From the Michigan Department of Natural Resources and Environment:
Michigan Department of Natural Resources and Environment wildlife biologist Al
Stewart recently became the first person on record to complete a World
Slam for trapping wild turkeys.
The
World Slam is a feat that involves harvesting all five subspecies of
the North American wild turkey: Eastern, Gould’s, Osceola, Merriam’s and
Rio Grande; and the Ocellated wild turkey, which is found only in
Mexico. While many hunters have accomplished it, Stewart is the only
person to date to achieve this goal for trapping, according to National
Wild Turkey Federation (NWTF) records.
A resident of Bath, Mich., Stewart completed the World Slam during a trip
to the jungles of Campeche, Mexico. The NWTF recently honored his
accomplishment, presenting him with a framed print during the 10th
National Wild Turkey Symposium in Shepherdstown, W.Va.
“The
NWTF has recognized hunters who earned their World Slam for turkey
hunting, so it is only fitting to have an accolade for a person who is
partly responsible for helping ensure hunters have wild turkeys to
pursue,” said James Earl Kennamer, Ph.D., NWTF’s chief conservation
officer. “Al represents many other biologists who have trapped and
transferred these turkeys, but he’s the only one who has reached this
level.”
A
longtime DNRE employee who has also served on the NWTF’s Technical
Committee for many years, Stewart has trapped wild turkeys in many
locations for restoration and research purposes.
“As
our upland game bird specialist, Al has played an integral role in
restoring Michigan’s wild turkey populations, and the DNRE has long
valued his turkey-trapping skills,” said DNRE Wildlife Division Chief
Russ Mason. “We’re proud of his record-setting accomplishment and the
well-deserved recognition by the NWTF.”
Stewart
received the NWTF’s prestigious Henry S. Mosby Award – named for the
main whose research with wild turkeys in the mid-1900s set the standard
for their management – in 2009. Among the other accolades he has
received, President George H. Bush and Congressman Dave Camp presented
Stewart with the Teddy Roosevelt Conservation Award for his work on a
barrier-free viewing and hunting platform at the Maple River State Game
Area in 1992, and in 1998, the NWTF Michigan State Chapter awarded him
the Outstanding Conservationist Award.
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