Book Your Adventure
1-800-346-8747

Blog Posts > Outdoor Skills > Turkey Slams

Turkey Slams

WTA Team

| April 12, 2019

WTA Team
April 12, 2019

Species: Turkey

Here at WTA, we book a pile of hunting and fishing trips each year, and it never fails that turkey hunts are one of our most popular offerings.

There is a myriad of reasons for the popularity of turkey hunting. Its another species to chase when the elk and deer have their spring/summer reprieve. The waterfowl boats, blinds and decoys are put away and the fishing rods just are not quite ready to come out yet. It is a very interactive hunt, great for beginners and great for kids, as they get to hear birds gobble, yelp, purr and cluck. Additionally, these hunts are attainable for the ‘everyday guy’ from an access and affordability standpoint. What I mean by that is there are turkey seemingly everywhere and even the highest priced outfitted turkey hunt is affordable by today’s hunt cost standards. Oh, and did I mention, it is just flat-out a bunch of fun to chase these dudes around! All of these things make turkey hunting very attractive, but probably the thing I hear the most is the fact that it is a “Slam” that is achievable for most. We assist many clients, with completing their Slam, whether it is the last leg of their journey or they need everything start-to-finish.

The three different Turkey Slams are as follows below:

The Grand Slam – Which is the harvesting of the Eastern, Merriams, Osceola and Rio Grande sub species.

(I joke with guys a lot and tell them they are not finished until they come the Nebraska and harvest a hybrid, which depending on what part of the state you are in, could be a (Merriam/Rio) cross or (Eastern/Rio) cross. When you do that then you have the “Grander Slam”)

Royal Slam – Which is the harvesting of your Grand Slam plus a Goulds turkey

World Slam – Which is the harvesting of your Royal Slam plus an Ocellated turkey.

Here at WTA we have everything you need to get in the turkey woods and complete that Slam. Our turkey outfitters have probably been professionally vetted. There is an unbelievable amount of turkey knowledge sitting in this office, and no matter which Consultant you speak with, you will be very well taken care of. We cover everything from Easterns in the states of Kansas, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Iowa and Kentucky to Rios in Texas, Oklahoma and Kansas. We offer hunts for true Merriams in New Mexico, South Dakota, northwest Nebraska, Wyoming and Utah. Goulds in Sonora, Mexico, and through the draw in Arizona – and last but not least – the Ocellated turkey in the jungles of Campeche, Mexico.

Whether you are trying to do the full turkey hunt World Slam, or just want to book high-quality, single species over a long weekend – WTA can help. This is the time of year to start locking-in prime dates for 2020 and to look at last minute offers for the 2019 season. Give us a call today at 1-800-346-8747 and we will be glad to assist you.

Recent Articles

Remembering Our Dear Friend, Mike Mason

WTA Team November 18, 2025

Limited-Entry Alaska Dall Sheep: North America’s Pinnacle Hunt

Eric Pawlak November 5, 2025

My Alaska Range Grizzly Adventure

Joe Griffin November 4, 2025

Popular Turkey Hunts

Central Montana Merriam’s Turkey

Merriams Turkey ·

Montana

From

$1,950

Outfitter #1081

MT- Yellowstone River Merriam’s

Merriams Turkey ·

Montana

From

$2,500

Outfitter #1031

Remembering Our Dear Friend, Mike Mason

November 18, 2025

Alaska

Dall Sheep

Limited-Entry Alaska Dall Sheep: North America’s Pinnacle Hunt

November 5, 2025

Saskatchewan

Waterfowl

Chasing Waterfowl from North to South

October 27, 2025

Wyoming’s Preference Point Deadline Is Approaching: October 31

Preference Point Deadline: October 31, 2025

The deadline to purchase Wyoming preference points is October 31. If WTA is already managing your TAGS applications, you’re all set. If not, don’t miss the chance to secure points this year. It’s the perfect time to talk with a TAGS consultant to start a new portfolio or grow your existing one.

Wyoming’s system is unique. Unlike other states, you don’t automatically receive a preference point if you’re unsuccessful in the draw. Instead, you must log in after July 1 and purchase your points separately. Building points is critical if you want a shot at drawing a Wyoming tag. Over-the-counter opportunities are a thing of the past. Today, only 25% of non-resident tags are issued randomly. The other 75% go to applicants with the highest point totals.

If you want to hunt big game in Wyoming, building preference points isn’t optional…it’s essential.

Watch Wyoming Video

While preference points are an investment in the future, don’t let that keep you from starting now. While Wyoming has units that require 18+ points, there are also good opportunities to hunt sooner. There are elk, deer, and antelope hunts that can be drawn with 0–3 points. Think about it this way—the more points you have, the more options you have.

