Highs & Lows

This film follows Jaxon Marshall, a 25 year-old turkey hunter from western Alabama, as he hunts across Montana and Wyoming, chasing Merriam’s in states that sit thousands of miles from his home. The piece highlights Jaxon’s pursuit of the US Super Slam - which requires a hunter to harvest a turkey in each of the 49 states they are legally hunted in across America. The feat has grown in popularity over the last several years. Moreover, be it in pursuit of the Super Slam or not, it seems that more turkey hunters have set out to harvest birds across state lines than ever before. And while traveling from state to state on a multi-week turkey tour is both exciting and daring, it is also challenging. Jaxon’s run into Wyoming was humbling. Bad weather and poor hunting provided the rare opportunity to slow down, and remember why we each started chasing turkeys in the first place.

This film’s message is one of thankfulness for the wild turkey, and all that it has done for those that are lucky enough to hunt the bird each spring. Several rainy days in eastern Wyoming’s mountains gave Jaxon the chance to reflect on his own journey, which is one we can all relate to. Be it western Alabama pines, south Texas ranch lands, or wide open corn fields in the midwest, we all have a home where we started hunting wild turkeys. The bird has gifted us each some of our fondest memories, and provided a community that we can all call ourselves a part of. So here’s to the wild turkey, and all that it provides each spring, be it on a stretch of land we’ve hunted for years, or in a place we’ve never been.