit right there. And so they shot, and I was like jolted back, because it sounded like it was me shooting. I knew I didn't shoot because it was so close. Right. And I'm, like, freaking out. And I see the turkey, I thought, like, it flop for a minute, but I guess it delayed or got up and run.

Because as soon as they shot, I dug down. I didn't know what was going on. That's good. I got scared. And I'm, like, watching them. When I see these two guys, it's like an older man, I guess a younger guy, I'm probably guessing, like, a 12-year-old with him. And because I thought at the time, it was an older guy,

finds out, because I thought there was two older guys. And I was like, oh, that was really short to be an older guy, but I'm like, they wouldn't bring a kid out here on opening day. I don't know why I thought that but for some reason my head I thought that but anyways, ends up being like a 12 year old because I knew he was short

and they're running. They're always short. They're really short. And they were running to it and I was like, man, this is awful. And I was like heartbroken and I'm like, what do I do now? You didn't, okay,

it surprised me a little bit that you didn't like address them. But I guess, I guess, I was like a dog, I tucked my tail and went straight down that heel. I like hid from him. I never even knew I was there. Yeah, that's probably smart.

I didn't know, I didn't even know if they were allowed to be on this lane because I was like, okay, surely they would not cross the line that he told us not to cross with him saying. If somebody does come, which is a low chance, they'll be on that side. I'm like, no one's going to cross it. They're going to listen to the landowner. So did you figure out who they were?

Yes, I did figure out. And it ended up being the guy that he thought would be coming. And it was his son with him. And they missed the turkey. They'd even kill the turkey. And it was a little son that shot. And that was his first time hunting. Okay.

The son's first time hunting. So were they on the wrong side? They were definitely on the wrong side. Yeah, I told the landowner, he's like, oh, they should not. I'm going to have to call. them. And I was like, yeah,

I mean, don't get him in trouble. I don't mean to get him in trouble. But, like, that was dangerous. Like, I thought I was getting shot out

at that point. Yeah, yeah. He was like, oh, that won't happen again. Like, next time you'll have it to yourself. We're not going to let this happen again. Wow. Wow.

Wow. Well, it really is an issue. I mean, when you're turkey hunting, I mean, I said it on the episode, but like all other types of firearm hunting, you pretty much are wearing

hunter's orange. Now, squirrel hunting and stuff, you don't have to, but squirrel hunting's a little bit A bit different because you're shooting up. But most firearm-related hunting... There's a lot of caution. You're using hunters' orange.

Turkey hunting, you don't. Yeah, I was surprising listening to the podcast, just one story after another of someone... Yeah, and then the first story on there, which it was a great... Well, I don't want to get into it too much, but we're going to get into it. But yeah, the first story was two guys shooting...

At each other. towards each other, like at the single turkey, which is wild. I wonder how far apart were they? Like, how far was a turkey away from each person? So I don't really know, but I know that it was just turkey shotgun range. I would imagine inside of 40 yards. I mean, I don't think they were shooting at this bird like 50, 60 yards away. I think he didn't say, but I feel like they were 80 yards apart shooting at a turkey

at 40 yards. Wow. You know, something like that. That's crazy. But so, okay, so when you, when these guys scare you and shoot your turkey, a lot of people would just gone home. Oh, no. For real. I mean, sometimes, there's been a lot of times when something negative has happened in the woods that sometimes, and I've seen people react this way, where it's just like, I'm done for today.

Let's go back. We'll try tomorrow. Like if something negative happens, like someone shoots a turkey, scares you. not supposed to be there, but not Holly Newkirk. No, going home really never crossed my mom. The only reason, like, went through my mind and the second. I was like, hey, maybe they're still hunting. Like, that was my only worries that they still might be hunting.

But I was like, no, like, they're not going to tell me. They've shot. And I also knew, like, if you shoot, that doesn't scare the turkeys away the rest of the time. Because we've shot, I've shot a bird, and then, like, my sister would shoot a bird a little bit later. I'm like, I know that doesn't mess up the turkeys the whole day. So I'm like, there's still a chance. I know there's plenty of other birds around because I heard them all goblin off the roost. They're going everywhere, going crazy.

And I was like, wow. So I knew there was plenty of round. So I was just going to wait, let them cool out. Rain came through, let that go by. Called my dad. Dad's like, Holly, do not leave. Like, what are you thinking? You've been waiting for this moment your entire life.

Do not leave. Like, it's really annoying. So, yeah, then just walked and walked. Was this last year? On opening day. So it was 20, 25. Yes, sir. So, I mean, like one year ago.

Yes, yeah. Exactly one year ago. Now, you had, you'd killed other turkeys before. Oh, yeah. I've killed several turkeys. We go to Tennessee every year, and we always turkey hunt there, and I've killed Turkey in Arkansas almost every year, too. We normally go to Batesville, but I've gone back in Fort Greenville State.

