One of the biggest legends in the world of turkey hunting is being honored by his son’s company with a turkey vest fit an icon. Fox Haas, also known as “Mr. Fox” is the father of Mossy Oak founder Toxey Haas. His dad first introduced Toxey to the great outdoors as a kid. The rest is history. Since the company’s inception in 1986, it has grown into one of the hunting industry’s most recognizable and well-respected brands. Fox Haas’s larger-than-life personality has also evolved into the official mascot of Mossy Oak – Mr. Fox. That mascot’s logo has long been emblazoned on t-shirts and other gear for sale on the company website
Fox Haas shot his first turkey in 1944. According to Grand View Outdoors, he’s successfully harvested a gobbler for 75 straight years now too. He’s as hardcore of a turkey hunter as there is on earth. He also fully understands that wild turkey populations start with the conservation and care of our wild lands. Mossy Oak’s original camo pattern was developed specifically with hunting turkeys in the bottomland of Mississippi in mind.
Toxey Haas’s development of that first camo pattern was supported by his father, Mr. Fox. His legacy of turkey conservation and contributions to Mossy Oak were honored on the brand’s website back on his 91st Birthday. “It’s no accident that Mossy Oak’s original camo pattern, Bottomland, was developed to hide from turkeys. A wild turkey’s vision is quite hard to fool but was it not for Mr. Fox’s efforts to conserve the dwindling, southern wild turkey populations in the 1970s, our turkey hunting traditions would be lost.”
The legacy of Mr. Fox and his contributions to the foundation of Mossy Oak is now being honored in an all-new way, with a limited edition turkey vest.
The History Behind The Special Edition Mr. Fox Turkey Vest
One notable quote in particular from Mr. Fox has a particularly powerful echo. He once said, “The good that men do will live long after they are gone.” According to those who know him best, he epitomizes those words every day of his life. While the vest itself is a high-quality piece of gear, its meaning goes much deeper than that. The Mossy Oak team claims “the vest symbolizes what it truly means to be a gamekeeper. It is a symbol of giving back to the resource more than we take. It is a symbol of hope, that by following the example that Mr. Fox and people like him have set, wild turkeys will thrive for generations to come.”
The description continues, “so, when you’re out in the woods wearing your Fox Vest, remember what it stands for. When you’re breaking daylight to the sound of gobbles ringing through a bottomland swamp, feeling the sound of an old gobbler drumming just out of range, or squeezing the trigger of your granddad’s shotgun with shaky hands and short breath, wear your Fox Vest with pride and remember that what you are wearing is more than just a vest, it’s a way of life.”
Only A Limited Number Of Vests Are Available
The vests are currently for sale for a cost of $450. Each vest also comes with a custom box of hand-loaded Apex Ammunition. Only 1,944 of the vests will be sold. That number is in honor of 1944, the year Mr. Fox shot his first gobbler. 400 of the vests are on sale this week during the 2023 National Wild Turkey Federation Convention. A portion of the vests will be reserved for special fundraising opportunities and unique collaborations with the Mossy Oak brand. On March 11th, a number of the vests will go on sale at the Mossy Oak Store in West Point, Mississippi. On March 13th, the rest of the vests will be on sale online.
Revisting Mr. Fox Haas’s 70th Turkey Season
5 years ago, Mossy Oak also released a special edition video that details Mr. Fox’s 70th anniversary of chasing gobblers down in the Mississippi bottomland. Also featured in the video are his son and Mossy Oak founder Toxey, along with his two sons Daniel and Neill.
Check it out below:
