In this episode of The Turkey Season, Paul sits down with Iowa photographer and farmer Clayton Worrell, better known online as Grizhawk—one of the most recognizable turkey photographers in the space today.
Clayton’s images aren’t about grip-and-grins or highlight reels. They’re about quiet moments, hard-earned light, and turkeys simply being turkeys. From frost on a gobbler’s back at fly-down, to breath hanging in the cold air, to subtle steps and head tilts that most people miss, Clayton breaks down the patience, planning, and obsession behind capturing a single frame.
The conversation wanders—in the best way—through farming, family, photography, hunting evolution, creative standards, social media fatigue, and why sometimes a photograph is just as satisfying as pulling the trigger. Clayton shares how he scouts locations like a hunter, stages photo setups days in advance, and often spends weeks chasing one image that may never happen.
They also dig into:
Why Clayton hunts less and photographs more as he gets older
The frustration (and beauty) of spending days for one usable image
Editing photos to feel like art, not just documentation
The importance of high standards and refusing to put your name on work you don’t believe in
How the turkey community differs from whitetails—and why that matters
His upcoming gallery-style booth at the NWTF Convention in Nashville
This is a laid-back, honest conversation about creativity, patience, and what it really means to appreciate wild turkeys beyond the moment of the shot.
If you’ve ever watched a bird through binoculars instead of shouldering a gun—or felt more pride in earning a moment than owning it—this one’s for you.
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