I've even gone to Idaho, my favorite time of turkey hunting in Idaho. So you really have. When I said you were a veteran, I was stepping a little bit on a limb because I didn't know exactly, but you're a veteran. I've been to a lot of places. I love it. Okay. I think I'm finally got a green light to Oklahoma this year, so that's exciting.

Okay. We're going to try to make it all everywhere. So you go to the other side of the problem. property, you get a bird goblin, and you just call it right up. And it's probably about like mid-morning by then. Oh, yeah, it's probably around 9 o'clock, I think, 8.30, 9 o'clockish. Maybe it was probably like 930. It had been a little bit, I feel like.

And I had given up hope. I was like, this land's not even that pretty on this side. Like, I'm just going to do it just to do it because I don't want there to be any mystery. And anyway, so I go through the gate, make loud noises doing that. Like I said, I dropped the gate. I thought I heard. I was like, no, I'm hearing things. Put the gay back up, just lolly yowing around.

wasn't hiding at all. Like, I was just walking. And I stand by this tree. And I'm getting by this tree. And I'm like, okay, because in my head, I always know, like, if you're going to, if you're going to call, be somewhere if you need to, you can just sit down immediately. There you go. And in my head, I was like, okay, I can just sit down immediately because I'm by a tree right now.

But, okay, so I called, I did, like, just a slate call. Just a real simple slate call, a little yelp. He immediately, and he is, like, it's like, it's a straight drop off. He immediately just cuts it off. Close. He is right close. Like, but the drop off is so thick. I knew there was no way he's coming through this,

because I couldn't see down the drop-wise. I had to do the straight drop-off, and it's thick, it's all trees right there. So, like, maybe 40 yards, not very far. 40 yards, 50 yards away is where the opening is, where the tree stop, and there's a little tall grass over there. So I, as soon as he got, was like, I'm like, whoa. And I'm like, I freeze for a second,

and I didn't know what to do for the second. I dropped my dequoise. I don't know why I did that. Drop my de quince. Drop the fan. I run to this tree, and I'm like, hunched down running because the grass is tall, so I can hide under it. I get over there.

And he's, by the time I got from that tree to that tree, 40 yards, maybe max or 50 yards, he gobbled two more times. And I was like, oh my gosh. And I was like, what do I do? I was like, what do I put my, I already had my diaphragm in my mouth. And I was like, okay, I'm called. He did like, if he starts acting weird, but I'm going to be quiet because I know not to overcall. Because you've already called once? I called once.

And that's it all of one time. That's all you need. And the way he's golf, and I'm like, I can already tell that he moved because he's gobbled over here first. And he has already moved. His third gobble was like straight in front of where I'm sitting now. Okay. And so it would have been diagonal from our first call was. So I'm sitting down and it's like tall grass.

It's like a straight drop off on the other side of tall grass. And he's sitting there and he's just gobbling. And I'm like, what do I do? Like he's got to come up this thing. Like if he comes up, he's for sure in rage, like without a doubt. So I'm sitting here right here is goblin. And I'm sitting there and I'm like, okay, in my head it's like taking forever. It's taking forever.

I feel like I'm there for like 10 minutes. And it probably took a two minute for the whole hunt or five minutes, not long at all. And I'm sitting there taking things forever. And I'm sitting and I'm sitting. He gobbles again. And I'm like, okay, maybe I should call. And I'm like, no, don't call. Don't call.

And then he's drumming. I was like, the drumming like shook me. And I had never heard drumming before. So I'm like, it like shakes me. And I'm like, oh my gosh. Like he is on top of me. And I'm like, okay, but then I heard drumming again, I thought it was more this way.

But I think it was just the way it was like going. But I was like, look more this way. And I'm like, no, I can't move. But I wanted to keep, look beside me and everywhere. And I'm like, I was like, this is the most nervous I ever been on a turkey. Because I was by myself, I didn't have anyone telling me what to do. I'm like, I have to make all these things around myself. And anyways, I heard the drumming, heard him gobble again.

And then finally, I see just the tip of his fan, like a very tip. And I see his head, the tip of his head. And I'm like, oh, there he is. To me, I see him stepping a little bit closer. Was he where you thought he was? He was a little bit, just like a couple feet to the left of where he was. So he was right where he should have been. He came up just where he's supposed to.

He did it right as I wanted it. Yep. And anyway, so he's coming up. I see him, and he pops his head up just a little bit more while he's still on struck, like he sticks his neck out, I guess probably looking for the hen that had it made a peep sense. Yep. And shoot him and it was like the happiest moment of my life.

It was so awesome. I love it. Okay. And so the coolest part of this story, which I guess we didn't include, is that you took the turkey back to your sorority house in like the strip in Fayetteville, Arkansas. Yeah. At the University of Arkansas, there's a, whatever. they called the...

It's on Maple Street where it's all the sorority houses. Just sorority road or sorority row. Sorority row, yeah, like all these sorority houses. And so you take the turkey back. I take the turkey. Well, I'll call my sister and I tell her when I heal the turkey. He's like, Holly, get it to Tridelt right now. I'm at Triton.

