Turkey Slam.

[Elkpiss]

Just curious to how many people on here have got the slam on this site, Multi-single season?  I need a couple rio's and I would have 2 muti's.. ive gone for it one year for a single season and came up short with the Rio and time.. That was years ago when i had the time to do that and gas wasnt as much... Just curious, wish i could take a whole month off to chase thunder chickens.. its addicting as hell... I think Turkey Hunting is exactly like elk hunting tactically wise so its a good tune up..

[yelp]

I got a single season in 1998.  I know of a few other guys that have done it more than I.  I will do it again with my son..just not right now.  Maybe in the next couple seasons we will try.  That eastern is the toughy!  Well for some of us anyways! 

[Turkeyman]

Few times. Takes time and money.

[Limhangerslayer]

I have hunted easterns twice for the slam but never connected, my dad got his in 98'  and my cousin got his slam in 04'.  His bird he got on that trip had just under 1 1/2" spurs and an 11 1/4" beard

[Turkeyman]

eastern get great spurs and thick beards. Love hunting Easterns first bird i killed turkey hunting in Washington in 1993

[WABONEHNTR]

I am 1 turkey away from the world slam.  Just need the Osceola. 

[Turkeyman]

tried for the Osceola in 2002 no luck for me went to late in the season.

[lokidog]

A couple of years I have gone two of three, eastern+merriams, rio+merriams, merriams+eastern... so I guess multi-year has come and gone, just haven't managed to close the trifecta in one year.  I never did the official thing, not even sure how.  I think it says how in the regs but I'm too lazy to bother I guess.

[Tom Tamer]

Got my 1st. Multi season last year, finally boppin' a Rio. Just never have the money to go all out. So stick closer to home and chase Merriam's and Easterns mostly.

[turkeydancer]

Although I've harvested numerous Merriams and Rios, I've made rookie mistakes a number of times with Easterns ....
 

[Elkpiss]

I think getting a slam is a real accomplishment that is kinda over looked in the hunting world.. Especially in this state, the Eastern in obviously tough as hell to get but just getting the time to chase them all down is another demon.. I would kill the eastern fist then go after a the Merriam and hopefully kill him quick then go after the Rio.. Or do it completely backwards, and hopefully kill a quick Merriam and Rio so you can spend more time chasing an Eastern cause there so tough to get.. Definitely not an easy task and I think the single season slams are a Huge accomplishment.. A single slam is definitely on my bucket list...

[Phantom Gobbler]

Down to needing an Osceola to complete a multi-year slam.  But at a minimum of $1,250 for a semi-guided hunt plus airfare etc.  Might be a few more years before I give it a try.  Have had fun hunting out of state in NE & NW Kansas, Tennessee, Kentucky, SW Oregon and now planning a hunt to SW Nebraska this year.   

[MtnMuley]

Go get the easy Merriam first. Then get the rather easy Rio. This can be easily done in a week. Spend the rest of the season on the Eastern, which is closest to you anyway. If you've scouted an Eastern and feel you have a decent chance, then give him the first day. 

[Wacenturion]

One (1) single and two (2) multi-season slams. 

[Wacenturion]

Go get the easy Merriam first. Then get the rather easy Rio. This can be easily done in a week. Spend the rest of the season on the Eastern, which is closest to you anyway. If you've scouted an Eastern and feel you have a decent chance, then give him the first day. 

I would suggest just the opposite.  Get the Eastern first.  They are in my opinion, easier to kill at the front end of the season.  Many years they could care less in mid to late May.  My experience anyway.  If you get the Eastern first, you have a chance, but as we all know, it's still turkey hunting.

However, MtnMuley's advice can also work.  Either way, you'll need some good ol' luck somewhere along the way.



 

[Elkpiss]

Ya i think that would be the best way, get the easy ones out of the way first..  .. then get the Eastern...  You have to Kill your Marriam and Rio pretty dam quick to give yourself a good chance at the Eastern..  Ive killed a few Easterns and hunt them every year and have honestly seen a decline in numbers in the last 5-8 years.. I still have some good spots, but killing a Eastern Tom is the equivilant to killing a 180 Mule Deer, 350 Bull, 60 inch bull moose, ect.. You get the point No Easy task.. 

[Wacenturion]

Ya i think that would be the best way, get the easy ones out of the way first..  .. then get the Eastern...  You have to Kill your Marriam and Rio pretty dam quick to give yourself a good chance at the Eastern..  Ive killed a few Easterns and hunt them every year and have honestly seen a decline in numbers in the last 5-8 years.. I still have some good spots, but killing a Eastern Tom is the equivilant to killing a 180 Mule Deer, 350 Bull, 60 inch bull moose, ect.. You get the point No Easy task.. 

