Easterns are the most widely distributed subspecies of the American wild turkey and primarily are found east of the Mississippi River. They are also the most abundant. In fact, you can find them in 38 states and numerous Canadian provinces. Known for their chestnut-brown tip, strong gobbles and longer beards, these birds draw countless hunters to the turkey woods each spring.  To cover many of the things that make this subspecies special, we welcome guests Spring Legion's Hunter Farrior, NWTF Editor Matt Stewart and the wild turkey doc himself, Dr. Michael Chamberlain.

Renowned outdoor writer and Wisconsin-native Brian Lovett received the NWTF's Tom Kelly Communicator of the Year Award at the recent 2025 Convention and Sport Show in Nashville, Tennessee for his ability to share the message of the NWTF’s efforts nationwide.  While chasing turkeys in South Florida, the NWTF's Pete Muller sat down with Lovett to talk about a Lovett's career as an outdoor communicator, the changes that have come to the world of turkey hunting, what aspiring outdoor enthusiasts could do to follow in his steps, the continuing role of communicators to save the sport of hunting and so much more!

In this episode, the NWTF's Paul Campbell sits down with renowned wild turkey biologist Dr. Mike Chamberlain to dive deep into one of the most fascinating developments in modern turkey research — the wildturkeyDNA project. They explore how a casual Super Bowl Sunday conversation sparked a groundbreaking initiative to uncover the origins of odd plumage in wild turkeys and what it could mean for conservation. Dr. Chamberlain breaks down how turkey hunters can contribute to this innovative study, what the team hopes to learn about color variations, hybridization and genetic diversity, and why these findings could help shape the future of wild turkey populations across North America. The two also share some entertaining hunting stories, discuss the influence of legendary biologist Lovett Williams, and talk about the launch of the new 'Spurred' video series coming from Wild Turkey Lab. If you've ever seen a turkey that looked just a little "off," this episode will have you rethinking what might really be behind those feathers. And if you're a turkey hunter, this is your chance to be part of the science. Learn more or get involved: wildturkeyDNA.com  Follow on Instagram: @WildTurkeyDNA

In the lower 48, spring wild turkey seasons begin in early March with the opening of the south Florida zones allowing hunters to chase the Osceola wild turkey.  The dark-winged beauties are one of the five subspecies of the American wild turkey and they occupy the states swamps, pastures, orange groves, oak hammocks and more,. They are a highly desired bird by turkey hunters as they are limited in range and the harvest could mark a completed wild turkey grand slam.  Today, we are joined by Mike Tussey and Bo Meador to talk about the birds, the landscapes they inhabit, the challenges they face and things hunters should consider if they chose to head to Florida to chase these birds. 

Robin Clark of Virginia & Dan Ferraro of Arizona are NWTF award recipients for helping people with disabilities discover or re-discover their passion for the outdoors.   From hunting spring gobblers in Virginia to hunting javelina and doves in the deserts of Arizona, these two gentlemen have gone above and beyond what it means to be a mentor, live the mission of the NWTF and embody what it means to be a nation united by the life-changing power of the outdoors.   Amongst the hustle and bustle of the 2025 NWTF convention, we sat down with Robin, Dan and  NWTF Arizona State Chapter President Roy Crain to discuss the facets of being a disabled hunter in the 21st century. From gear choices, access issues, regulatory issues, how to get involved, how to recruit new hunters with disabilites and more, this is sure to be an entertaining episode. Enjoy!

Renowned conservationist and outdoorsman, Will Primos, recently announced a partnership with the National Wild Turkey Federation, Congressional Sportsmen's Foundation, Ducks Unlimited, Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation, and Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever to bring awareness to what conservation is and the role sportsmen and women play through the 'Truth About Conservation.' During the NWTF's Convention and Sport Show, Paul Campbell sat down with Primos to talk about his 'first hunting love,' the roots of the Truth Series, the upcoming auction of the Purdey hammer shotguns and more. Learn more about the Truth About Conservation.

In 2013, John Wallace launched his Wild Game Cook Instagram page as a way to provide everyday outdoorsmen and women with ideas for easy-to-make meals using wild game meat. Nearly 10 years later, he has taken this passion for food and education about wild game cooking, processing and more and made it a full-time gig. At SHOT Show 2025, we sat down with Wallace to chat about raising kids to appreciate wild game, easy wild game recipes for wild turkey legs, the necessity of simplicity in cooking wild game, the role wild game cooking on social media can play in the fight to ensure the future of our hunting heritage and more! To learn more about Wallace's and Wild Game Cook, visit https://wildgamecook.com.

Foster Bartholow, of Rapid City, South Dakota, is an accomplished trap shooter, an avid outdoor enthusiast and also is a talented videographer and photographer. When not spending his time dedicated to any of these pursuits, he also enjoys helping others with shooting techniques and getting kids into hunting. ​At SHOT Show, we sat down to talk about some of the new offerings from Browning and Winchester, which are sponsors of Bartholow's. And, we talk about the shared love of chasing Merriam's turkeys in the Black Hills. Learn more about Bartholow by visiting www.trapshootingbros.com/.

During the 2025 SHOT Show in Las Vegas, we had a chance to sit down with Cody Gill and From Field to Plate chef Jeremiah Doughty to talk food, getting new people involved in the life-changing power of the outdoors and much more! Doughty is known for his recipes and food photography found on his social outlets, as well as Turkey Call magazine. And, Gill is involved with the NWTF mission through his local chapter, but also dedicates his time to getting people outdoors through his project "West Texas Outfitters."

The National Wild Turkey Federation Convention and Sport Show is a celebration of a year of successes in delivering on the mission and bringing people together through the life-changing power of the outdoors. And, this year will be bigger than the last with new events and chances to win, a bigger Sport Show with more vendors and experiences, and more ways to honor and celebrate NWTF volunteers leading the way in their communities.   Join in as the NWTF's Paul Campbell, Pete Muller, Barry Woods and Jesse Warner sit down to talk about a host of events, things that are new for 2025, honoring the NWTF's most dedicated volunteers and supporters, auctions an raffles, and countless other ways to experience the mission of the NWTF.