And quick question, had any other girls from Tridale brought turkeys that day? No. I don't think half these girls from Tridout even knew what a turkey was. I didn't even know what the animal was. So I go to Tridale and I meet my sister on the lawn and we're sitting there getting ready to take the picture and it's like people walk into class like the middle of the day

yeah yeah really busy street oh yeah they're shopping because it's right in the middle like right across where all the classes are Tritles and they're stopping and they're like looking at Tritadel like what's this girl in Cammo? And you're camoed up got this turkey fanned out and the grass Soysia grass I said they're holding my turkey

smiling so proud and everybody's walking out and I'm like oh this is so like awkward everybody's staring at me right now people are walking about taking pictures I don't know if you know what Yik Yik Yik is but Yick Yuck was going crazy. Like, Turkey Girl on Triteau Lawn right now. Like, somebody figured out what's going on a Tritle right now.

Yik Yik Yack. Is that like a social media deal? It's like a campus has it. It's like where you just go and talk about random stuff. Everything's anonymous. So he's like put a chat in and like the whole universe you can see it but it's all anonymous. You don't know who puts it. Turkey Girl at Triddle.

Yeah. And it's like, has anybody seen the girl in Cammo on Tridot Lawn right now? Like what's going on? And anyway, so then we were there for like five minutes taking pictures. and our house mom comes out. And she's like, what is this, Holly? What have you brought to our lawn? And Hannah, my sister, she's a trial too.

And she was like, jump, Mom, Jody. Look, she's got a turkey. She's got a turkey. And Hannah's, like, going crazy and, like, so happy for me. And I'm like, yeah, I got a turkey. Like, is it okay about I take a couple pictures? She's like, well, well, what is? Like, why do you have this here?

Like, what's going on? What is so hard to understand about this, mom? I'm like, Mom, Johnny's a turkey. I just killed this. She goes, like, okay, but like, why is it here? Like, what are you doing with it? And I'm like, I'm just taking a picture with it with the sororityos. You're like, we're going to eat it.

Yeah. Well, she did ask a little bit. She goes, do you eat these? Like, do you plan on like skinning it here? And I'm like, no, no, no, I'm not going to skin it here. I was like, okay, can I touch it? And I was like, well, yeah, you can touch it. I don't care.

So she goes down to touch it. And she, like, just points, like, barely taps. And she goes, oh, it's soft. And I was like, yeah, it's feathers. And she goes, she, she, like, she, like, well, this is weird. Why is it bigger than I thought it would be? Wow, she had a lot of questions. Oh, she had so many questions.

She was talking about, well, do you want a picture? She goes, I'm not touching it again. So I hold it on this side of her. She gets on this side of me and we take a picture with it. That's hilarious. She thought it was funny. She even stopped me a couple times when I went to go to the house. She goes, you had another turkey?

And I'm like, no, no more turkeys are coming to the lawn this year. Yeah, you get a reputation quick, probably. Turkey girl on the lawn. Oh, yeah, turkey girl. It got spread very fast. Oh, man. Yeah. So, yeah, when I heard that, I was like, I was proud.

I was like, I was like, probably like your dad. I was like, yeah. Josh told me the story last, yeah, whenever he was like, this girl took the turkey to, like downtown fan bill and took a picture in the lawn. I was like, really? That's cool.

It was talked about for a while. It was really funny. Yeah. When Holly was telling me the story, I was just sitting there kind of with my mouth open, like, it was funny. Yeah. Yeah.

Well, so the theme of, I was going to talk about, Yeah, sometimes these themes kind of build themselves, but, like, safety. And Gary Newcomb, Gary Believer Newcomb, my dad, he, how'd you like the hot tips of safety in there? Oh, yeah, I did. They were legit. Hey, people, I, Gary Newcomb, a long time ago, told me not to use bright colored mouth calls. Back in the 80s and 90s, people would make red and blue mouth calls.

still do. They still do. Think about having this, if this was bright blue, and you had it in the corner of your mouth walking around the woods. I mean, just like your turkey, when it came up over the hill, first thing you saw, well, you saw it the tip of its fan, but a lot of times the first thing you see is its head. Right. And they're come up looking. Bright red or white or blue. And so, you know, a turkey hunter is automatically keying in on a bright, odd color, you know, when a turkey's coming. And so anyway, Gary Newcomb was always like, do not use a blue turkey call. And I actually told Jason Phelps, when we were designing these calls, I said, don't make them bright. Because they were making them charreuse and some of these colors.

And I was like, I don't even want charitruce. Yeah. Because it's just bright. And like somebody's, you know, got a bead on a shotgun thinking a turkey's coming. and you're walking and they just see something bright. I mean, I'd say it's not good. But Gary also taught me, he was like, don't wear a white t-shirt and have like, you know, a little... Because a couple times I did when I was a kid had a white shirt or something underneath camo.

