1 Photos
Cody Leonard is an ambitious young man from Galax Virginia, and at age 19 he will be attending his second year at Wytheville Community College this fall, but his ambition continues outside the classroom as well.
At the early age of 6 Cody harvested his first deer and turkey alongside his father Randy Leonard. It's Randy that Cody gives an unmeasureable amount of credit to for helping to grow his passion for hunting and the outdoors.
Its Spring Gobbler season that ranks highest on Cody's hunting priority list, he say's its the beauty of the Virginia spring woods along with the unique rush he get's when that ole tom gobbles that takes the cake for him.
Over the last few years Cody has become interested in taking quality pictures of wildlife as well as trying his hand at filming his hunts. This reminds me of myself and the passion I also share of trying to capture that perfect photo with my camera and self filming my hunts. Any of you who have tried to film a hunt certainly understand the challenges that come with the territory.
Cody was able to successfully capture his nephew harvesting a 2017 Spring Gobbler and his good friend Logan Smith was also able to have his opening day harvest filmed thanks to Cody!
As the 2017 season moved on the beginners luck ran dry, and Cody and Logan "spooked" a couple nice birds while trying to video.
On May 10th with 4 days left in the season the two friends set out on a Carroll County farm for an evening hunt. With three tags filled between the two they weren't particularly optimistic with it being late in the season and the temperatures reaching the low 90's.
The farm provided a raised field that the two friends approached cautiously in hopes of seeing some turkey action, sure enough there were several hens feeding in the open. The friends set up shop past the field but fairly close by and Cody gave a few soft calls with his Silver Wolf slate call. Several gobblers responded in the distance, but after setting a while they experienced no action and decided to creep back closer to the field where the hens were hanging out. To their surprise this time there was a lone gobbler in the field.
With light beginning to fade and having hunted the farm in the past few weeks Logan thought it best that they set up near where he had witnessed the birds roosting in the evening previously. There was a logging road that led from the field that the birds often use so they sat up and again Cody applied his talent to the Silver Wolf slate call. This time he gave a couple short yelps and a soft purr just to let the ole tom know there was company in the area.
It wasn't long before Cody spotted a blue head darting down the logging road toward them. The gobbler was closing the distance quickly and as soon ad the trees provided an quality opening he gently squeezed the trigger on his 12 gauge Mossberg and the flop was on.
So as the sun began to set behind the Southwest Virginia mountains and on Cody's 2017 Spring Gobbler Season the two friends high fived each other and rushed to a hilltop on the farm where they could take full advantage of the setting sun for some epic pictures, which in turn rendered the winning picture for the 2017 Star City Whitetails Spring Gobbler Best Photo Contest.
I found it particularly fitting that this young man told me the following "I couldn't help but thank the good Lord above for blessing not only that day, but everyday"
Congratulations Cody and thank you for sharing your story!!
Jeff Phillips
Cody Leonard is an ambitious young man from Galax Virginia, and at age 19 he will be attending his second year at Wytheville Community College this fall, but his ambition continues outside the classroom as well.
At the early age of 6 Cody harvested his first deer and turkey alongside his father Randy Leonard. It's Randy that Cody gives an unmeasureable amount of credit to for helping to grow his passion for hunting and the outdoors.
Its Spring Gobbler season that ranks highest on Cody's hunting priority list, he say's its the beauty of the Virginia spring woods along with the unique rush he get's when that ole tom gobbles that takes the cake for him.
Over the last few years Cody has become interested in taking quality pictures of wildlife as well as trying his hand at filming his hunts. This reminds me of myself and the passion I also share of trying to capture that perfect photo with my camera and self filming my hunts. Any of you who have tried to film a hunt certainly understand the challenges that come with the territory.
Cody was able to successfully capture his nephew harvesting a 2017 Spring Gobbler and his good friend Logan Smith was also able to have his opening day harvest filmed thanks to Cody!
As the 2017 season moved on the beginners luck ran dry, and Cody and Logan "spooked" a couple nice birds while trying to video.
On May 10th with 4 days left in the season the two friends set out on a Carroll County farm for an evening hunt. With three tags filled between the two they weren't particularly optimistic with it being late in the season and the temperatures reaching the low 90's.
The farm provided a raised field that the two friends approached cautiously in hopes of seeing some turkey action, sure enough there were several hens feeding in the open. The friends set up shop past the field but fairly close by and Cody gave a few soft calls with his Silver Wolf slate call. Several gobblers responded in the distance, but after setting a while they experienced no action and decided to creep back closer to the field where the hens were hanging out. To their surprise this time there was a lone gobbler in the field.
With light beginning to fade and having hunted the farm in the past few weeks Logan thought it best that they set up near where he had witnessed the birds roosting in the evening previously. There was a logging road that led from the field that the birds often use so they sat up and again Cody applied his talent to the Silver Wolf slate call. This time he gave a couple short yelps and a soft purr just to let the ole tom know there was company in the area.
It wasn't long before Cody spotted a blue head darting down the logging road toward them. The gobbler was closing the distance quickly and as soon ad the trees provided an quality opening he gently squeezed the trigger on his 12 gauge Mossberg and the flop was on.
So as the sun began to set behind the Southwest Virginia mountains and on Cody's 2017 Spring Gobbler Season the two friends high fived each other and rushed to a hilltop on the farm where they could take full advantage of the setting sun for some epic pictures, which in turn rendered the winning picture for the 2017 Star City Whitetails Spring Gobbler Best Photo Contest.
I found it particularly fitting that this young man told me the following "I couldn't help but thank the good Lord above for blessing not only that day, but everyday"
Congratulations Cody and thank you for sharing your story!!
Jeff Phillips
