517 - Hunting Osceola Turkeys from 2025 Unicoi Callmakers Show

The South Carolina Super Slam with Bubba RossIn this week's episode, Andy and Cameron have Bubba Ross on the show to chat about his amazing accomplishment of killing a wild turkey in every county in the state of South Carolina. Bubba is the only person to achieve this feat, and to complete it without assistance. Bubba Ross shared insights into his hunting strategy, the importance of gaining access to private land, and his preference for morning hunts, as well as the patience required for turkey hunting. Bubba Ross and Andy Gagliano also discussed the difficulties of hunting in all counties of a state compared to the "super slam" across different states. And, Bubba offered some advice for aspiring hunters based on their unique experiences.This is a very interesting episode. Listen in!Buy some merch and great sounding The Turkey Hunter diaphragm turkey calls from our Shopify store by clicking here: https://theturkeyhunterpodcast.myshopify.com/Join our Patreon group and get additional content, discounts on merch, and other great perks by clicking here: https://www.patreon.com/TheTurkeyHunterPodcast80

To All the Turkeys I've Missed BeforeAndy Gagliano and Cameron Weddington, discuss their recent turkey hunting misses and some of the factors they believe contributed to them.Cameron shares details about his single miss from the past year, attributing it to a "stupid" rushed shot and offering insights into how he improved his shooting, including patterning different shells and switching back to open sights. Andy recounts two misses, one from a Texas hunt in challenging weather and another from his home state, speculating on potential causes like different ammunition or a turkey's unexpected mid-flight maneuver. They also express gratitude to their listeners for donations to the NWTF (National Wild Turkey Federation) and TFT (Texas Freshwater Fisheries Center) from a raffle, highlighting the significant impact these funds have on wild turkey research and habitat management.Buy some merch and great sounding The Turkey Hunter diaphragm turkey calls from our Shopify store by clicking here: https://theturkeyhunterpodcast.myshopify.com/Join our Patreon group and get additional content, discounts on merch, and other great perks by clicking here: https://www.patreon.com/TheTurkeyHunterPodcast80

Are There Really Fewer Turkey HuntersWe hunters hear it all the time, "Hunter numbers are declining." But, are hunter numbers really declining? Are the number of turkey hunters declining as well?This week, Andy Gagliano and Cameron Weddington host Dr. Will Gulsby and Dr. Marcus Lashley to discuss hunter recruitment trends, particularly for turkey hunting. Marcus Lashley presented research indicating an aging turkey hunter demographic and scrutiny of national survey data suggesting a decline in hunter numbers, while state-level data presented by Cameron Weddington showed increases in many states.Listen in! Click here to view the spreadsheet containing all of Cameron and Andy's stats used in the show.Click here to view the episode on YouTube.Buy some merch and great sounding The Turkey Hunter diaphragm turkey calls from our Shopify store by clicking here: https://theturkeyhunterpodcast.myshopify.com/Join our Patreon group and get additional content, discounts on merch, and other great perks by clicking here: https://www.patreon.com/TheTurkeyHunterPodcast80

How Harvest Statistics are Calculated with Roger ShieldsThis week, Wild Turkey Coordinator for the state of Tennessee, Roger Shields, joins Cameron and Andy on the show.They discussed Tennessee's wild turkey population, including concerns about rainfall impacting hatch success, the value of citizen and staff observation data, and trends in brood surveys. Roger provided insights into harvest management, the results of banding studies indicating sustainable harvest rates, and the methods for gathering harvest and hunter effort data, emphasizing the importance of CPUE. Roger also addressed the process of setting regulations and the considerations beyond biological data that influence the commission's decisions.

Hit the Ground Running - A Turkey HuntSummaryAndy Gagliano and Cameron Weddington discussed Cameron Weddington's challenges with their new chicken flock due to mycoplasma and its potential implications for wild turkey populations, referencing anecdotal evidence and a Canadian study finding mycoplasma in wild turkeys. Cameron Weddington then recounted a difficult three-day turkey hunt in a new state, detailing a tense encounter with two gobblers on a steep cliff that ultimately led to a successful shot after a strategic and risky maneuver. The hosts, Andy Gagliano and Cameron Weddington, also looked forward to a New Zealand turkey hunt and shared listener predator stories.DetailsPodcast Introduction and Personal Updates Andy Gagliano and Cameron Weddington began the Turkey Hunter Podcast episode 520 by discussing personal happenings. Andy Gagliano joked about opening chipmunk season at their house, while Cameron Weddington shared the story of their new flock of chickens after a disastrous first attempt involving a disease called mycoplasma(00:00:00).Cameron's Chicken Misfortunes and Mycoplasma Cameron Weddington recounted the unfortunate demise of their original nine chickens due to predators and ultimately, the introduction of four new chickens carrying mycoplasma, which wiped out the entire flock (00:00:00). They described the rapid spread and severity of mycoplasma, even in asymptomatic carriers, and the lengths they went to disinfect the area to protect local wild turkeys (00:01:34) (00:04:44).Potential Impact of Chicken Farming on Wild Turkeys Cameron Weddington reflected on how their experience with mycoplasma made them consider the potential impact of large-scale chicken farming and the spreading of chicken litter on wild turkey populations, especially given the prevalence of diseases in domestic poultry (00:03:39). Andy Gagliano concurred, noting that turkey populations in areas with significant chicken farming often seem lower. They referenced a discussion at a turkey convention where definitive evidence was lacking but anecdotal evidence suggested a negative correlation (00:05:43).Mycoplasma Research and Turkey Hunting Season Status Cameron Weddington shared findings from a Canadian study in Ontario that detected mycoplasma in a significant percentage of hunter-harvested wild turkeys. They also mentioned an article on the NWTF website discussing mycoplasma as a viral disease found in wild turkey flocks. With spring turkey season concluded in all US states, except possibly Michigan which ended on June 7th, the hosts transitioned to a story about a past turkey hunt (<a...

