Wyatt Flores Joins The Turnpike Troubadours For Killer Performance Of “The Bird Hunters”

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Wyatt Flores Joins The Turnpike Troubadours For Killer Performance Of “The Bird Hunters”

Making Oklahoma proud.

If there’s one thing for certain as we take a look back on 2025, it’s the fact that the current Red Dirt renaissance we’ve been experiencing over the past few years is bound to hit a fever pitch. Highlighted by the huge success of Cross Canadian Ragweed’s reunion in the Boys From Oklahoma concert series, their close friends and proteges, the Turnpike Troubadours, have also experienced some career-highs throughout the year.

In addition to their obvious inclusion in all the aforementioned Boys From Oklahoma concerts, they also released their sixth studio album, The Price of Admission, back in April to high praise from both fans and critics alike. Marking the second release since the band returned from an extended hiatus, The Price of Admission proved to many (myself included) why Turnpike is ultimately one of the greatest bands in the history of the genre, featuring some all-time tracks from the group such as “Heaven Passing Through,” “On The Red River” and the severely underrated, “Ruby Ann.”

Of course, the record was regarded as one of the best releases of the year, being crowned our #1 album of 2025 here at Whiskey Riff and making nearly every dedicated country fan’s Top 10 of the year.

However, it’s not just Ragweed and Turnpike making waves in the Red Dirt scene and Oklahoma in particular. Simply put, the state has been a breeding ground for the best in the business right now, also highlighted by the likes of Kaitlin Butts, Southall, J.R. Carroll, Jason Boland, Josh Meloy, John Moreland, Lance Roark and, of course, Wyatt Flores.

Ironically, just days after the entire Red Dirt scene, in particular Turnpike and Flores, was honored at the Country Music Hall of Fame as a part of their “American Currents: State of the Music” exhibit, the two teamed up for a set of concerts in both Mesa, Arizona and Stateline, Nevada, over the weekend.

If there’s one thing that’s been abundantly clear about Flores, it’s just how much respect and appreciation he has for the Red Dirt legends and their impact on him and the other aforementioned artists. Beyond delivering phenomenal covers of their tracks in the past, such as “Kansas City Southern,” “Pay No Rent” and “Diamonds & Gasoline” in the past, he’d also give them their flowers in the aforementioned Hall of Fame exhibit, noting they “changed everything.”

“That’s one of the biggest influences on my entire career just because of their storytelling and their sound throughout the years. I mean, I could go on and on.

It’s just crazy that I’m getting to go from being just a fan to getting to open up for them at Red Rocks and then getting to be here tonight with them because they really changed everything.”

And in celebration of the pair’s big years (and inclusion at the Hall of Fame), they treated fans to a surprise collaboration during their Nevada show and performed the Turnpike fan-favorite, “The Bird Hunters” over the weekend, much to the delight of the sold-out crowd at Tahoe Blue Event Center.

@officialwyattflores Always an honor to get to sing one with the @Turnpike Troubadours! Thank ya Lake Tahoe #wyattflores #turnpiketroubadours #laketahoe #nevada #california ♬ original sound – Wyatt Flores

It should go without saying that “The Bird Hunters” is one of the key songs in Turnpike’s deep, legendary discography. Appearing as the opening track on 2015’s self-titled album, “The Bird Hunters” is arguably frontman Evan Felker’s best storytelling song to date, depicting an incredibly intricate story of a friend returning home after a failed relationship, all told while the two are out for a bird hunt, recalling their past memories.

Unsurprisingly, Flores absolutely crushes the iconic chorus with Felker beside him. Given the amount of love both Oklahoma natives have for each other, it’s long overdue to get a song (or at least an official live recording of this performance) from the pair. If you’re a fan of both Flores and Turnpike, this is a must-watch.

“The Bird Hunters”