The Spring Legion Podcast

Latest Episodes:

A Mississippi Turkey Opener for the Ages - Hunting Gobblers in the Pine Straw Jungle Mar 15, 2026

Show notes

Opening weekend doesn’t ease you back into turkey season. It shoves you in. We roll into the 2026 Mississippi spring turkey season with pollen in the air, gear scattered from the offseason, and that familiar feeling that we’re already behind the sunrise. Then the woods remind us why we do this: one gobble and suddenly every step and every yelp matters again.
We break down a “pine straw jungle” hunt in thick Southern pines where sound gets muffled, gobblers can drum forever without showing themselves, and a bird can go from nowhere to 15 yards in a blink. We talk about when to stay quiet, when to give a louder hen calls, and how small details like sunlight on your gun barrel or a hidden logging road can decide the whole setup. If you’ve searched for turkey calling tips, drumming distance, or how to set up on a pressured longbeard, this one is packed with real-world context.
We also get into the public land side of opening weekend: crowded pull-offs, the value of a quick conversation to keep everyone safe, and how fast pressure changes turkey behavior. We finish with the season’s bigger themes, from hunting with family to the superstition and humility that come with chasing birds that feel “nine years old” by day two.
If you like these honest turkey hunting stories and practical strategy talk, subscribe to the Spring Legion Podcast, share this with a hunting buddy, and leave a review so more turkey hunters can find it.

LINK: Save 10% on your next North Mountain Gear Leafy Jacket with code LEGION26 at northmountaingear.com
LINK: SAVE 10% on the new 2026 Line of Turkey Hunting Gear at springlegion.com with code POD10

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Turkey Season Preview: Our Top 5 Goals for Spring 2026 Mar 09, 2026

Show notes

March flips the switch. The maps come out, trucks get loaded, and our heads fill with plans, spots, and what-ifs. We press pause on the chaos to share the five principles that keep our turkey season rooted: faith first, people over tallies, mobility with purpose, a learner’s mindset, and the courage to slow down when spring tries to speed you up.
We start with practical updates—fresh gear, reworked bundles, a free-shipping fix, and a POD10 code—then step into the mental game that makes or breaks a season. We talk about walking closer to Christ in the woods, choosing to hunt with more friends and family, and honoring those unwritten public-land rules that hold our community together. We dig into how to find a truly “killable” turkey, why it’s okay to bail on a stubborn bird, and how having plans B through E turns pressure into options rather than anxiety.
Curiosity drives the rest. We’re journaling weather and behavior to spot real patterns, not myths. We’re pushing our comfort zones, exploring new ground we’ve driven past for years, and admitting when filming helps or hurts the hunt. There’s a bigger balance here too—bringing a fly rod for roadside water, grabbing a diner breakfast, or letting the family tag along so the trip becomes more than a tally. Above all, we protect one nonnegotiable: our livelihood won’t depend on killing a turkey, because guarding the resource, the heritage, and that first gobble’s thrill matters more than any number.
If you’re ready for a season that’s more intentional, more present, and more fun, tap play. Grab the code POD10, check the bundles, and tell us: what principle will guide your spring? Subscribe, share with a friend, and leave a review to help more hunters find the show.

Sleazy of Pinhoti Project | Old-School Turkey Hunting and Most Memorable Hunt Mar 02, 2026

Show notes

We sit down with Eric “Sleazy” Warlick of The Pinhoti Project to trace his path from a young turkey hunter in North Carolina to a 49-state Super Slam, built on old-school mentors, truck camping, and a working man’s calendar. Along the way we talk family hunts, small travel hacks, and the kind of luck you earn in the turkey woods.
• origin of the “Sleazy” nickname
• first turkey seasons in North Carolina and early mentors
• the moment those hooks set on a young Sleazy
• learning without internet, tapes and magazines
• completing the 49-state Super Slam without rigid plans
• balancing a full-time upholstery job with travel
• truck-camping setups, cold-night tricks, simple meals
• superstitions, lucky camo, and minimalist gear
• favorite hunts, first birds, and family milestones
• safety on the road and in the woods
Be sure to like, follow, and subscribe to the podcast! There's plenty in store for spring turkey season 2026!

