The 2025 turkey season is fast approaching, and hunters are eagerly awaiting the chance to pursue America’s favorite game bird, the wild turkey.
While some hunters will be content to hunt in their home state, others will embark on a more ambitious quest: the pursuit of a wild turkey slam.
This involves hunting different subspecies of wild turkey in different states or countries.
But what exactly is a turkey slam, and what does it mean for the future of wild turkey hunting? What are the pros and cons of pursuing one of the turkey slams? Let’s take a closer look below.
Explaining the Slam
First, let’s start by learning what is recognized as a “slam” within the turkey hunting community. Like many sports and competitions around the world, there is always a grand prize.
In football it’s the Lombardi Trophy. The Stanley Cup in hockey. Considered one of the biggest feats in turkey hunting, the crown jewel for a hunter is the achievement of one or more of the various turkey slams.
According to the National Wild Turkey Federation (NWTF), six different turkey hunting slams are recognized by the organization.
In order to accomplish a slam, a hunter must harvest and register a particular set of subspecies to be acknowledged for one or more of the slams listed below.
Grand Slam – The Grand Slam is achieved by a hunter who successfully harvests and registers all four of the U.S. Subspecies. Those subspecies are the Eastern, Osceola, Rio Grande and Merriam’s.
Royal Slam – The Royal Slam includes the same four subspecies as the Grand Slam as well as the Gould’s, a subspecies found in Mexico and a small portion of the southwestern U.S.
World Slam – The World Slam encapsulates all five subspecies of the American turkey as well as the Ocellated. The Ocellated wild turkey is found in Mexico and Central America.
U.S. Super Slam – To achieve the U.S. Super Slam a hunter must harvest a wild turkey in every state excluding Alaska.
Canadian Slam – A Canadian Slam challenges hunters to harvest the Eastern and Merriam’s in a Canadian province. Those Canadian provinces include Ontario, Quebec, Manitoba, Alberta or British Colombia.
Mexican Slam – Lastly, the Mexican Slam consists of harvesting a Rio Grande, Gould’s and Ocellated wild turkey in Mexico only.
History of the NWTF Wild Turkey Records
The National Wild Turkey Federation’s Wild Turkey Records Program began in 1982 after receiving ownership from Col. Dave Harbour, a renowned outdoor writer and hunter.
According to the NWTF website, the record book has since accumulated more than 34,000 registered wild turkeys.
Upon completion of a successful harvest or slam, hunters can simply register their bird(s) online or by mail to enter the harvest into the record book.
The database then compiles this information to determine who has achieved the completion of a slam.
Hunters recognized for accomplishing their slam(s) will receive a slam certificate for each successful slam, a wild turkey record slam pin for each slam, and their name on the NWTF Wild Turkey Records website.
Slam Statistics
Thanks to the NWTF record book, a hunter’s dedication and hard work can be showcased.
There are obviously many more out there, but below are statistics on the number of individuals who have successfully completed and registered their slam with the NWTF to date.
Grand Slam – 1893
Royal Slam – 745
World Slam – 439
U.S. Super Slam – 17
Canadian Slam – 13
Mexican Slam – 35
The Pros and Cons of the Slams?
In recent years, the popularity of slam completion is on the rise and shows no signs of slowing. This can be seen across all outdoor media platforms.
Hunters are eager to share their success with their peers. Likewise, concerns surrounding wild turkey habitat and populations throughout their range are also on the rise, making some question whether the pursuit of the turkey slam is good for the future of this great game bird.
Let’s first begin with some advantages of a wild turkey slam. Goals are quintessential to life as we know it. Without them we would have no future visions or anything to drive us forward. Motivation would simply cease to exist.
So, as a turkey hunter, having goals is valuable to the longevity of the sport we love. Our ambitions are diverse among the turkey hunting community, and completing one or more of the various slams is one for which you can certainly be proud.
Pushing yourself outside of your comfort zone, while learning more about the wild turkey and the places they call home is a notable accomplishment in itself.
Even better, to achieve your goal in succeeding in your slam pursuit is an extremely rewarding feat that most hunters will not accomplish in a lifetime.
Another added benefit to the slam is the positive impacts it has on communities that hunters visit. Local public lands, businesses and the overall economy benefit directly from visiting hunters in pursuit of a slam and the money they spend while there.
Some communities rely heavily on out of state outdoorsmen who seek wild game in their region. Non-resident licensing, travel expenses, food, and lodging are all benefits to a local community that hosts hunters.
The list of those that are positively impacted by these hardcore slam hunters is extensive.
Lastly, and most importantly, is the positive impact the slam has on the wild turkey itself. The National Wild Turkey Federation’s mission is the conservation of the wild turkey and the preservation of our hunting heritage.
This means registering your harvest with the NWTF Wild Turkey Records not only recognizes you for your impressive achievement but also helps fund the conservation of our beloved game bird.
According to the NWTF website, with the help of hunter memberships, donations, and harvest registration fees, the organization has conserved or enhanced over 22 million acres of wild turkey habitat. This has opened more than 700 thousand acres for hunters across the wild turkey’s range, while recruiting a stunning 1.5 million new hunters since 2012.
By participating in the pursuit of a slam, your contribution to the NWTF will directly impact the wild turkey, in a positive way.
Approximately 90% of these expenses are invested in mission related endeavors. An investment with influence.
But what about the negatives? Social media, whether we like it or not, is here to stay. For every beneficial interaction on these platforms, it seems that there is also a combating negative one.
Most hunters post with positive influence in mind, often using the platform to showcase their accomplishment while spreading awareness and knowledge on behalf of the wild turkey.
Others posts, whether intentionally or unintentionally, can have the opposite effect. Social media bragging and belittling is observed daily.
When it comes to turkey slams specifically, I’m now seeing an increase in videos focusing on “how quickly” one can complete the slam, almost emitting an arrogance and a “look what I can do” attitude in them.
While I’m sure these videos have no ill intent, something about them doesn’t sit well with me. Is this how we want to showcase such a remarkable achievement?
Thankfully, I believe, this is more of a social media problem than it is a problem with the slam itself.
Another cause for concern revolves around the turkey population itself. Is taking a slam ethical or sustainable long term?
As wild turkeys across the land face a wall of overgrown forests, a lack of early successional habitat, an invasion of predation, evolved hunting strategies and the ever-growing human impact on the landscape; it’s hard not to question whether we should pursue the slam or not.
Thankfully, with the help of hunters, habitat managers, game departments, and habitat driven organizations, wild turkeys have huntable populations throughout their ranges.
And while I don’t believe taking a slam will lead to an excessive consumption of the resource itself, I do urge hunters to head afield with conservation in mind.
We are stewards of the land, so be mindful of your presence and impact while on your journey as your goal should reach far beyond the personal satisfaction of completing a slam.
Like the old saying says, “leave it better than you found it.”
The National Wild Turkey Federation summed it up best.
“Save the Habitat, Save the Hunt.”
From the mixed hardwoods of Canada, down to jungles of Central America and 49 U.S. states in between, the pursuit of a wild turkey slam presents an adventure like no other.
It’s a journey sure to test even the most seasoned hunter’s skill set. So, this spring, whether you intend to harvest your first bird in pursuit of a slam, or aim to punch your tag on your final subspecies, be sure to slow down and enjoy what we love most about this time of year.
The rising sun in a hardwood timber. The thunderous gobble of a boss gobbler. The spit and drum of a closing bird.
The Wild Turkey.
