We began this project over three years ago in an effort to get 93 year old Col. Tom Kelly and 90 year old Mr. Fox Haas together for a turkey camp. We set out to create a short video about the significance of their time together, but we quickly realized we had the opportunity to tell a much bigger story.
On behalf of Col. Tom Kelly, Mr. Fox, Mossy Oak, the Haas Family and the wild turkey – we’re glad to share this story with you.
Dim the lights, turn up the volume and settle in for an inspirational film dedicated to the history and culture of the wild turkey and two of the last standing men who helped build this sport we all cherish.
In the 1940s, wild turkeys and the proud traditions of those who hunt them were on the brink of extinction. In what would become known as America's greatest conservation success story, the Greatest Generation returned home from war and decided to do something about it.
Now, there are millions of wild turkeys across the United States, and two men remain from this cultural core: Col. Tom Kelly, author of the 1973 cult classic Tenth Legion, and Fox Haas, the "grandfather" of Mossy Oak. Col. Kelly earned the title of "poet laureate of turkey hunting", Tenth Legion became known as the "turkey bible," and Mossy Oak became the uniform of passionate turkey hunters everywhere.
This film celebrates the life and legacy of these men and the rest of turkey hunting's greatest generation. When the last of them are gone, it's up to us as gamekeepers, turkey hunters, and stewards of hunting culture to not only carry on their legacy, but pass these traditions along. We're grateful to everyone who shares in this story and takes the time to watch. We hope you're inspired to spend more time in the woods and to love the land and wildlife that call it home, and to leave it all better than you found it.