Road Trip Hunting Tips with "Curl" from The Hunting Public / Turkey Van Tour Feb 22, 2026

Show notes

Today, Chase sits down with Roy "Curl" Holdford to unpack all that he's learned in his lengthy turkey hunting travels, and how a leap of faith reshaped his seasons, his budget, and his career—from a THP internship to a full-time role at Outdoor Life.
We get into the nuts and bolts of a roaming spring: why a two-wheel-drive Transit can be enough, how 33 mpg changes what states you can afford to hunt, and the evolution from plastic drawers and a sleeping pad to a solar-powered build with water, AC, and an inverter.

Curl explains where he sleeps—legally at gates when possible—and how a simple “turkey hunting, be right back” note has saved him from tow trucks and worried sheriffs. If you’ve wondered how to balance comfort, cost, and speed, this is a blueprint.
Food fuels the miles. Curl shares the mix that keeps him steady: calorie-dense bars and yogurt for fast mornings, fruit that won’t mash, and batch-cooked rice and veggies tossed on a Blackstone after dark. We talk pre–April 15 routing through Florida, Mississippi, Texas, and beyond, then pivot to why short camps with friends multiply scouting, sharpen reads on terrain, and lead to more gobbles.

We also tackle permission etiquette—only knocking when patterns are clear, treating ground with respect, and avoiding the mistakes that close gates for everyone.
Curl’s media path threads through it all: grinding a slow deer year with THP, stacking reps in the field, freelancing for brands, and packing into backcountry hunts to film elk and even moose. The takeaway is a mindset: either tag a bird or learn something that gets you closer tomorrow. If you’re planning a long road trip or multi-day swing this turkey season, you’ll leave with practical steps and a lighter pack.
Enjoy the conversation, then subscribe, share with a hunting buddy, and leave a quick review so more folks find the show. Where will the road take you this spring?

Inside 21 South: Cameras, Travel, and Turkey Hunting Passion Feb 16, 2026

Show notes

We sit down with Toby Dean Smith and Taylor Boland from Mississippi's 21 South crew at this week's NWTF Convention and Sports Show to talk filming turkeys with discipline, long road trips, and building a vest that fits the most active of turkey hunters. We trade hard-won lessons on gear, scouting, food on the road, and why community beats competition.
• filming tips for clean turkey hunts
• mirrorless vs handycam trade-offs in the field
• building an athletic, run and gun style turkey vest
• big-lens stories and first filming mistakes
• long-haul travel, truck sleep, and cheap hotels
• fast food vs local diners on the road
• 2026 spring plans across multiple states
• adapting scouting when maps and acorns lie
• deer and turkey behavior in a heavy acorn year
• community over competition across brands
New: Spring Legion YouTube Turkey Hunts every Tuesday at 6:00 PM CST

BONUS Episode: Untold Turkey Stories from Seasons Past Feb 11, 2026

Show notes

We stack booth 607 with spring bundles, then shift into pure story mode with Seals: a youth hunt that ends in laughter, all-day chess with a Kansas gobbler, a heavy Missouri bird, and quiet lessons from boss hens and foggy Florida mornings. The thread is simple—stay patient, hunt the bird in front of you, and let the woods set the pace.
• NWTF week setup at the Gaylord and booth 607
• $250 spring bundles and surprise giveaways for Spring Legion gear
• Youth hunt chaos and a strutter at the pines
• Kansas grind with a 4:01 a.m. sit and payoff
• Illinois hardwoods, Missouri double, and travel timing
• Shotcams, misses, and carrying the memory
• Ant-bed crawl and the discipline to stay silent
• Florida fog, drumming, and waiting 40 minutes post-shot
• One soft-spoken boss hen pulling a gobbler from the limb
• Counting down to March and planning new hunts
Come by the Spring Legion booth 607, talk turkey, and grab your $250 bundle while supplies last

