As we set up our booth at the National Wild Turkey Federation (NWTF) Convention, I teased my business partner Bill. "Be sure to bring some playing cards, so we can pass the time over the next three days." After all, this was our first NWTF show, our booth was hidden in the far back corner of the convention hall, and I doubted our new brand was on anyone's "Must see" list for the convention.

I was wrong.

Really wrong.

Before the show even opened, Mossy Oak Executive VP and TV celebrity Ronnie "Cuz" Strickland came over to buy a pair of our Turkey AmpPod 90s. We met Cuz at the SHOT Show and he was so excited get his TETRA Hearing™ devices. Within a couple of hours Cuz was back at our booth. He was so impressed at what he could hear, that he hadn't taken them out. 

538 likes, 64 comments, and 26 shares later, we had people from all over the country showing up in our booth to learn about this technology we developed to help people hear turkeys better. Bill and I, along with our amazing team of volunteers, were inundated with customers wanting better hearing.

On both Friday and Saturday, Bill and I were honored to present seminars with turkey hunting legends Harold Knight and Eddie Salter. What an amazing, humbling experience! Harold and Eddie shared calling secrets, told hunting stories, and talked about the importance of hearing in turkey hunting.

We fit Harold with our prototype Turkey AmpPods before last turkey season and he shared his testimony of being able to better hear and locate the direction of gobblers, and even hear the spittin' and drummin' that he hadn't heard in years using TETRA.

Friday and Saturday the TETRA booth was insane. From the opening of the show, until close, we packed attendees into our space to explain our technology and how we could help hear the hunt. Their stories, over and over, were the same:

"I've lost my edge when it comes to hearing turkeys."

"I can't tell where the sounds are coming from."

"My left ear is worse than my right from years of shooting."

"My spouse is tired of me saying, Huh?"

"I have to take some one with younger ears to help me hear them."

"I wish I had protected my hearing better."

When the dust settled and the show closed, our team looked at each other in exhausted disbelief. Our sales far exceeded expectations, but more importantly, we realized how much hunters are desperate for better hearing. A lifetime of hunting, shooting, loud equipment and other exposure has robbed many of us of our ability to hear in the woods and with our families and friends. 

As the show was wrapping up on Saturday, I sat with a hunter and his wife. He shared his story of life-long hearing problems. I fit him with some our Turkey AmpPods and adjusted them to his hearing levels. I watched tears well up in his eyes as he looked at his wife and listened to the chaotic noise of the convention floor. "I can hear! This is amazing. I can't wait to hear that first gobbler this Spring." 

That moment... That is why we created these products and this company. Real people. Real hunters. Real stories. Real needs. That is what TETRA is all about! 

If you struggle to hear turkeys, see what all the fuss is about. Try out our Turkey AmpPods risk free for 30 days. Be sure to take our online hearing test and we will customize your devices specific to your hearing profile. We want to make sure you can #HearTheHunt!