View Wyoming TAGS Hunts

If you’re serious about trophy-class western hunting, Arizona should be a top priority. With coveted Desert and Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep tags, the chance to draw world-class mule deer permits, and outstanding opportunities for Coues deer, the Grand Canyon State offers some of the most exceptional big game hunting in North America. However, drawing a tag is no easy feat—Arizona’s structured, bonus point-based draw system is designed to reward persistence.

That’s where WTA TAGS comes in.

We do more than help you apply—we help you draw. And once you do, we ensure you make the most of it by connecting you with the state’s top professional outfitters, giving you the best possible shot at success.

Deadline to Apply: June 3 for Deer and Sheep. Draw Post Date: Late July for Deer and…

Frozen Arrow: A South Dakota Bison Hunt

Bison are the West’s enduring icon, roaming the plains by the millions before nearly vanishing, only to return through ranch conservation efforts. Today, 90% of them live on ranches, where hunters help fund and manage herds. I’d seen bison in parks, but bowhunting one was the dream. South Dakota’s open country felt right, so I called Worldwide Trophy Adventures, and they set me up with a top-notch outfitter.

The hunt required unique gear. South Dakota’s winter can be brutal. We expected windchills to drop into the -30° F range during our trip, cold enough to frostbite fingers in minutes. I packed heavy wool layers, insulated boots, and fingerless gloves under mittens, knowing I’d need to pull them off to shoot my bow. WTA handled all the logistics. All I had to do was get there.

I drove from Michigan, loaded with empty coolers for meat and space for the hide and skull. The outfitter’s setup was a cluster of small houses around a central lodge, clean and warm with cozy beds. We ate home-cooked dishes in the lodge, hearty meals that fueled our long, frigid days. My guide, Shannon, was excellent. He loves his job and hunts hard, even during nasty weather.

We planned the hunt over beers in the lodge that first night. Bison are solitary, not in herds this time of year, making them tough to find. We’d glass from high points, then stalk on foot. Although the terrain seems flat, it’s full of dips and ridges that bison use to get out of the wind.

Day one, we glassed from a hill, scanning miles of icy grass. Nothing. After a few hours, we got intel on a bull near a watering tank an hour away. We drove out and huddled in a low, swampy area to make a plan. Just as Shannon said, “Bison can appear out of nowhere,” one crested the ridge behind us. We ducked into the reeds, barely hidden. He closed to 45 yards, his long horns gleaming in the blowing grass, but the strong wind made a bow shot a low-percentage opportunity. We chose to let the bull walk, opting to wait for better conditions and a more ethical shot.

We spotted him a mile out with three cows. Shannon set up a brand-new, custom screenprinted bison decoy along a tree line. We hid in a blowdown, hoping to draw him close enough for a shot. The bull came right to the decoy but stayed 60 yards out. Again, it was too windy to shoot. He moved off fast, trailing the cows. We attempted other stalks, but the cows’ sharp eyes kept us pinned out of range. Beat, we headed back to the lodge for a hot meal and playoff football, planning to pick them up in the morning.

Day two was -30° F with wind chill, but the wind had laid down substantially and calmer air meant I could reach further with my bow. We picked up the bull and his cows early. One cow locked onto us, staring for minutes, forcing a slow crawl through a frozen marsh. We closed the distance, but they fed away and out of the area. I couldn’t believe how slow they looked yet how fast they moved through the landscape.

We picked them up again, grazing in a huge open area with a single tree line cutting through it. Using the trees as cover, we crept up, tree by tree, to avoid the watchful eyes of those wary cows. When we snuck within range, I slipped off my mittens, the cold burning my fingers, and nocked an arrow. The first shot hit the bull’s heart. His massive body barely flinched. A second arrow struck true, moving him left and behind a cow. He was mortally wounded, but I wanted to end things quickly. I nocked another arrow and sent it through his lungs. He dropped in 30 seconds after my last shot. My nerves were shot, my whiskers frozen, my fingers numb, but I had dropped a great bull bison with my bow.

The dead bull was beautiful. His horns, wide and tall like goalposts and worn smooth, were unique, Shannon said. His thick coat puffed dust when I slapped it, his blood frozen on the icy ground. Bison are an American icon and taking this one with a bow was amazing.

I took my bull to a nearby butcher, and within 24 hours, it was ready. They showed me the broadhead slashes in his heart, clean and lethal. The meat filled my coolers, the skull went to a taxidermist in Michigan, and the hide’s being tanned for mittens and hats—wonderful reminders of the hunt.

The cold was the toughest part of this hunt, colder than anything I’d experienced, but it made it unforgettable. For a bison hunt, this one’s hard to beat.

Learn About this Bison Hunt Watch the Hunt