Summer Turkey Soup Andy and Cameron discuss concerns about a potentially poor turkey hatch in the Southeast due to rain, the impact of weather on past turkey seasons, and the resilience of turkey populations. They also highlighted the importance of turkey observation surveys and the increasing restrictions and pressure on public land hunting access, referencing Oklahoma's new regulations. They also examined trends in turkey harvest numbers, changes in fall hunting regulations in states like New Jersey and Michigan, unusual coyote behavior during turkey season, predation on turkeys, Mississippi's new wild turkey stamp, hunting accidents and safety, proposed changes to Arkansas' turkey hunting zones and penalties, and the need to understand the drivers behind high harvest numbers. The favor of the week this week is to share predator stories from this spring's turkey season with Cameron and Andy.  Listen in! Buy some merch and great sounding The Turkey Hunter diaphragm turkey calls from our Shopify store by clicking here: https://theturkeyhunterpodcast.myshopify.com/ Join our Patreon group and get additional content, discounts on merch, and other great perks by clicking here: https://www.patreon.com/TheTurkeyHunterPodcast80

Hunting Pressured Turkeys with Darrin Dawkins Andy Gagliano and Cameron introduced Darrin Dawkins, who discussed hunting pressured turkeys, noting increased hunter pressure as a key factor impacting turkey behavior. Darrin Dawkins shared his experiences and observations on changes in South Carolina hunting regulations, the importance of hen imitation and using varied calls like trumpet calls, and aggressive hunting strategies for pressured birds, while Cameron and Darrin contributed insights on regulation changes, hunter behavior, and turkey population trends. Darrin shares some incredible turkey hunting tactics. They also touched on the influence of social media on hunting and the call-making philosophy of Darrin Dawkins. If you would like to purchase a call from Darrin, please reach out to him at 803-230-3085. The best way to purchase a call from Darrin is to stop by his booth at Unicoi in Georgia in January of 2026. Listen in! Buy some merch and great sounding The Turkey Hunter diaphragm turkey calls from our Shopify store by clicking here: https://theturkeyhunterpodcast.myshopify.com/ Join our Patreon group and get additional content, discounts on merch, and other great perks by clicking here: https://www.patreon.com/TheTurkeyHunterPodcast80

Hunting Pressured Turkeys with Darrin Dawkins Andy Gagliano and Cameron introduced Darrin Dawkins, who discussed hunting pressured turkeys, noting increased hunter pressure as a key factor impacting turkey behavior. Darrin Dawkins shared his experiences and observations on changes in South Carolina hunting regulations, the importance of hen imitation and using varied calls like trumpet calls, and aggressive hunting strategies for pressured birds, while Cameron and Darrin contributed insights on regulation changes, hunter behavior, and turkey population trends. Darrin shares some incredible turkey hunting tactics. They also touched on the influence of social media on hunting and the call-making philosophy of Darrin Dawkins. If you would like to purchase a call from Darrin, please reach out to him at 803-230-3085. The best way to purchase a call from Darrin is to stop by his booth at Unicoi in Georgia in January of 2026. Listen in! Buy some merch and great sounding The Turkey Hunter diaphragm turkey calls from our Shopify store by clicking here: https://theturkeyhunterpodcast.myshopify.com/ Join our Patreon group and get additional content, discounts on merch, and other great perks by clicking here: https://www.patreon.com/TheTurkeyHunterPodcast80

Hunting Osceola Turkeys from 2025 Unicoi Callmakers Show This week, Cameron and Andy play the Hunting Osceola Turkeys roundtable discussion from the 2025 Unicoi Custom Callmakers Show that was held in January in Helen, Georgia. The panel for the roundtable includes Darrin Dawkins, Lon Trice, Larry Stephens, Lamar Williams, and Mark Prudhomme. The panel discusses differences in Eastern and Osceola turkeys and the differences in hunting them as well.  This is a great discussion, and one that even experienced turkey hunters can pick up some helpful hints by listening to. Listen in! Buy some merch and great sounding The Turkey Hunter diaphragm turkey calls from our Shopify store by clicking here: https://theturkeyhunterpodcast.myshopify.com/ Join our Patreon group and get additional content, discounts on merch, and other great perks by clicking here: https://www.patreon.com/TheTurkeyHunterPodcast80

2025 Mid Season Update Cameron and Andy are back after some unscheduled time off from the podcast. In this episode they explain what has been happening in their worlds that has kept them from posting shows regularly this spring and they share updates about their seasons. Andy's spring season is over now, and Cameron is squeezing in one last hunting trip for the spring. But, what happened between preseason and now? Listen in and find out. Buy some merch and great sounding The Turkey Hunter diaphragm turkey calls from our Shopify store by clicking here: https://theturkeyhunterpodcast.myshopify.com/ Join our Patreon group and get additional content, discounts on merch, and other great perks by clicking here: https://www.patreon.com/TheTurkeyHunterPodcast80