My favourite part of hunting is the people, spending time with individuals who have not forgotten what matters most and our family is no exception. When we go hunting we have a blast, we spend hours in the woods enjoying life’s simple pleasures and each other.
My sister is growing up very quickly and has now started accompanying us jump shooting. Her first duck she shot was a teal and we do not have a dog, she shot it on the water and it was about 40 yards from shore. My father hauled out his trusty “floating jigger” which consists of a chunk of wood and some grappling hooks. Unfortunately the jigger was not going to work, there were too many obstacles. My sister and I decided we would make dad a bridge to go out and retrieve our ducks.
It was mid October, the water was getting cold, and the air was no better. With lots of dead wood piled up, our father began his journey to where the ducks were. The bridge did not hold up and dad’s boots ended up filling with water. He got the ducks, and continued to guide us for the rest of the day with wet boots. All I can say is how many dads would do that for their kids? I know ours always will.
Big fish are fun to catch and make for some amazing photos, but sometimes good things come in tiny packages. My parents being from the east coast means it would probably be blasphemous if we didn’t fish. We have gone after large pike, huge salmon, monster halibut, fancy-fly ins and remote lakes. But on this trip we were doing it old school style.
We were brook trout fishing in Newfoundland. A small pole, five pound test, a few hooks, a couple of bobbers, two dozen worms and we were on our way. Newfoundland is covered in rock, bog, and tiny fishing holes. Some ponds we have pulled fish out of make football fields look as big as oceans; this is prime brook trout territory. If there is a beaver damn there you are set.
I have been doing this every year with my father since before I was old enough to walk; he would simply throw me on his back and carry me in; those were the days.
This type of fishing is perfect for kids and novice fisherman. The gear is light weight, simple, and it makes for a perfect day trip. On a bad day we will each land about 18 fish, on a good day it is not difficult to reach 100. The entire island is a honey hole for brook trout. The ease of this trip and the constant action make it perfect to hold the attention of a novice fisherman. No matter how seasoned an angler you are this east coast treasure will get you hooked.
There are six different wild turkey species: the Eastern, the Merriam’s, the Rio Grande, the Osceola, the Goulds and the Oscellated. A grand slam consists of the Eastern, the Merriam’s, the Osceola and the Rio Grande. When you add a Gould’s to that, you have a royal slam, and when you add an Oscellated you have your world.
There is also the Canadian slam that consists of an Eastern and a Merriam’s harvested in Canada; and a Mexican slam that consists of a Rio Grande, an Oscellated and a Goulds all harvested in Mexico.
If you click here you will be taken to the National Wild Turkey Federation website, and you will see a full map detailing where each species of turkey can be found. As well you can see where there are now know hybrid (a mix of the different sub-species) populations.
Scroll down the page to see all six of my world slam turkeys!
On May 20, 2009 I became the first Canadian Female to complete a wild turkey world slam.
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The sixth and final bird I had to take to complete my world slam was the Eastern. The Eastern is the most common turkey and probably the easiest to access due to the vast land it covers; which makes it strange that this is my last bird I had to get; especially considering we live in Southern Ontario, with some prime Eastern habitat. I tried for an Eastern turkey for years and years without success. He had become my arch rival and he was winning. I had travelled to Kentucky, Missouri, Arkansas, New York, Pennsylvania, and of course right here in Ontario, with no luck. But with no other sub-species left I had no choice but to face off against the Eastern.
Through Advanced taxidermy I was put in touch with John Hunt from Hunt T.V. After a few quick phone calls I was off with John, my dad and John’s camera crew to kill my Eastern.
The first morning was rather shaky, we were late getting in and the wind was howling. We moved to lower ground with no success. My heart was in my throat, was I ever going to kill an Eastern? The next day we tried a whole new place and setup. We were setup in a tree line on the edge of a field. My dad started to call, a gobbler answered. My heart starting pounding, my mouth went dry, I was shaking, I was coming down with “Buck Fever.” I had to calm down and fast, because that gobbler was coming. The gobbler came into sight about 100 yards away, and then a hen appeared. “Oh no” I screamed in my head. She was curious and mad, she came right to us and got to about twenty yards from me, I was terrified she was going to bust us. The gobbler was strutting and I could see him through a patch of leaves. I put my bead on him and squeezed my trigger; he got hit, but not fatally. He began to run; I jumped up and pounded him twice. He was down, I couldn’t breathe. I started to run for him and passed out, the excitement was overwhelming. I regained my composure and went over to my bird; my sixth and final turkey for my world slam.
Continue scrolling down to see all six of my world slam turkeys!
This Merriam’s was taken on May 6, 2009, leaving one turkey left to complete my world slam. The bird weighed sixteen and a half pounds, an eight and a half inch beard and had three quarter inch spurs. It was shot in Devils Tower, Wyoming with Whitetail Creek Outfitters.
This was my first turkey of the 09 season, and my fourth species. This Osceola was shot with Brandon Storey in Okeechobee, Florida on April 11, 2009. It was a trophy bird, weighing twenty-one pounds, sporting a ten and a half inch beard, one, one and a half inch spur, and one, one and three quarter inch spur.
This was my fourth turkey and my third species of turkey, putting me half way to my world slam on May 9, 2008. He was taken in Campeche, Mexico with Balam Outfitters. He weighed ten and a half pounds, and had one and a half inch spurs.
Rio Grande Turkey, shot on the King Ranch in Texas on April 11, 2008. My first turkey was shot at the same place my little sister had shot her first turkey the previous year.