He was like, nope, go change your shirt. And the other thing, now, people may have used to wore high water pants a little bit more than they do today. They're back in. But like, like, if you'd sit down by a tree and your purse, pants would kind of pull up and you were wearing like lower ankle boots or something, you'd see white socks. Yeah. And I mean, maybe that's a little paranoid, but Gary was like, nothing white, nothing bright.

Whenever I was taking a kid turkey in for the first time and he had like just a, like his pocket had like something white on it. Like he's a camo's t-shirt or camo shirt but had like white. I was like, you can't wear that. He's like, it's very little. Nobody's going to see it. I was like, no, you're not wearing any color. Just camo. Only camo.

Yeah. Like no color on your shirt. The turkey's sea. Turkey sea and other people will see it. That's not happening. Yeah. Yeah. And then so the Gary Farmer's story where they call the turkeys.

Now, okay, here's a behind the scenes thing that you wouldn't have known. It would have just made the turkey stories a little too heavy. Okay. Two episodes ago, we made a series called American Loggers. Okay. One of the best series we've done in probably six months. And on American Loggers, Cody Veline's told us about Frankie Dale.

Yeah. Okay. Frankie Dale was a logger, and they had some wild stories about Frankie Dale. Yeah. Okay. Frankie Dale got killed. Like, in the podcast, he tells me that Frankie Dale died. Right.

And I didn't know that. The Frank that is with Gary Farmer and their work in the turkey is Frankie Dale. No way. No way. Yes. Frankie Dale. So. Wow.

So two people on this podcast. Yeah. So Gary Farmer, before he tells the story, I'm sitting there with him. Yeah, I don't know this story. And he goes, yeah, I was with Frankie Dale. And he said, Frankie Dale died. And he told me the whole story of Frankie Dale dying. And then he tells me the story that you heard.

Wow. And I just didn't want to have to explain who Frank was and refer. But it was just a little too complicated. So I kind of trim that down. And so you hear him talking about Frank. Well, that was Frankie Dale. Wow, that's what the renders for. And Frank Dale, yeah.

And the more I learn about Frankie Dale, the more I wish I could do like a whole bear grease on this guy, Frankie Dale. We should definitely do that. They all just love the guy. Yeah. Pretty unique guy. But I love that story. Just the probability.

If you were a mathematician and not a... entomologists. You could tell us the statistical probability of two guys going out in the woods, working a turkey, shooting at the exact same time. I mean...

And he said he waited, to tell Frank that he shot too, didn't he? He didn't tell Frank that he shot until later. That's right. Those guys, I noticed that about Gary and that whole bunch of guys. Yeah.

If it would have been me, I would have been like, if Josh shot and claimed the turkey, I wouldn't have tried to fight him for the turkey, but I would have been like, I shot too. Yeah. Yeah. But Gary just was like quiet about it.

That's crazy. Just kind of like, and then later was like, I shot at the exact same time as you. That's wild. It is why that he didn't tell it right then. I would have like straight up to the same time. Like, I was crazy. Yeah, yeah, yeah.

I thought the same thing. Yeah. And then the story that Lake Pickle did down in Mississippi Sippy with James Quick. Those are always scary when somebody gets shot. And I'd say that was a pretty severe. Yeah. You hear a lot of, I mean, it's not great,

but you hear a lot of stories of guys getting shot. And thankfully, most of the time they're inconsequential. Getting shot turkey hunting? Yes. Is that what you mean? Okay. But there's something new into the equation that hasn't been here. before, but this guy must have been pretty close for him to get 200 pellets.

Yeah, that's a lot of them. Going through a jacket. He was shooting at him. And he was close. I mean, he had to have been like 20, 25 yards. And then it was interesting. And now, this was a long time ago. I think people would maybe, well, people would have had cell phones today.

Right. But like this guy runs up to the guy that's laid on the ground and says, oh, I've killed a man. And then just takes off running. Yeah. And the guy's like perfectly alive. Yeah. Bless his heart. I mean, I felt bad for him.

At least he went and got that, you know, at first I thought they were saying he ran off. I was all that he was saying he ran off and like just left him. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Yeah, that was, that was, I felt, I felt bad for the guy who shot him. Oh, well, you heard what I said. And I think it's, I think it's important for turkey hunters to be paranoid. Yeah. It's okay to be paranoid.

You know, yes. Not about getting. shot. Like, yeah, go ahead and be paranoid about getting shot so that you're conservative in the way that you communicate, or you're not conservative. You're conservative in the way you maneuver through the woods. And if you know somebody's over there, just like going way around or whatever. But I'm paranoid about shooting somebody. Yeah. I mean, when I carry a gun and I've taught my kids this their whole life. When you, man, I probably scared them to death when they were like nine years old and started carrying a gun. I mean, I vividly remember telling your son and my son, I'm going to get. You. I'm going to get a gun. I'm going to get. You. You. I'm going to get. give you this gun, and by me doing this, it could change your life. Yep. Because you now hold in your hand something that could kill a person. Yep. If you kill somebody, you cannot erase that.

I mean, like put the fear of God in them. Yeah. And I also heard that, and I do not like to hold guns. Yeah, yeah. I gave my kids that same lecture when they started driving, too. Yeah. Because it's the same thing. It is.

Last spring, Clay Newcomb and I collaborated with Jason Phelps at Phelps Game, calls and building each of our own favorite turkey diaphragms called prime cuts. Now, I'm going to tell you, I love mine because it's easy to use. I'm not going to go, I'm not going to win a turkey calling contest. It's just not going to happen. But when I run this call, I get the sounds that gobblers are looking for. I have a great turkey hunting track record. If you go listen to real turkeys out in the woods, they're not going to win calling

contests, right? That's who I listen to. I can make those sounds on my. I also hunt with Phelps's cut and I hunt with Clay's cut because they're all three great cuts. Check out prime cuts at Phelps game calls.com.

I think you'll be glad you did and you'll find out that the Steve Ronella cut is an easy to use cut for beginning callers who just want to start making good turkey noises and getting action. My dad was always like treat every gun like it's loaded. If it's not loaded, it is loaded, every gun's loaded, never even

like we're walking like just in right here. If a gun's like laying out here, if it was like pointing interruption, he'd be freaking out. He's got to be pointing away from everyone all the time. Yeah. Yep. That's good. Everything's always loaded. Yeah. Even if it's not loaded, everything's always loaded.

Yep. Yep. Yeah. Well, and then to the story that the guy had buckshot. Yeah, that's crazy that he didn't have it in first too. Well, he would have it in second. You know, I think it was so long ago, turkey loads probably were, maybe people just didn't know. I mean, that guy clearly, if he was using number seven birdshot and a buck shot,

The guy didn't know anything about turkey hunting. And just shooting at movement? Yeah. I mean, it probably was, I don't know when it was, but probably in the 70s or 80s is when it was. And guy probably just went out there, didn't know much about it. Gary Newcomb was in a camp one time when a guy got shot. We were at that camp. We were hunting.

But we were out hunting. That's right. I forgot about that. Yeah, we were actually. We were actually lost. Like when we, we. There's a couple stories about it. One time we got lost, okay?

Oh, is that the same story that River was telling you? Twice I've been lost, okay? And it always comes up about this time of year. No, we were 20 years ago, and we were hunting and probably being successful out there. And we came back to camp and they were like, boy, you guys aren't going to believe what happened. And, you know, somebody had, so there was a doctor with us, Dr. John Mescoe, who I know, I need to have on this podcast some for some reason i gotta get john mesco thought about it for years got to pull the trigger john mesco was in our camp and dad was there and guy got shot and knew that

dr mesco was camping oh okay so he drove and found our camp and he had like 17 pellets in his back and uh john told him to take his shirt off and john pulled out his pocket knife no way and and starts plucking pellets out of his back. Think, think, think, think. And the guy that shot him had seen the old, it was an older man, he had white hair. And he saw tough the white hair, thought it was a turkey head and shot.

Oh. Yeah. Yeah. And then most of the pellets, the pellets that were too deep to pluck out with a knife, John just said, don't even worry about him. Just.

Wow. I'm not even sure the guy, we'd have to get the story from John. Wow. I'm not, I don't even know if the guy went to the doctor. Oh my goodness. That's crazy. Yeah, that's a good, that's the next year's church.

Welcome to Polk County. Yeah. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. Yeah, we got to have John Mest go on here. Okay. So your story had some safety elements. Gary Farmer's story had safety elements. The getting shot had some safety stuff.

The other stories were so cool. I wish we could have had Zoe Kaywood. So the lady? Mm-hmm. that had the world turkey slam. Yeah, she seems very interesting. Yeah. Yeah.

You know that commercial with the most interesting man in the world? I think she might be the most interesting woman in the world. She sounded really. As far as hunting and outdoors is concerned. She wore a big turkey spur necklace. Yeah, she had a big necklace on. Yeah, she had beautiful amber beads with huge, probably inch and, what did she say, inch in 716th. Yeah.

Turkey spurs on them. Yeah, yeah. And she lives over here at War Eagle, which is like just east of town. But, yeah, I thought, yeah, that was cool. Yeah. So she shot at a turkey, and there was a bobcat coming in at the turkey, like, at the exact moment she shot. And, like, she probably peppered the bobcat when she killed the turkey. I heard that one.

With a flintlock. With a flint lock. Shotgun. Yeah. Her husband, her husband is, I think he's 94. and he spent his he spent years as a custom gunmaker but he builds um flintlocks trade guns and oh he's so he's building her guns he built and and there's a video too we may need to post it at some point but he has made her some incredibly beautiful ornate rifles that are just at and he hand forges

Not the flintlock mechanism, but all the work on the rest of the gun. He hand forges and, I mean, just an incredibly gifted man. And she said, when I met Charlie, his name is Charlie Kewood, I put up my cartridge guns. And she has only shot flintlock since then. Wow. That's cool. And she's killed a turkey world slam with a flint lock. Wow.

