Will Primos on His Toughest Turkey Ever
John E. Phillips 05.08.13
Author’s note: Will Primos of Jackson, Mississippi, the founder of Primos Hunting, is a Mossy Oak Pro.
I’ve hunted a lot of tough turkeys in my life, but none were tougher than Old Mossy. Old Mossy lived on a hill covered with Spanish moss in Copiah County, Mississippi. I was hunting with the late Woodrow Dixon on the late Warren Hood’s land. Mr. Hood suggested that I go over and hunt Old Mossy and said, “If you get to the top of the hill and wait until daylight, you’ll hear him gobbling off to your right. He’s managed to whip every turkey hunter that’s gone after him.”
I had hunted this farm before, so I knew the road going up the hill was covered in gravel. I parked my truck away from the bottom of the hill before my tires ever touched gravel, and walked up the hill as quietly as I could. The leaves were dry and crunchy. This hill was about 200 yards long with a ridge in it, followed by another ridge before the bottom. I heard the turkey gobble on one of the ridges. Crows came by screaming and cawing, and the turkey didn’t say anything. As the morning brightened, I could see for about 25 yards.
All of a sudden, the turkey gobbled two ridges away. I said to myself, “Will, you have to use your Missouri tactic.” I took two steps in the leaves, scratched with my right foot and walked to the side and scratched in the leaves to sound like a hen that had seen an acorn. I never used a call. I just started walking like a turkey. Next, Old Mossy tore up the woods with his gobbling, but he was still in a tree and wouldn’t fly off the limb.
I crossed the first ridge and got to the side of the second ridge. I knew I had to go to the top, down the other side and then back up to get to where Old Mossy was. I sat down, scratched in the leaves a little bit and sat still. Every now and then I’d scratch, and Old Mossy would start gobbling again. Then I heard a racket in the trees, looked up and saw that turkey sailing through the timber in my direction. He landed on a limb to my left, about 15 feet off the ground. Since the gobbler only was about 30 yards away, I squinted so he couldn’t see my eyeballs and become alerted.
His head was bobbing up and down as he looked to both sides, trying to see the hen that was walking in the leaves. He suddenly gobbled, and I kept telling myself, “Will, you have to wait for the right moment. If you turn and try to shoot him, he’ll fly off that limb.” I sat still and was absolutely silent. I knew that gobbler could see any movement I made. Then he jumped out of the tree and landed right next to the trunk. Just before he landed, I started moving my gun toward him, because I knew he couldn’t see me and the ground at the same time. When he hit the ground, he started walking away from me. When he looked back, I fired.
I took Old Mossy that morning, and that was probably the most exciting hunting moment of my life. I knew I was hunting a tough bird that had been educated by every hunter in the area. I just used the sound of a turkey walking in the woods to get him interested in me. I realized that every time that turkey heard a truck driving up that gravel road, he knew there was danger on top of Moss Hill. You have to hunt tough turkeys in a way no one’s ever hunted them before. Mossy Oak’s Ronnie “Cuz” Strickland says you have to have MRI– the most recent information–to be successful on turkeys. If I hadn’t had the MRI about the way other hunters were hunting that turkey, I wouldn’t have been able to take him.
John, the 2008 Crossbow Communicator of the year and the 2007 Legendary Communicator chosen for induction into the National Fresh Water Hall of Fame, is a freelance writer (over 6,000 magazine articles for about 100 magazines and several thousand newspaper columns published), magazine editor, photographer for print media as well as industry catalogues (over 25,000 photos published), lecturer, outdoor consultant, marketing consultant, book author and daily internet content provider with an overview of the outdoors.
Phillips has been a contributor to many national magazines, has been affiliated with 27 radio stations across Alabama serving as their outdoor editor and wrote for a weekly syndicated column, "Alabama Outdoors," for 38-Alabama newspapers for more than 13 years. Phillips was Outdoor Editor for the "Birmingham Post-Herald" for 24 years. Phillips was also the executive editor for "Great Days Outdoors" magazine for 3 years.
The author of almost 30 books on the outdoors, Phillips is a founding member of the Professional Outdoor Media Association (POMA) and an active member of the Southeastern Outdoors Press Association (SEOPA). Phillips also is the owner of Night Hawk Publications, a marketing and publishing firm, and president of Creative Concepts, an outdoor consulting group.
Phillips conducts seminars across the nation at colleges in freelance writing, photography and outdoor education besides teaching courses in how to sell what you write to writers' groups. Phillips received his photography training as a still-lab photo specialist for six years in the Air Force. He was the chief photographer for Mannequins, Inc., a Birmingham modeling agency, for 11 years.
While serving as 2nd Vice President of the Alabama Wildlife Federation, Phillips was in charge of all press releases for the organization as well as serving as Chairman of Alabama's Big Buck Contest, which he founded more than 30 years ago. He also was president of the Alabama Sportsman's Association for three years.
Phillips is the recipient of a Certificate of Merit from the Governor of Alabama and the Department of Conservation for his work in the outdoor field. Phillips is vitally interested in the outdoors and travels the nation collecting personalities, stories and how-to information for his articles and features.
EDUCATION: B.S. degree from the University of West Alabama with a physical education major and a history minor.
EXPERIENCE: 10 years parttime and fulltime physical director for YMCAs and 34 years as a freelance writer, photographer, editor, book author, lecturer and daily-content provider for websites. Currently, Phillips is a field editor for Game and Fish Publications; serves on the editorial board of Grandview Media; is a regular contributor to 12 internet magazines and a daily content provider for 8 websites.
WRITING AWARDS: Runnerup - Best Outdoor Magazine Feature - 1981 - SEOPA; Certificate of Merit - Awarded by Alabama's Governor for writings on conservation; Most Outstanding Sports Writer in Southeast - 1983 & 1984; Best Outdoor Feature in Alabama, 1987 - Alabama Sportswriters' Association 3rd Place; Best Book of the Year - 1989 - SEOPA; 2007 - inducted into the National Fresh Water Fishing Hall of Fame as a Legendary Communicator; 2008 - received award naming him 2008 Crossbow Communicator of the Year from the Crossbow Manufacturers' Association; 2009 - GAMMA Honorable Mention for Consumer/Paid Best Essay for July/August 2008 in "Southern Sporting Journal."
