‘Turkey hunters are different’
Hunter Farrior talks Spring Legion and turkey hunting.
Hunter Farrior is a two-time author, owns his own outdoor apparel company, and loves turkey hunting — and he lives right here in Calhoun, Georgia.
Originally from Raymond, Mississippi, Farrior attended Mississippi State University and started his apparel brand Spring Legion in 2019.
“It’s a brand created around the traditions of turkey hunting and holding turkey hunting to a higher standard,” he said.
At first, Farrior was just making hats at a friend’s house but, after making the dive into online retail, it began to blossom into the brand it is today.
“I kind of used the apparel to build a brand,” he said.
Then, during a two-week quarantine in December 2020, Farrior quickly wrote his first book “Ballad of a Turkey Hunter.” He enlisted the help of a friend to help with the editing and self-published the book, which has since sold over 5,000 copies.
He described the book as an ode to his influences, talking about the philosophy and mental illustration required in turkey hunting — and a way to make sure that literature continued to be a part of turkey hunting as it has in the past.
“I wanted to kind of revive the connection between turkey hunters and literature,” Farrior said.
In 2021, Farrior moved to Calhoun after getting married and has been here since. He’s been busy since moving to town, too — he just released a second book “Any Given Spring Morning,” dedicated to his son, William, who unfortunately passed just days after birth.
That book talks about stories and life lessons as well as woodsman ship, and delves into Farrior’s memories of his father, who is the reason behind his passion for turkey hunting.
His father often let him tag along while turkey hunting, instilling the passion in him early. He loved being around the new life, greenery, and chirping birds of the spring woods.
“I find it a very valuable time of the year,” he said.
And it’s not only the woods Farrior loves — it’s the act of hunting itself, and not just the good times. Farrior has a love for challenge hardwired in his DNA. He loves the effort turkey hunting takes, and the failure.
“You can have a very good morning and not even see a turkey,” said Farrior.
He described turkey hunters as quirky and meticulous, people giving an homage to older times, putting effort to keeping tradition alive.
“Turkey hunters are different,” Farrior said.
In keeping with that sense of tradition is viewing the birds as a valuable resource — and that leads to heavy efforts towards conservation.
“Hunting as a way of population management is a fact,” he said.
Conservation by turkey hunting organizations has replenished turkey populations before, Farrior said, and they continue to make efforts to keep populations steady. COVID drew more hunters into the hobby and those organizations, Spring Legion included, are working hard to reach those hunters
to make sure they’re doing things right and keeping the populations healthy.
“We’re steadily progressing the brand itself, trying to reach more and more turkey hunters across the country,” Farrior said.
Farrior’s passion for hunting — and the turkeys themselves — is palpable. That passion has netted him thousands of followers and likes on social media, a podcast ranked No. 6 in Wilderness by Apple, and thousands of book sales, making him a
big name for turkey hunters everywhere.
Just like when he’s in the woods hunting, Farrior’s staying on the move — he’s been touring and recording his podcast live, releasing new merch, and attending conventions, all while he waits for turkey season to kick off. With all that drive and passion, it’s sure that he’s got exciting things ahead.
For more information on Hunter Farrior and Spring Legion, visit springlegion. com.