Turkey Grand Slam: A Challenge for Turkey Hunters

If your a turkey hunter who enjoys a challenge and is looking for a reason to start traveling to turkey hunt the other North American Subspecies, the Grand Slam (one of the six wild turkey slams) is a great place to start. To achieve the Wild Turkey Grand Slam a hunter must successfully harvest each of the four subspecies of wild turkey that inhabit the United States. These subspecies include the Eastern, Rio Grande, Osceola, and the Merriam’s wild turkey. While their is not a time limit on completing a Grand Slam, many hunters pursue the added challenge of completing the task in a single season, this is known as the Single Season Grand Slam.

This guide aims to help turkey hunters in the pursuit of their own Grand Slam by providing information on the different subspecies of wild turkey and tips to help make the hunt for each subspecies a success.

Wild Turkey Subspecies Required to Achieve a Grand Slam

One thing that turkey hunters should understand when pursuing their Grand Slam is that the terrain and environment that each of the wild turkey subspecies inhabit can vary drastically. By gaining an understanding on the environment each turkey species inhabits you can:

• Gain a better understanding of how the wild turkeys use the terrain in an area.

• Increase your chances of finding birds while turkey hunting.

• Determine what areas are going to provide the best hunting opportunities for wild turkeys.

• Make sure you have the proper equipment and gear needed for a particular area.

Turkey Species: Eastern Wild Turkey

Eastern turkeys are the most wide spread of the four subspecies needed to complete the Grand Slam. This bird inhabits all of the U.S. states east of the Mississippi River as well as a handful of western states. Due to the vast range of the Eastern turkey it is often the first bird hunters will pursue turkey hunting due to the vast amounts of public lands and hunting opportunities in the states they inhabit.

When I think of Eastern Turkeys the first thing that comes to mind is their strong imposing gobble. Not only is the Eastern the most abundant of the subspecies but is on average the largest of the turkey subspecies.

Turkey Species: Osceola Turkeys

Osceola turkeys are considered the toughest bird to harvest by most hunters for a variety of reasons. The first reason being that unlike the other subspecies, the Osceola is only found in one state, Florida. To make matters worse, the bird is only found in the southern portion of Florida. Turkey hunting the Osceola can also be challenging due the swampy terrain that they inhabit around the Everglades.

As far as appearances go, the Osceola turkey is known for their dark, black colored wings and are often smaller than the other subspecies. Other than the wings, the Osceola’s coloration is very similar to that of the Eastern Wild Turkey.

Turkey Species: Rio Grande

When traveling to the western states, one of the subspecies you will find is the Rio Grande. These turkeys are predominatly found in the lone star state of Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, and a handful of other western states like California. Many hunters will agree that the Rio seems to be one of the easier subspecies to harvest due to their willingness to come to a call. But don’t be fooled, these turkeys like to move long distances and fast which can add a layer of difficulty to hunting them.

Turkey Species: Merriam’s Turkeys

Last but not least is the Merriam’s wild turkey. The Merriam, known for the white tips on their tail fan, are primarily hunted in Nebraska, South Dakota, Wyoming, Montana, and Washington. While these are the main states recognized for hunting the Merriam, the bird can also be found in smaller pockets of other western states.

The hunt for Merriam’s turkeys often involves hunting in higher elevations around the Rockies. While they are known to be extremely responsive to calling, like the Rio Grande, Merriam’s have a tendency to cover large distances and fast. This can make the challenge of keeping up with one extremely difficult.

Tips for Planning and Achieving the Turkey Grand Slam

One of the biggest feats to completing the Turkey Grand Slam is all of the prep work and planning that goes into it. Here are some tips for planning and achieving your Grand Slam.

Do your Homework

While hunting the subspecies in your home state will require significantly less planning, when you travel to somewhere new you will want to be as prepared as possible. Here’s a checklist to help you during the homework stage.

• Determine turkey season dates and required licenses.

• Are their any special equipment or shooting regulations?

• Where the most turkeys are located in an area? This can be done by looking at historical harvest data and contacting the areas wildlife biologists.

• Timing. Figure out when the birds and weather will give you the highest probability for success.

• How are you going to get their? Drive or fly?

• What turkey hunting gear should you pack based on weather and terrain?

Tips While Turkey Hunting

• If you are not finding birds or they are not cooperating during your hunt, have a plan B, C, D, etc. and stay on the move until you find birds that are willing to cooperate.

• Keep a positive attitude and stay persistent when things aren’t going your way. After all a slow day turkey hunting is still 100X better than a day at work.

• For more in-depth turkey hunting tips, check out our post “Top Turkey Hunting Tips for a Successful Season“.

Final Thoughts

As you challenge your turkey hunting skills pursuing the Turkey Grand Slam you will often find that the experiences will make you a better turkey hunter. Also those who have achieved grand slam status also gain an appreciation and understanding of the diverse turkey subspecies across the United States.

Achieving Your Grand Slam Recap:

• Eastern Turkey: Abundant in the eastern states, adapt your tactics to their woodland habitats.

• Osceola Turkey: Confined to Florida, focus on their unique swamp and pine savanna environments.

• Rio Grande Turkey: Roaming Texas to Kansas, enjoy these birds’ presence in brushy to semi-arid areas.

• Merriam’s Turkey: Native to the Rocky Mountains and nearby regions, explore their mountainous and ponderosa pine settings.

Remember, the Grand Slam is not just about killing one of the four subspecies, its about the journey you take and experiences gained from the challenge. By doing your homework for each subspecies and equipping yourself with the knowledge needed, you’ll be be on your way to completing your first Grand Slam.

Curious about the other Turkey Slams? They are the:

• Mexican Slam

• Canadian Slam

• World Slam

• Royal Slam

• US Super Slam