Interesting comment......................

 "Ive killed a few Easterns and hunt them every year and have honestly seen a decline in numbers in the last 5-8 years."

I would also suggest that the time frame you mention is just about right for the habitat they prefer and are using to change enough for them to move somewhere else in proximity that replicates what they were in the previous several years.  It always amazes me how quickly an Eastern honey hole can disappear and reappear somewhere over the hill or down the valley due to changes and growth in the habitat they are using.

Of interest is the harvest in the Turkey pamphlet.  Looking at the western Washington Eastern areas, P40 and P50, you'll see harvest is actually increasing, particularly in P50, the southwest areas .  Figures below are 1996-2010.  Considering the difficulty to take an Eastern in Washington, and the probable increase number of those trying, it appears they are still doing their thing.  Only it may just be as I said...over the hill or down the valley.

P40  4   1   1   0  1   2   7  9 15 10   8   9  3   5 10
P50 26 36 40 46 48 47 54 52 54 53 77 62 50 65 89

[turkeydancer]

  
I agree wholeheartedly.

But I kind of wonder if due to the recent economy causing more hunters to stay closer to home if the numbers might be slightly skewed.  Maybe not as much as I think, because I see more sign and more birds each year (especially since I first started hunting them).  Then again, maybe I'm getting better at knowing where to look and finding their sign ... ie:  even a blind squirrel can occasionally find a nut or two.
 

[Wacenturion]

Dancer.....good point.  That's obviously part of it now that you mention it.  The more time one puts in, the better they start to understand how to hunt the toughest Eastern in the country.  Just like with any game species.  What frustrates folks is that hunting Easterns in western Washington is so different from hunting turkeys anywhere else in the state or elsewhere for that matter.  It's mostly no see em, no hear em....just got to walk one's behind off month's before the opener behind gates to find droppings.  Then you have be patient enough to hunt that sh***y spot from dark to dark...literally.

I have said for years that Washington's Eastern Wild Turkey is the hardest turkey to kill in the country, but at the same time it is also the easiest.  Folks with multiple Eastern kills in western Washington know what I'm referring to.  Just ask Turkeyman.   

What I mean specifically is that if you spend the time, burn the boot leather, find droppings, kick them off the road so no one else see them (called being paranoid), stay on them until the opener, and have the patience to believe in and hunt the droppings without sight or sound of a turkey, you will become experienced enough to eventually kill one.

Once you have done that, you realize that because of what you have invested, you are essentially hunting without competition on a pod of birds, that tend to be in small bunches here and there and you have their number.  i prefer soft infrequent calling with the mindset of initially for the first hour or so trying to convince any turkey within hearing distance that I'm are the real deal...a turkey.   Eventually and more times than naught, this will pay off sometime during the day if you don't screw it up.  You may have to relocate, improvise, go to your bag of tricks, etc., just like with any turkey hunt.  When it does happen all you generally see is two black sticks walking through the brushy understory coming torward you.  Harvest usually occurs at point blank range.  Of course that varies by terrain and cover, but this has been my experience.  Maybe I just like close encounters.

[Elkpiss]

Those Easterns are definitely out there, and your right they do just move a hill over or what not.. I have killed a few of them, and have choked many times on them but that's what makes it fun.. Lots of variables in hunting those ghost's, I think your right though you have to call soft at them, I have only really had couple encounters with them that was a all out gobble war and they come right in, and usually you hear a gobble and work it for hours, its like a bull moose sometimes, they will circle you..  Its the ultimate challenge in hunting WA in my opinion.. that's what makes it fun too, its a good accomplishment killing a WA Eastern.. The first bird i called in and killed myself was a Eastern right behind my house in the pooring rain, and i was out in the woods for 15 minutes called twice and it went nuts gobbling and came right in.. I thought it was going to be easy after that... lol I was 17 when i got that 1, i am 28 now and hunt them yearly & religiously and have only killed 2 more... I think i have jumped more Eastern Toms on the logging roads walking to my spot, or walking out from my hunt and bust one right in the road right as i call it quits.. Patience is my biggest advice hunting Easterns, I can tell you how many times i have said, Why didn't I wait 10 more minutes.. 

