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The Secret Sauce series keeps rolling and in this one I’m visiting with Dean “Redbeard” Mundhenke of Mad Hatter Calls. Dean is a call maker, turkey hunter and one of the most thoughtful minds I’ve ever been around in the turkey woods.  You may recognize him from The Disease, a documentary that perfectly captures the obsession, sacrifice and pull that turkey hunting has on those of us who live for spring mornings.

As part of the Secret Sauce series, I asked Dean the same 20 questions I’m asking some of the best turkey hunters in the country. Same questions. Completely different perspective. If The Disease resonated with you, this conversation will too.

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This week we’re bringing back one of my favorite things we do on Fist Full of Dirt .. The Secret Sauce. I ask the same 20 questions to four of the best turkey hunters on the planet. Different regions. Different styles. Different backgrounds. Same questions. 

We’re kicking this series off with a legend. Ernie Calandrelli has spent more than 40 years in the turkey woods. He’s a Hall of Fame turkey caller, a master of the wing bone call and for 35 years he helped shape the turkey hunting world as the Public Relations and Pro Staff Director for Quaker Boy Game Calls. Ernie’s forgotten more about turkey hunting than most of us will ever know .. and he’s sharing it in the camo cave. Y’all don’t want to miss this one. 

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Every year before a single gobbler sounds off, I like to visit with someone who truly understands turkeys and the people who chase them. For me, that’s Dave Owens of The Pinhoti Project. Dave is a champion turkey caller, a teacher at heart and one of the most respected voices in turkey hunting today. Through his videos, storytelling and honesty.. he’s helped countless hunters become better in the woods. This episode has become a bit of a tradition around here. Y’all settle in..  spring is coming. 

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Hard to believe it’s been 50 years, because I remember when this all started.

This week I’m visiting with Chris Kirby of Quaker Boy, a turkey calling champion, Hall of Famer and the man now carrying the torch for a company built by his father Dick Kirby. We talk about honoring his dad and what it means to follow something you were truly *called* to do. From competition stages to call-making benches to spring mornings in the woods, this episode is about legacy and staying true to your roots while leading the next chapter.

If you appreciate the stories behind the brands that shaped turkey hunting, you gotta hear this one.

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This week on Fist Full of Dirt, I sit down with Jared Lewis, one of the cofounders of Apex Ammunition, and Boomer Brown, to talk about turkey loads, tungsten shot and why Apex has earned the trust of so many serious turkey hunters.

We get into how Apex got started, what separates tungsten from traditional shot and how current tariffs are affecting the cost and availability of ammo. I learned a lot from this discussion, and I think any turkey hunter who cares about doing things right (and being prepared for what’s ahead) will too.

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Colonel Tom Kelly never set out to write a classic. He set out to tell honest stories about the turkey woods, the people in them and the moments that stay with you long after the season ends. This week we’re joined by Kelly’s daughter, Laura Bates, for a conversation about the man behind the words and the unlikely path of Tenth Legion… a book that began as a self-published, (and later bootlegged) favorite passed hand to hand among hunters and became one of the most influential works in turkey hunting literature.

Laura shares what it was like growing up alongside her father’s writing life, the humor and humility that shaped his work. We also talk about the upcoming Bootleg Revival Edition of Tenth Legion, why it’s a faithful recreation rather than a modern reprint, and what it means to carry these stories forward for the next generation.

To Connect with Laura or Colonel Tom Kelly please visit : 

https://tomkellyinc.com/

https://www.facebook.com/tom.kelly.18847?mibextid=wwXIfr

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This week’s episode wasn’t planned. It happened the way the best things always do… at hunting camp, surrounded by old friends and stories that get better with time. I sat down with two of my best buddies.. Charlie O’Brien, former Major League Baseball catcher with 20 years in the big leagues and a World Series ring, and also a Mossy Oak Deer Thug; and Bubba Bruce (known to most folks as “Just Bubba”) a Mossy Oak Turkey Thug and my lifelong friend from back home who’s been there for it all. 

We weren’t chasing a topic or a message. We were swapping stories, laughing, remembering where we came from and enjoying the kind of fellowship that only comes from shared miles, hunts and history. The stories were too good to keep to ourselves, so we pulled out the podcast equipment and let it roll.

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This week I sit down with Keith Mark of Hunter Nation to talk about something every hunter should care about… protecting our way of life. We cover why hunting is facing more pressure than ever, how decisions made outside the woods affect what happens in them and why staying informed and engaged matters. Keith explains what Hunter Nation is doing to defend access, support science-based wildlife management and keep hunters at the table.

This isn’t about politics, it’s about stewardship, responsibility and making sure the traditions we love don’t quietly slip away.

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I threw a simple question out there, “what’s the best, funniest or most meaningful name you’ve ever given a deer stand or hunting spot?” and y’all absolutely showed up. For our final episode of the year, we’re reading some of your stories and getting reminded why these places mean so much to us. Behind every name is a memory, a person, a season or a lesson that sticks out. 

As we close out the year, I just want to say thank you for listening, sharing and being part of the Fist Full of Dirt family. Wishing you and yours a safe, blessed and Happy New Year. We’ll see you in 7 days!

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There’s only one deer in my office. It’s a small four point… my bride’s first deer. And it took her several seasons to get there. She passed deer. She waited. She had to walk her own path.

When I shared that story online, the comments poured in. Stories. Memories. Gratitude. People defining what a “trophy” really means to them … first deer, hunts with parents who are gone now, kids in the stand.

This episode is built entirely around those responses and if you’ve ever questioned whether your deer “counted,” or felt pressure to measure your hunt against someone else’s highlight reel.. this one’s for you. 

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