US Super Slam for Turkeys?

[Derekc6713]

Anyone on RokSlide in the process of completing a US Super Slam or has already completed it? If you are how many states have you completed? Which state was the toughest? Most pressured? Easiest? Any tips? I’m interested in attempting it over the course of my lifetime. Seems like it’s a difficult slam that is actually achievable with enough time and effort. So far I just got one lol. My home state of PA. Hoping to tag one in NY this Spring.

 

[Steve O]

Not sure what that is but I am missing the Osceola for my Royal Slam. I have a Gould’s from AZ and that was a long time coming. I’ve found the Osceola to be the most difficult because I don’t want to spend $3000 for a turkey hunt and the public I’ve been on in southern Florida has not worked out.

I’ve hunted 14 states for turkeys. Is a super slam hunting them in all 49 states?

 

[Derekc6713]

Yep the super slam is a turkey in every state except Alaska. I’ve heard the Osceola is a more difficult bird to tag if you don’t go guided. A lot of pressure on public makes them tone down their gobbling. I haven’t done a ton of research but I’m pretty sure there are some WMAs that you can to apply for where they limit the amount of hunters and the hunting is better. That’s awesome you managed to get Goulds tag in AZ. Is that as a non res? How long did it take to draw ? I figure I’ll be going to Mexico when I attempt a Goulds hunt.

 

[flathead#2]

Not sure what that is but I am missing the Osceola for my Royal Slam. I have a Gould’s from AZ and that was a long time coming. I’ve found the Osceola to be the most difficult because I don’t want to spend $3000 for a turkey hunt and the public I’ve been on in southern Florida has not worked out.

I’ve hunted 14 states for turkeys. Is a super slam hunting them in all 49 states?

Florida public is a nightmare.

 

[Steve O]

Yes it took about 15 years to draw as a NR. Awesome birds. Took a Merriams in AZ as well.

 

[deerhunt1988]

Finished my super slam last year in Delaware. All states have been public land/open trespass except Nevada and Texas. I drew a good Texas WMA quota hunt this spring. Sitting on 5 bonus points in Nevada, hopefully I can draw one of the two public land tags there in the next decade or so.

Toughest States: For simply killing a turkey, deep south easterns are about as stubborn as they come. And they also get pressured more than any others except public land Osceolas. I've killed a fair amount of public land Osceolas and on the places I've hunted, they aren't any more difficult than deep south easterns. Other hunters are the issue.

Most Pressured: At a regional level, Southeast public land. Although with this new turkey craze its getting pretty ridiculous all over. I've hunted some atlantic states recently that kind of blew my mind with the pressure. Last year two of those was CT and Rhode Island. One state where the pressure REALLY caught me off guard was California. We'd roosted some birds evening before the opener and ended up having like 10 trucks parked on us opening morning. And there was only like 1,100 acres to hunt. it was outright dangerous. Crazy morning but we got one and decided to relocate. Found more birds an hour or so away and they had almost just as many people after them.

The new "toughest" state for slammers is going to be Nevada simply due to access. When I started applying for Nevada, there were 7 or 8 non-resident tags in the draw and only 48 non-residents applied in 2019. I'm willing to bet the number of applicants has at least tripled since due to slam popularity and the number of tags has dropped to FOUR. The most popular area for landowner tags recently got snatched up by an outfitter and the same tag i paid $300 for in 2023 now has an asking price of $3,000+.


Tips: Hurry the hell up and get it over with ASAP because the cost and difficulty is increasing at an astronomical and alarming rate. States are having to limit non-residents due to the travel turkey craze and jacking prices up. Go ahead and pay the $3,000 for a Nevada bird before it becomes a $7,500 turkey.

The popularity of the US Super Slam has grown exponentially in the last few years due to social media. It is to the point I'm almost embarrassed to even admit i'm a slammer. A lot of the folks deciding to do it now had no clue what a super slam was 5 years ago. It used to be somewhat of a "sacred" thing, but has since been tarnished. Folks are willing to do whatever it takes to kill a turkey and "check" that state off. I've witnessed things in recent years that will blow your mind. And hear stories every spring from my turkey buds that just make me shake my head.

I'm thrilled to be finished and can hunt a lot less stress free now. Back to hunting more with family and friends. This spring I'm revisiting some of my favorite states, one I haven't hunted since 2012. Already had to buy tags and apply for two of the states, states that I could just go buy OTC tags for last time I hunted them at much cheaper prices. Thanks to the turkey craze I'm paying a lot more money for fewer tags. The amount of lost opportunities in recent years is mind blowing. Oh well, hopefully all the new, and incoming non-resident restrictions help the hunting quality.

All that being said, Good Luck!

 

[deerhunt1988]

I'll leave you with one of our new favorite jokes.

"How do you someone is a super slammer? Just wait a minute, they'll tell you"

Think on that one a minute.