U.S. SLAMING???

[turkey junky]

hey guys been off line for a while as we had major wind storms knock down a 135 yr old oak tree & it fell into my home causeing roof damage then it rained & caused major water damage so we are hotel liveing at the moment but thank god for home insurence a???

any way i just wanted to see what everybody thoughts were on going after the U.S SLAM witch is tag n a bird in every state in the U.S. that has turkeys... im happy with a grand slam & maybe even royal slam i dont see me going 4 a world slam but a U.S. slam seems like a lot ??? i have talked to 2-3 guys while out hunting that were going after the U.S. slam i think the NWTFs turkey call/country magazine has a lot to do with it as they just had 2 articles pumping the next best SLAM in turkey hunting one story was about some man who just obtained it & was the 1st to register the U.S. slam with the NWTF & the other story was about another guy doing it & just hasnt got it registered with the NWTF yet??? any way i feel there are a few other men who have done this feat well B4 now but they just didnt go brag it up to the NWTF & try to make it offical!!! i actually think there is a guy on line with us that has done this feat B4 & even better HOOKSPUR said he did this feat killing all the turkeys on public lands in each state now that is the U.S. SLAM i want a U.S. SLAM all obtained on public lands EXCEPT ND AS NONE RESIDENTS CANT HUNT THERE....

i just talked to a buddy who went after a grand slam each season & got it most every yr he now says im not collecting slams any more just the U.S. SLAM seems like everybody will be jumping on the band waggon soon so what are all your thoughts on the U.S. SLAM & its increaseing popularity???

[dewey]

I like the idea of the US slam but the logistics needed to achieve the US slam are monumental. Drawing tags, figuring out where to hunt, understanding regulations in each state and not to mention the costs to do the US slam would also be very high. Then of course what if you don't harvest a bird in that state then you have to go back in the future. Then there is the domestic issues, wives and families, in time away from the family. I think in some states turkey tags might be tough to draw. Plus if you can check off 2-5 states a year it is a 10 to 25 years of planning. The good thing is that it would force you to see all of the different states except Alaska.

I will try for the Grand Slam first, the the Royal and hopefully the World slam someday.

Good luck to anyone out there that is trying to complete it.

Dewey

[Steve_In]

Do you have to collect each spices a state has to offer in order to complete the slam?

Like Dewey said that would be a feat for the average guy.

[misoiltester]

A US slam leaves no craving in my system, and hopefully, I'll finish my world slam next spring.
After that, I'll head back to areas I enjoy, and the people associated with it I prefer farmer/rancher owned land in those areas .. kinda in my blood

[grizzly]

I have to admit it something i thought about doing but time and money have never seem to be there . if i could go after a tom other than an eastern it would have to be a merriam the idea of hunting in the Black Hills is apealing to me ...wayne

[Hookspur]

Tackling the "US Slam" is indeed a daunting task, especially if you set that as a goal early on, but I didn't start that way. I just always enjoyed going to new places and seeing new sights every year, so for the first 15 or so seasons of my turkey hunting career, I would visit as many as I could squeeze into my schedule, on top of the favorites I hunted every year. Then one day a buddy asked me how many states I'd killed turkeys in, and when I totaled them up, it was around 25. When he asked why I didn't go ahead and hunt in all the rest, I thought he was crazy, because I had no interest in going to some of the more "turkey-poor" states, or putting in for lotteries to get tags, etc. Then I started thinking about it, and the challenge of the whole idea intrigued me, so I started working down the list of remaining un-hunted destinations. Heck, I'm a turkey hunting addict, and I was gonna be on the road from mid-March until June regardless, so it was no big deal to whittle down that list as the opportunities came along. Once I finished my first US Slam and looked back on it, I realized that only a few more birds would give me at least 2 toms in each state, so I figured, "why not go for two?" Now that I've reached that goal (as well as a side goal of killing a tom on public land everywhere except ND) I find myself only a few more birds short of a third US Slam....which I hope to finish up in a couple more seasons. Does it sound like I might have a turkey hunting "problem?"