[yelp]

Easterns are easy!  In 1998..I went out to a spot sat down called one in and shot it???  Just saying..I am batting 100%.  I haven't been back yet.  Someday.  Wacenturian keeps telling me of the cougar hole I don't know if I want to go back!    

[Wacenturion]

Easterns are easy!  In 1998..I went out to a spot sat down called one in and shot it???  Just saying..I am batting 100%.  I haven't been back yet.  Someday.  Wacenturian keeps telling me of the cougar hole I don't know if I want to go back!   

Yeah....but you almost left early and blew it if I remember right....been awhile.

[BOWHUNTER45]

yeah it seems the easterns were pretty easy back in the 90s especially around the early 90s ... They have gotten alittle tuffer now ... I think a few of those birds shot in the early 90s were banded ....but not sure   

[Wacenturion]

yeah it seems the easterns were pretty easy back in the 90s especially around the early 90s ... They have gotten alittle tuffer now ... I think a few of those birds shot in the early 90s were banded ....but not sure   

No they weren't easy back in the 90's.  Not many banded ones that I recall except for one or two harvested by other folks.  Even then, those banded birds I was aware of had been out there for a couple years.  Took tons of time as I explained above.  Hope I'm not taking it wrong but somehow I sense a note of sarcasm, like someone was hunting planted birds.  Perhaps you didn't mean it that way and if so I apologize.  I just get defensive as I've heard it all over the years, most of it untrue jealous rhetoric from people who don't know what the hell they are talking about.   

[BrushChimp]

Oh man! I woulda-coulda-shoulda had a slam back in 2004 when I was 16. I had been hunting this wily old Eastern tom for a couple years when for some reason Jason Phelps and I decided to take a mutual friend (who had never turkey hunted in his life) out and let him have first shot on opening morning. We had little faith until just after daylight when this tom flies 300 yards across this draw right into our lap and our friend shoots him. I went to Eastern WA later that year and shot a Rio and Merriam. I may have been the youngest person to get the WA Slam. I was definitely on my mind at the time. Single season. April 15-May 15. I think that is probably the only way to do it. Single spring season or bust. That is probably the worst mistake I've made in my hunting career to date..... dang. 

[Turkeyman]

Finding fresh sign and strutting area's is the key then have a ton of patience trust your set up. soft calling is better you don't here eastern hens calling loud. i cluck and purr allot with a slate if its raining use a glass call. make a blind or use a ground blind it will allow you to stay longer. Try to find birds that aren't getting pressure makes things easier.

[yelp]

Finding fresh sign and strutting area's is the key then have a ton of patience trust your set up. soft calling is better you don't here eastern hens calling loud. i cluck and purr allot with a slate if its raining use a glass call. make a blind or use a ground blind it will allow you to stay longer. Try to find birds that aren't getting pressure makes things easier.

Squeal a lot too...right?

[yelp]

Easterns are easy!  In 1998..I went out to a spot sat down called one in and shot it???  Just saying..I am batting 100%.  I haven't been back yet.  Someday.  Wacenturian keeps telling me of the cougar hole I don't know if I want to go back!   

Yeah....but you almost left early and blew it if I remember right....been awhile.

Noo!???  I knew what I was doing!  LOL  Actually I thought it was a dog barking.  As got closer I could make out the gobble.  The salal and understory sucks up the sound for sure!

[Turkeyman]

Squeal a lot too...right? I don't give out all my secrets Yelp...

[Turkeyman]

Eddie Salter would be proud of you Yelp. You are now a pro squealer on video

[yelp]

Eddie Salter would be proud of you Yelp. You are now a pro squealer on video

Not sure I am a pro..but I wish they would have edited in some running turkeys!

[BOWHUNTER45]

Man ....you guys need to show more evidence of this squealer working... I never tried it...BUT A buddy did and they ran off ... but he also told me that it is one hell of a locator call  Now how many birds have we actually killed with this thing...just asking and not being a butt head.....we all have our little secrets and maybe I may toss out a very hot one some day..... 

[BOWHUNTER45]

ALL and at this time I am having one hell of a time trying to sleep because I am hearing gobblers going off in my head right at around 4:15 am 

[mtnseth]

I got the single season slam in 2009.  Bagged the eastern the first day, then the Merriams on 4/22 and, finally, the RIO on May 12.  The Rio was the tough one for me that year, since I really didn't know the area I was hunting. 