Yeah. That's really cool. Yeah, that is cool. Speaking of killing turkeys with non-traditional weapons. Okay. Lake Pickle, my, I kind of, I mean, you could debate, there could be a debate of who would be the mentor and who would be the mentee. He's like a son to you.

In Turkey, hunting, it could be a debate of, but I'd say Lake is kind of my mentor. Okay. Ish. Ish. Lake's listening now. Lake. Don't let it go to your head, Lake. Don't let it go to your head.

No. Lake is like a like a Jedi master turkey hunter. He and Jordan Blissett. Yep. Lake is so funny when it comes to people bow hunting turkeys or using four tens or using any weapon that is any sort of limitation.

He's just like, no. No. And he learned that from Will Primos. Just like quit the cute stuff. turkeys are made to be called up and killed. It's like, don't bo-hunt them. And part of having your own podcast is that you can divulge information about your friends that they tell you. To the world.

If they tell you stuff, if they tell you stuff, they just know that you're probably going to say it. They need to say off the record. If it's a private, if it's a secret. Lake and Brent and everybody, just say off the record. And I might not say it. Brent, turkey hunted with Lake last week. And Brent had a 4-10. And Blake was like, no.

It was a joke. And what happened? There was a turkey at like 50 yards that my dear friend Brent couldn't shoot because it's 410. Now why are you divulging everybody's dirty laundry? This is not really dirty laundry, okay? No, no, no. But like his philosophy is just like carried the best gun. And I say that in relation to the Flintlock.

And I kind of believe that. I don't, it's not like, it's unethical. It's not, it's not bad to use a bow or a flint, like that's not what I'm saying. When I call up a turkey, I just want it to come home with me. Yeah, right. Other animals. Yes, other animals.

You don't feel that way about everything. No, not at all. Like, I want to use a traditional bow for different things, and I'm okay with limiting myself in other ways. You think it's because turkeys are so scarce, like, it's so hard to get one. It's hard to find one. It's hard to... Yeah. And you think that's why it is? Yeah. It's hard. Yeah. I mean, really, like, turkeys around here are prize possessions. They are. And Lake is so good. He's given us a couple.

But it's... So it felt a little bit like feast... Now, wait a minute. Lake didn't give us a turkey, Misty. Because Clay had something to do with it. Because Clay couldn't get one. You had to get something. Well, I don't know. I think Lake actually did give us some extra turkeys that he did. Oh, you actually mean gave us turkey meat. Turkey meat is what I'm talking about. Yeah. turkey meat. This is the part I care about. I thought she was saying that when I went hunting with Lake, that he gave me. He presented.

With one knee bowed. That's about the way it happens. Clay closes his eyes and Lake just moves his shotgun and tells him one to pull the trigger. Exactly, exactly. But it's so, I mean, it's kind of like you've got just a little bit of turkey meat every year. Yeah. So it is around here, like a real special thing when it comes in. There's probably more turkeys up here than where you're from.

Oh, yeah. There's like really? Not hardly where I'm from. Really? Yeah. But it's all flatlands down there. Yeah. Row crop stuff.

The other day I was driving in the River Valley, part of Arkansas, and I was in a neighborhood, and there was a man outside in pajama pants, and there was a turkey in the middle of the road. I took a picture and sent it on the family. me thread, but you were, you were, I don't know if you saw it because of where you were. And this turkey and this man were having a standoff. The turkey was in the streets. And I mean, turkeys are pretty rare sightings. And this was downtown, you know, like in a, in a busy part of the, it's a small community, but still a busy part.

Surely it was a tame turkey. Was it a pet? Yeah, it was wondering. I don't know. It was to the man perceived as a violent turkey. And the man had like a broomstick or something. and the turkey would stand up and the man would go out there with his broomstick. What city was this in?

You can tell me. It was a Nama. It was a tame turkey. And the turkey would, when the man would hold up the broomstick, the turkey would hunker back down. And I tried to film it, but the man was in his pajamas. Wow. And I didn't want to, I didn't want to. How did I not hear about this?

Well, you were in the Arctic. I put it on the family thread, and I was like, hey, this is a bad video. You didn't send that to? Because you were worried about this guy and his pajamas. I mean, I did video. I put the video. It just wasn't high quality. The guy seemed to have a lot going on.

And he was very... And I came back around a second time to... Oh, wow, you did a... Oh, I did. Yeah. And I think that second time the guy was starting... Because the first time I was, like, real sensitive and didn't want to get... But I looked at my video...

It was running off a turkey with a broom. Well, he never ran it off. I was set and stuff... What color was it? It was a turkey. It was like black, like dark color. Yeah. Yeah, okay.

Just want to make sure it wasn't a white turkey. Yeah. Okay. No, I mean, it was a, it looked like it could have been. It looked like a wild turkey. It looked like, it could have been a domestic wild turkey. We used to have a bunch of wild turkeys here. They were violent.