How Variety In Turkey Calls Changes The Hunt Feb 08, 2026

Show notes

We load for Nashville, share where to find us at NWTF, and dig into why call variety matters more than pride when birds get tight-lipped. From terrain-based call swaps to landmark setups, we explain the small shifts that turn silence into gobbles.
• core call kit and when to expand it
• terrain, range and weather shaping call choice
• comfort versus novelty in calling
• letting a buddy call to trigger a response
• hunting landmarks to make movement intuitive
• timing progressions and saving calls for roost work
• gear updates, vest fit notes and checkout flow
• feedback that guides future products

• booth location, crew roll call, freebies and show specials
• unannounced online deals during show days
• live Q&A plans across socials

“Come see us at booth 607 this week in Nashville, and wear your Spring Legion gear to the convention for free perks and discounts”

Listening For Turkeys: Pre-season vs Hunting - When, How, and Where to Scout with Your Ears Feb 01, 2026

Show notes

The first gobble of the year flips a switch. We dive into the craft of listening for turkeys—how we build efficient morning routes from the road, pick vantage points near water and open ground, and use sound to sketch a map long before we ever touch a call. If February is the month of anticipation, this is how we turn that energy into practical intel that pays off on opening day.
We get specific about timing and terrain: why arriving an hour earlier reveals the true start of the dawn chorus, how to triangulate a gobble without walking into it, and when to trust your ears over the map’s magnetic pull toward a distant creek. We talk public versus private approaches, the false promise of winter flocks, and why restraint—less calling, more reading—often brings a gobbler to 30 yards faster than hammering on a box. We also share lighting and safety habits that keep you quiet and invisible, plus when a restrained owl or crow call earns its keep.
For hunters with limited days, roosting can be the difference between wandering and winning. We explain how to pin an evening bird, set a safe approach, and let terrain do half the talking at fly-down. You’ll hear stories of early-morning shockers, late fly-down puzzles, and the setups that worked because we waited for the bird to make the first mistake. Along the way, we preview our NWTF Convention plans, new Spring Legion gear, and weekly YouTube hunts that show the real process—missteps, adjustments, and the moments where one well-timed call changes everything.
Subscribe, share with a buddy who’s already hooting in the truck, and leave a quick review with your best listening tip. Then tell us: where do you start your first February loop—and what made you pick it?

Successful Turkey Hunt Setups: The Good, Bad, and Ugly Jan 25, 2026

Show notes

We return to the original studio and lay out a field-tested guide to turkey setups, from the pretty spots that fail to the ugly positions that kill. We share how to read gobbles, time your moves, and build options with terrain, shade, and smart angles.
• gear updates, NWTF booth location, and a YouTube giveaway
• why open “stage” setups make birds hang up
• the power of backdrops and concealment in shade
• when decoys solve curiosity too soon
• reading hot birds vs courtesy gobbles
• moving on a gobble, wind, and shadow cover
• using barriers, blowdowns, and creek banks
• elevation choices that make a bird step-and-look
• partner safety, communication, and 360-degree options
• ugly, uncomfortable setups that create clean kills
• accepting failure as part of learning
Wear Spring Legion apparel to the NWTF Convention in Nashville and swing by our booth. When you get to checkout, we’ll give you some free gloves, mask, or something of that nature.

Scouting and Finding Turkeys: E-Scouting to Boots on the Ground Jan 19, 2026

Show notes

From scouting topo maps to a few secret spots for finding fresh turkey tracks, we focus on how to actually find spring turkeys—starting at water-shaped roost sites, moving through midday strut zones, and using sign the right way—while sharing honest lessons from our past wins and dry spells. We also talk Mississippi’s new turkey stamp, our YouTube plans, and listener-requested scouting tactics.
• why water, elevation and comfort drive roost choice
• how to efficiently combine e-scouting with boots on the ground
• benches, strut zones and midday movement patterns
• reading scratching, tracks and dust bowls with freshness in mind
• food and bugs in bottoms, cow pasture advantages
• wind, rain and heat shaping daily locations
• hens nesting vs setting, the agenda and late-season shifts
• shrinking the map at hand by ruling out where turkeys are NOT
Use code Pod 10 for 10% off at springleasure.com

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