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| Spook with his son, Coleman |
William "Spook" Spann
This whitetail freak is just as passionate about gobbling longbeards
It is difficult to find another hunter who enjoys pursuing gigantic white-tailed bucks more than William "Spook" Spann. There is something about those extra-long tines and pop can-thick bases that make his grin stretch a bit wider in the fall. This diehard hunter is one of the foremost experts on big buck hunting tactics and wildlife land management strategies.
And once April rolls around, you can bet Spook will be somewhere with his back against a tree trying to coax a swelled-up gobbler into close range.
Spook is a dedicated NWTF member who works hard to promote wildlife conservation, habitat enhancement and the sport of turkey hunting.
"As a hunter, I owe a debt of gratitude to great organizations like the NWTF and our state wildlife agencies," Spook said, "which is why I use my 'Spook Nation' television show and Big Buck Properties business to educate, captivate and protect our turkey hunting heritage. I want others to experience and enjoy the addictive sounds of a longbeard gobbling on a warm spring morning, because there is nothing else like it."
The scoop on Spook
William Spann was born on Halloween, which is why family and friends nicknamed him "Spook." He grew up in Tennessee as a fifth generation sawmill and timber business operator. His father and grandfather taught him to work hard but stop to appreciate the splendor of the great outdoors. The Spann family's passion for hunting and fishing has always been a source of enjoyment and a traditional way of life. Years of squirrel and deer hunting coupled with serious bass fishing transformed the young man into an avid outdoorsman.
Spook learned to develop and enhance properties for wildlife through the family business. He spent the better part of the last two decades buying, improving and selling property. His experience and extensive knowledge of wildlife management have enabled him to turn ordinary tracts of land into deer and turkey hunting paradises. Throughout most of these habitat enhancement projects, he has used advanced improvement plans from NWTF experts to create some of the best turkey hunting spots in the nation.
Success in the field
Spook has harvested more than 20 Pope & Young white-tailed bucks and seven Boone & Crockett bruisers. He took one of the largest whitetails shot on video by a bowhunter in 2007. The Kansas trophy carried around 230 inches of antler, which made Spook a household name among serious deer hunters across the country. He has also tagged more than 20 big game animals around the world including several Pope & Young moose, elk, mule deer, black bear and sheep.
According to Spook, one of his greatest personal achievements was completing his first wild turkey Grand Slam.
"I have always been fascinated with the wild turkey, and at one time completing a Grand Slam seemed almost impossible," Spook said. "There just weren't that many states that had healthy populations of birds. Finally, I was able to achieve my slam by tagging birds in Tennessee, Florida, Wyoming and Texas back in the early 1990s."
Spook's NWTF connection
"I can remember how things were before the re-introduction efforts of the NWTF and state wildlife agencies," Spook said. "During that period, there were only small, isolated pockets of wild turkeys scattered across the country. I had to special order turkey calls and travel to remote areas like Kentucky's Land Between the Lakes to have a chance of even hearing a gobbling longbeard."
Spook recalls the transition that occurred in Tennessee in the early days.
"At one time, my home state had to open the season by county and only a few areas held birds," he said. "Now, thanks to the amazing work of our state wildlife agencies and the NWTF, there has been dramatic change. What is even more impressive is just about every state has experienced the same results. Turkey populations have exploded." — Travis Faulkner