I mean, when I saw what that man was doing and I was like, I know. They prayed on the weeds. It preyed on the week. Yeah. So, Holly, I got to tell you this. So we had like seven, we bought them, you know, from a. When they were babies. But they were sold as wild.

turkeys. They weren't wild, but they were the strain of wild turkeys. Albuquerque is mom. Yeah. And two of them ended up living for a long time. They were monsters. And they would prey on weakness. So if you... Really? Children. Children, old women, and people that limped. Or had cast on. Like there was, there was... I mean, that's how they lost their life. So the turkeys would see a car drive up and they would

strut up to the car. And if, like, a grown man and a kid got out of the car, they'd go straight to that kid. They would come across the yard. That's how I remember it is they would be, they had a little roost and when they had a little cage. And then they would see like, oh, this, we had, we had a neighbor that walked with a limp. And when they would see him get out of his car, they would just beeline over to him and just attack him. They were monsters. They were monsters.

They were monsters. They need to be shot. Yeah, that's right. That's why she went and hunted one down. Just saving that old man out there. I'll save him. Or the guy in his pajamas. Oh, wow.

Wow, I got to see this video now. I'll probably put it on Instagram. No way. No, it's not a high quality video. And we don't know that person. And he was petrified. The thing is, is that there was there for an event, and I went inside, I came out, and he was there. He's still fighting the turkey.

Yes. Wow. That's a standoff. And the turkey would go and drop down. The turkey was like semi. intimidated, but... Do you think he needed help? I did.

Should we go check on the guy? I tried to actually make contact with him, but that's what I'm saying. I felt like a lot was going on. And he, I could tell you didn't appreciate that... The spectator. The attention, yeah. Wow. That is something.

Wow. That would have been funny. Well, so, let's see, yeah, Zoke-K-Wood, and then Mike Chamberlain. Yep. His story. Turkey Doc. It was great to hear him. And then Andy Brown.

story. Andy Brown. I mean, what a guy. Storyteller laureate of Bear Grease. I mean, really, he, I actually was listening to it on fast speed, and I stopped it and rewound it and listened to it on slow speed, so I could hear about it. So Andy was the guy that told the story of him and his best buddy going hunting, walking way off the mountain, killing a turkey, and he thought his buddy shot way too far, and he shot

twice and the guy the punch line of the story was well I killed two and he said well watch you shoot they said I killed two

Andy Andy has probably had a turkey story on every episode of turkey stories and that story would have been like way down the list

right I mean when I first started going to Andy to get stories you know he kind of told me what in his mind would have been top tier stories yeah And usually, so I've been doing this long enough that you kind of know people that have stories and you'll go to them.

And I find that most really, even really good turkey hunters that are older, maybe have two or three, like, really great stories. Maybe they have a hundred stories of like calling up a turkey and killing it and it's a wonderful thing that happened, you know. Right. But maybe they just have a handful of stories of where something really unique happens. And, you know, you kind of get those stories from them and you call them back the next year and they're like, man, I mean, I killed turkey last year, but I mean, it just kind of just kind of came in and I killed it and not much to it. Man, you go to Andy Brown, I think probably been going to him now four or five years and he just keeps giving the stories. I've decided that it's less about him having an inordinate number of good stories as it is just him being a good storyteller. And a good laugher.

And a great... Every single... He builds the story, every single one. Just takes you by the hand right till the moment when he just... He barely got like his part, like the part that he wanted to say out

before he started dying laugh. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. That's... And that was a... That was a good story. Yeah. But... Well, we're going to do one more turkey stories episode.

And man, we hadn't even talked to Holly about trotlining. You were supposed to go trotlining today. Oh, yes. Well, I didn't get to go today, but I did the past two days. But when Josh invited you here, you were like, I'm on spring break. I'm like, oh, are you at the beach? Are you skiing?

She's like, no, I'm trotlining. Yeah. He called me. He was like, can you come next to her? I was like, um, I'm kind of. I'm going down South Arkansas, but I'll figure it. I'm going trot line, but I'll move it up some. So, yeah, we went down there.

I went down South Garden, like Gerd in Arkansas. And we were on the river. I had a family friend with us, and then his grandson, who I have since taken, I take him turkey hunting now. Okay. And we have a lot of interesting stories with him. But he is eaten up with all the hunting, and he's probably 13, I think. And we were down there, trotlining.

And we actually, on the first day, I don't really think I've ever been trotlining. I mean, this was probably one of my first couple times going, and if I did, I was younger. And so we were reeling them in. We got, like, three or four, like, smaller ones. And then we get to one, and Greg, the older guy, and he was like, oh, like, this is a big one. This is a big one. Like, you get on the front of the boat, you get ready. And so I'm like, do I do me in the netted or do me to pull the line?

And Harper's like, no, Holly, you net it. You net it because it's going to be more fun of net it. So Harper's up here pulling his line up, and he can't even hardly pull the line. And I'm like, oh, dear, this is a huge one. And he's, like, leaned over the boat. and I'm, like, scared that he's fixing to fall in the water. And so I'm like, oh, crap, he's fixing him fall over. And so I'm working now, I'm watching Harper instead of the fish.