But I put a lot of miles (and two seasons of tag soup) to get that eastern, so overall, it's the hardest piece of the puzzle.  I've come close the last two years on easterns, but couldn't seal the deal.  In 2010 I had one gobble behind me at 10 feet.  I have still have the stained shorts to prove it!  Last season I passed on a bird and helped a buddy get his eastern on opening day after 17 years of trying (he went on to get the single season slam).  I spent the rest of 2011 staying on the west side hunting one bird.  I named him the 1 o'clock gobbler, since he never made a peep all day until 1 p.m.  Then he would gobble his head off.  This behavior went on for 3 or 4 days.  I finally had him patterned, but blew it by getting up to move closer as he was coming in silently.  I just saw a pair of legs and a long beard bookin' it into the timber.  Never heard another peep out of him for the rest of the season.

This year I've done some scouting and have seen plenty of sign in the same area.  I know where I'll be on Sunday morning.

[The Gobble-stopper]

NOt that I know what I'm talking about, but I'd like to give you some advice on the Rio. I've got the single season 8 years in a row. Id take a few days off and head to Lincoln county. Head North of Davenport to a little town, called "Miles" right on the river, stop in the store up the hill from the river. And normally if you stop there in the evening, there's a guy in there. If you buy a map from him of the area, he will show you how to get on the state land to the south. The trick is, dont bring you own map, he wants you to buy his. The land in this area is checkerboarded with private and state and hard to figure out, which is which. Some of the state land only touches the road at a point and that is where you cross. I've found these to be quite rewarding and usually very large flocked. So be prepared to do some sweet talking. Hey good luck, and thank you for mentioning how hard it is. I have a buddy that thinks this is a walk in the park. It took me 24 days one time, day after day, muffing on the eastern, one year and coming up empty handed. Even now, I dont want to say I know everything, cause the first time I think I do, that will be the end of my streak. So I too keep chugging on, like the rest of us.

[turkeydancer]

 

Hi MtnSeth :   Long time no see.  If you get the other two and just need the Rio, I may be able to send you to a friend who has 600 acres with a few hundred Rios on it.
 

[Tom Tamer]

Easterns are easy!  In 1998..I went out to a spot sat down called one in and shot it???  Just saying..I am batting 100%.  I haven't been back yet.  Someday.  Wacenturian keeps telling me of the cougar hole I don't know if I want to go back!   
[/quote
Yeah....but you almost left early and blew it if I remember right....been awhile.

Noo!???  I knew what I was doing!  LOL  Actually I thought it was a dog barking.  As got closer I could make out the gobble.  The salal and understory sucks up the sound for sure!

 That dog barking thing kills me...We saw a tom on some ground we could not hunt. We were calling to him, but I kept hearing that " distant do barking"...until I noticed the toms tail move evrytime I heard the " bark" We couldn't see his head but he was no more than 250yds from us. When I realized what the " bark" was I instantly got pissed...because like I told Dad if we realized now how many Toms answering our call and we just left the area in past years. Never understood why a dog that sounde a mile away would always answer a turkey call ;p"

[Tom Tamer]

Eddie Salter would be proud of you Yelp. You are now a pro squealer on video

Not sure I am a pro..but I wish they would have edited in some running turkeys!

 Now that's funny right there LOL. Just as long as you use tape on the footage and get a cheesy edit break in the run.

[BOWHUNTER45]

quote .... BUT I wish they would have edited in some running turkeys  Thats what I am saying  JUST given ya sheet Eric ...put please someone prove to me this thing works ..Do not edit it LIKE SALTER   

[Tom Tamer]

Last year I think was the closest I've ssen or heard where it worked. I did buy one, thinking what the heck I've wasted $20 on worse before. While I've seen comments and can agree a little to what yelp has said in the past about a timing issue of when birds would be more apt to here it or use it. With that said I'm of the mind set of that may not always be the case just due to the lack of rationalization Turkeys have. Now to shorten this up, laswt year while admiring a friends tom , Him both our Dads and I heard what we thought just to be another springtime songbird sound we usually deem as background noise.But it was not and I noticed and asked if everyone heard it.They did. So I pulled out the squealer and tried it,and asked if that was the same sound. We just heard. Everyone agreed. So I think it may be a vocalization they use that we're not paying attention to. The folowing day I battled a nice tom w/ hens and the hens won out.As a last ditch effort I tried the squeal. Now he did not come, probably the one in hand/two in the bush thing. But he did Triple gobble at it twice. I personally have never had a single tom triple gobble at a shock response....Just sayin. It's no ringing endorsement but was enough to have me. Keep it inthe vest and continue research.