Podcast Summary: Grantland Rice Story – "Turkey Hunting"

Podcast: Harold's Old Time Radio
Episode: The 55-xx-xx ep37 Turkey Hunting
Original Air Date: November 26, 2025
Host/Narrator: Jimmy Powers (reading Grantland Rice)

Overview

This episode delves into the great American tradition of hunting and fishing, told through the personal stories and dry wit of legendary sportswriter Grantland Rice. Narrated by Jimmy Powers, the episode focuses specifically on wild turkey hunting—a pursuit Rice reveres for its challenge and the unique characters it attracts. The episode stirs nostalgia for the "Golden Age" of radio and the rugged adventure of the outdoors, laced with humor and colorful personalities from Rice’s life.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

Introduction to Grantland Rice & Outdoor Traditions (00:44–01:45)

• Jimmy Powers introduces Grantland Rice, celebrated sportswriter and native Tennessean, as someone deeply involved in America's hunting and fishing culture, following in the footsteps of Davy Crockett.
• Notes on the popularity of hunting and fishing columns in American sports journalism.

Rice's Affection for Outdoor Sports (01:46–03:05)

• Memorable Quote:

  "Next to golf... hunting takes second place in my affections for the outdoors.”
  (Grantland Rice, 01:54)

• Rice claims that, despite being a hunter, he often leaves more birds than he finds, emphasizing a sportsman’s respect for nature.

• Anecdotes about deep-sea fishing adventures targeting bluefish and swordfish, with humorous self-deprecation about his skills compared to famed fishermen.

Fishing Mischief in Canada (03:06–04:20)

• Rice reminisces about a salmon fishing trip in Canada with author Max Foster; includes a prank where Rice impersonates Foster for a newspaper interview, jokingly describing himself as less-than-sophisticated ("poles instead of rods, rubber boots instead of waders").

• Funny Moment:
  Max Foster was so mortified by the published interview that "Max wanted to kill me." (04:06)

The Allure and Challenges of Turkey Hunting (04:21–07:20)

• Rice divides his hunting interests: “Quail, duck, and wild turkey,” declaring the wild turkey the biggest thrill.

• Describes turkeys as elusive and challenging prey:

  "A wild gobbler can hear you breaking a match 400 yards away. He has a remarkable sight and can fly or run like a thief." (05:57)

• Vivid scene at Bob Woodruff's Itchaway, Georgia property—50,000 acres rich in game. Recounts adventures using a uniquely named “bird dog, mule Edna Ferber.”

• Turkeys' camouflage and wariness make them nearly “invisible phantoms.”

Exciting and Comical Hunts (07:21–10:05)

• Dawn hunt in a Georgia swamp: Rice and guide Roy Carter wait in the predawn rain. Rice’s close-quarters struggle with a powerful turkey is compared to a championship boxing match.

• Memorable Quote:

  “I felt like Dempsey after he had finished off Furpo.” (08:25)

• Attempts at car hunting: Chasing turkeys down a red clay road at 40 mph, suffering comedic injuries and chaos, concluding:

  “I finally decided there was no easy way to find or kill a wild turkey. They are as different from the tame variety as a tiger is from an angora cat.” (09:57)

Notable Settings and Personalities (10:06–11:35)

• Bob Woodruff’s role as a gracious Southern host whose estate regularly entertained hundreds, making the place a social hub for the elite and outdoorsmen alike.
• Visit to Casen Callaway, another Georgian landowner, who demonstrates large-scale farming diversity, maintaining thousands of mallards and turkeys, and offering his vast property and lake to the public.

Texas King Ranch & Unusual Hunts (11:36–13:24)

• Recalls the 1950 hunt at King Ranch, Texas—famous for its thoroughbreds—where turkeys appear in "traffic jams of 40,000 birds."
• Strict rules: use of .22 rifles, headshots only—not Rice's forte, nor Red Smith’s.
• Humorous narrative of getting sidetracked into hunting armadillos and fierce wild peccaries (wild pigs).
• Funny Exchange:

  "I never shoot a deer until he pulls a knife on me first." (13:19)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

| Timestamp | Quote | Speaker | Context | |-----------|-------|---------|---------| | 01:54 | "Next to golf... hunting takes second place in my affections for the outdoors.” | Grantland Rice (via Jimmy Powers) | On his love for hunting | | 04:06 | "Max wanted to kill me." | Grantland Rice | After his prank with Max Foster | | 05:57 | "A wild gobbler can hear you breaking a match 400 yards away. He has a remarkable sight and can fly or run like a thief." | Grantland Rice | On the challenge of hunting turkeys | | 08:25 | “I felt like Dempsey after he had finished off Furpo.” | Grantland Rice | On wrestling a turkey in the swamp | | 09:57 | "They are as different from the tame variety as a tiger is from an angora cat." | Grantland Rice | Comparing wild and tame turkeys | | 13:19 | "I never shoot a deer until he pulls a knife on me first." | Grantland Rice | On declining to shoot an inviting deer |

Segment Timestamps

• Intro & Grantland Rice’s Background – 00:44–01:45
• Outdoor Sports & Fishing Tales – 01:46–04:20
• Turkey Hunting Drama – 04:21–10:05
• Southern Estates & Georgia Life – 10:06–11:35
• King Ranch & Exotic Hunts – 11:36–13:24
• Episode Wrap-up (end of narration) – 13:25

Tone and Style

The episode captures the warm, humorous, and self-effacing style of Grantland Rice’s writing, as delivered with a storyteller’s flair by Jimmy Powers. There’s a clear sense of nostalgia for sportsmanship, rural adventure, and the camaraderie found in America’s hunting and fishing traditions, seasoned with dry wit and memorable anecdotes.

Conclusion

Listeners are treated to a rollicking ride through the fields, swamps, and ranches of the American South, encountering legendary outdoorsmen, practical jokes, dangerous quarry, and comical mishaps. The episode immortalizes not only the thrill and tribulation of wild turkey hunting, but also Grantland Rice’s indelible wit and the charm of a bygone era.