And Greg's like, get the net down, get the net down. And I'm like, what? I didn't know what to do. So I'm, like, sitting here, like, trying to get the net under the fish. Well, I didn't get deep enough because the fish was so long. Oh, wow. And so it almost got off the hook. And I'm like, oh.

So we like scoop it as it's like barely even on, like, barely hung on the hook. Like, it had gotten the most the way off. Oh, wow. And we get it in the boat. And we get it in the boat. And we're like, wow, this is awesome. Like, it was like 27 or 28 pounds. It was awesome.

I was like, wow, this is so fun. What kind of cat? What kind of cat? Flathead. Flathead. A flathead cabbage. It was awesome. And we caught nine that run.

And then went the next day and we had more, our boat low as, our boat was so full the next day. We had three, he had his other daughter and her three kids. And they're all young, like under 10. Oh, wow. And so it got crazy that day. Yeah, I bet. Fish were getting off that day. We didn't get all of them that day.

Yeah. We got like three or four that day. And then went this. morning and I was reeling in or I was pulling up the last line and I was like it starts pulling me and I'm like oh we got one we got one and it ends up the we see the fin of the fish and it's like a big one

and it dies down our log and gets this help unhooked under a log so we didn't get that way that happened this morning oh wow you were pulling a big fish out of the water this morning this morning I was pulling it out and it got away from us but because we were trying to get around the boat was it a big flathead oh yeah we were trying to get everyone the boat switched around because we had all the kids at the front we needed

we needed Greg in the front not the kids to get this big one in and it ended up getting under the log before you get everybody switched around. Oh, man. Yeah, it was a lot of fun, a lot of fun. That's cool. That's cool. Yeah, the past two nights for dinner, we've had the fish that we caught. Nice.

So did they have a camp down there or something? Yes, they have a nice cabin out there. They have a new cattle out there. They have a whole cattle farm and everything. So you're on the Washhtaw River. Well, I don't know if that one was a Washdale, but it is right next to the Washington. Washthaw River's over there. Yeah, there's...

I've got to tell a story about Garden, Arkansas. As we close. As we close. Yeah. So I in high school had a friend in Gurdon, and I went down there a couple times and hunted with him and fished with him and frog gigged with him, okay? I made him at Boy State. Just went to Gurdon a couple of times. My freshman year at the University of Arkansas, well, I would have been a sophomore year because I went to tech first.

I was in this huge auditorium in one of the big class, I don't know where it was, University of Arkansas. and I'm, you know, I'm sitting looking this way, and I don't even know who's behind me. And I hear a guy talking right directly behind me. And I just overhear what he's saying. And he's not talking about anything that I could do anything about. But I just turned around and looked at him, and I said, you're from Gurdon, Arkansas, aren't you?

And he went, yeah? And he said, how do you know that? And I said, I could tell by the way you talk. Wow. Like his accent. Really? Yeah. What was it?

They're like true story. It's hard. It's hard. I don't know. I find, I mean, it's, there are different accents everywhere. I mean, you go from. Interesting. I would say the guy that, I'm talking about Greg that lives down there, I would say he does have an accent compared to most of the other people. Yeah.

Yeah. I don't know what. It might have been, I'd just been down there and heard my buddy, you know, just been in that community. And it was different. enough from where I grew up that I just, my ear caught it. And I didn't even, I didn't ask him. It was, I just turned around and I said, you're from Gurdon, Arkansas, aren't you? And he was like, yeah? How can you tell? I can just tell by the way you talk. Well, that's great. And that's the last time I heard of that guy. Did you ask him his name or anything else? I mean, I probably did.

I don't remember. That's all I remember is that I just called him out and he was like really surprised, You know, this is before social media and stuff. And what's the social media? Yikak. This is before yikak. It's way before yikak is a weird thing. Well, Holly, it's so nice to meet you. Thank you for telling your story.

It was awesome. I'm so happy to be here. Go gather up another story and you can come back. There's plenty of stories. Yes, I'm excited for the boots. I'm so excited. Is there anything else that we needed to talk about? I think we covered it all.

Holly, anything you need to tell the world? No. Any more shout-outs? You need to shout out your dad. You need to shout out your dad. He told me everything, obviously. Yeah, I could tell. I could tell you.

Trevor needs a shout-out. Our family friend, Paul. He's like telling me all the other hunting minus turkey. Okay. All of them. Shout out to Paul. Shout out to. Shout out to cousin Trevor.

And dad. And Greg. And that's it. I'm though for. And Greg. All right. All right. All right.

Well, it's Turkey Week at Meat Eater. Go get you some Phelps game calls. Man, the dad. the dead gum first light turkey line is good. They've got new dark water in first light. That's what I'm going to be going to be wearing. It's good, man. Got a new first light turkey vest too.

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