Like I said, it's a difficult challenge, with obstacles to overcome all along the way, but figuring out the logistics and particulars is a huge part of the fun, and it gives me yet another way to keep actively involved in turkey hunting year-round. After 30 years of turkey travels, my "planning station" at the house looks like the military command center for the Pentagon! I was rather surprised when the NWTF came out in that article and said they'd registered only one US Slam, since I personally know of at least 6 or 7 other fellas who have accomplished the feat, including their past president, Rob Keck. I suppose most of these guys are like me in that it means absolutely nothing to "officially" register them all or be acknowledged for the accomplishment....I know what I've done, and that's good enough for me. The only competition I seek in turkey hunting is that found between the birds and myself.

[misoiltester]

Hookspur .. I've never "officially" registered a turkey and don't plan on it. Pics, are all I need for all of the fond memories

[dewey]

I have just one correction to point out about the US Slam and the belief that you cannot hunt turkeys in ND as a non-resident. You can hunt turkeys in North Dakota but only during the fall season as the spring season is for residents only.

Here is a link to the North Dakota Game and Fish Department.

http://gf.nd.gov/hunting/smallupland/wild-turkey


Wild Turkey

Hunter Education Requirements and Who is Exempt
Persons born after 1961 must complete a certified hunter education course and show proof of certification when buying or applying for hunting licenses (official courses offered by other states and Canadian provinces meet these requirements). Exceptions: Persons under age 12 who hunt only with their parent or legal guardian; persons who hunt exclusively on land of which they are the record title owner or operator; and those who obtain an Apprentice Hunting License.

View Wild Turkey Distribution Map

Spring Wild Turkey (Residents Only)

View most recent spring turkey regulations.

2012 season dates: April 14 - May 20.
•Application deadline was February 15.

Licenses issued by weighted lottery.

A resident must possess these licenses:
•Fishing, Hunting, Furbearer Certificate - $1
•General Game and Habitat License - $13
•Small Game License - $6 (Not required of residents under age 16) or a Combination License - $32 (includes Small Game, General Game and Habitat, Furbearer, and Fishing licenses)
•Spring Wild Turkey License - $8

Fall Wild Turkey

Residents only are eligble through first lottery. Nonresidents may apply after the first lottery is held.

View the most recent fall turkey regulations.

2012 season opener: October 13.

Applications available in mid June - application deadline: July 5.

Licenses issued by weighted lottery.

A resident must possess these licenses:
•Fishing, Hunting, Furbearer Certificate - $1
•General Game and Habitat License - $13
•Small Game License - $6 (Not required of residents under age 16) or a Combination License - $32 (includes Small Game, General Game and Habitat, Furbearer, and Fishing licenses)
•Fall Wild Turkey License - $8

A nonresident must possess these licenses:
•Fishing, Hunting, Furbearer Certificate - $2
•General Game and Habitat License - $13
•Nonresident Fall Wild Turkey License - $80.

A Nonresident May Not Hunt G&F Lands October 13-19
In accordance with state law, nonresidents are not allowed to hunt on Game and Fish Department wildlife management areas or conservation PLOTS (Private Land Open To Sportsmen) areas from October 13-19, 2012.

Dewey

[Hookspur]

Hookspur .. I've never "officially" registered a turkey and don't plan on it. Pics, are all I need for all of the fond memories

Would one of those "fond memories" involve spittin' and drummin' up a couple of afternoon Osceola longbeards, Charlie?

[Hookspur]

"A Nonresident May Not Hunt G&F Lands October 13-19
In accordance with state law, nonresidents are not allowed to hunt on Game and Fish Department wildlife management areas or conservation PLOTS (Private Land Open To Sportsmen) areas from October 13-19, 2012."

How long is the fall season, Dewey?