Jeff Shepard

Jeffrey Shepard has lived in Dublin, Georgia, his entire life of 43 years. He started hunting at age 7, and took up hunting turkey at 16 or 17, learning from his granddaddy. Jeff is now kind of a local legend when it comes to turkey hunting. He hunts every day of the season, usually calling up birds for other people who have been having trouble with stubborn birds. The reason Jeff has become so popular in Laurens County, Georgia, is that several members of his family own a barber shop and every time locals get their hair cut they hear stories about a deer, turkey, or gator Jeff harvested. Jeff is also a family man. His daughter Jesse can always be found riding in the back of his turkey vest while tagging along on a hunt. Jeff has never had the opportunity to killed a Grand Slam so it will be neat to see if he can get his first one in 10 days.

Daniel Thomas

Daniel Thomas is married to the beautiful (put that in there so she will feel better about me being gone for 10 days turkey hunting; lol) Katey Thomas. He grew up in the same hometown (Dublin GA) as his Beards or Bust hunting partner, Jeff Shepard. He has always had a love for the outdoors and started producing hunting and fishing shows after high school. Daniel worked as a news producer for several years while attending the Valdosta State University Mass Media Program. After college he opened his own production company and produced a hunting show (Evolved Habitat’s Outdoor Addiction). In 2007, he met Bill Jordan on a commercial shoot and soon thereafter was asked to join the Realtree Team. Daniel is currently the producer of Realtree Outdoors. He has learned lots over the years about turkey hunting from behind the lens of the camera, but it was not until 2009 that he was able to take his first longbeard, called up by Jeff. Daniel looks forward to the Beards or Bust challenge. He feels like he and Jeff are under dogs, but assures us that Jeff will have lots of tricks up his sleeve to keep this interesting.

About Beards or Bust

Two teams. Ten days. Four species. This is Realtree’s Beards or Bust. A ten-day long yelp-fest that will cut through the country in pursuit of the infamous Grand Slam.

From April 9th - April 19th two teams will work their way through turkey country trying to bag an Osceola, an Eastern, a Rio Grande, and a Merriam wild turkey.

The best part? You can ride along with the guys during their hunts right here at beardsorbust.com. The teams will be doing live video updates, texts from the road, grand slam progress, and play-by-commentary from David Blanton. Not to mention some friendly smack-talk.

The first team to make it home with their trophies will be declared boss toms for the year.

Get ready to cut and run boys!

Eddie Salter

Eddie Salter of Evergreen, Alabama, began hunting at the age of eight, and by using the techniques learned from his father and grandfather, he managed to take his first turkey at the age of 10. That early success has led to his love affair with the sport of turkey hunting. Since 1981 Eddie has been winning turkey-calling championships, including two World Open Turkey Calling Championships, six Alabama State Championships, and seven Southeastern Open Calling Championships.

In 1985 Salter began developing deer and turkey calls as well as hunting videos. Eddie is a Pro Staff member of Realtree and Hunter's Specialties. He has appeared on several hunting television shows and videos and travels the country giving deer and turkey hunting seminars. Eddie brings a lifetime of experience to the Beards or Bust competition, and though he has nothing to prove to the hunting industry, he is taking it very seriously.

Phillip Culpepper

Phillip Culpepper of Cataula, Georgia, is in charge of capturing Eddie Salter’s journey throughout this competition. Phillip’s father, Realtree Farms Manager Roger Culpepper, raised him in the woods. He harvested his first turkey when he was eleven and called in his first bird when he was fifteen. He began his career with Realtree when he was sixteen, working in the warehouse. When he was eighteen Bill Jordan put him in a tree with a camera videoing Bill's son Tyler harvesting a monster whitetail in Texas. Phillip has been behind the lens ever since. Three years ago David Blanton gave Phillip the chance to produce the most popular hunting show on the Outdoor Channel, Realtree Road Trips. Road Trips has continued to be the leader in the industry, winning several Outdoor Channel Awards, but the one that makes Phillip the proudest is “Best Turkey Footage”. While taking pride in all his work, it is turkey hunting that strikes a cord with Culpepper.