Has anyone ever gone for a grand slam? I'm looking to take a road trip in the next couple years and try my hand at it. I'm thinking I'll stick around here in setx for the eastern, head down to south Texas for the rio, South Dakota for the Merriam, and Florida for the Osceola. Anyone ever done anything like this?

Good luck on finding a huntable population of Eastern turkeys in SETex, or any place in Texas for that matter. TP&W is working hard to re-establish the Eastern race here, but progress has been very slow and tags scarce.

I've always thought that taking a turkey Grand Slam in one year would be a lotta fun(I'd look at Alabama, Florida, Texas, and northern New Mexico). You could even add on a couple extra birds to your four......a Goulds from Mexico's Sierra Madre and an Ocellated from the Yucatan.

I have a couple of Grand Slams, no World slams. Getting them all in one year is a challenge and a lot of fun.

Gman

Have you ever looked into the Sabine national forest for easterns? I've seen quiet a few birds out there but a lot of the times it's a hit and miss kinda thing, one day they're here and the next they're gone. But deffinetly a lot of older birds out there.

They have Eastern all over Red River County... for about 15 years now.

Hmm, I may just have to look into that.

Actually the numbers have gradually began to climb the past couple of years...and the more recent TPWD/NWTF releases (super stockings) are progressing pretty good in several areas.

Also, I've been fortunate to harvest easterns for the past two years and those were harvested on public land. They're there...just gotta know where to find them.

I stand corrected. I've been out of the Eastern turkey loop too long! Maybe the super-stocking protocol will get EastTex over the hump.

That said, I still bet the OP's odds would be much better for Easterns elsewhere. But wouldn't it be cool to harvest one in Texas!

From what I have seen the last couple of years hunting in Red River County, the bird population has been stable, but down from 10 years ago.

Numbers were highest 10-15 years ago, but fell drastically over the years. Super stockings were first tried in 2007-08 and a few of those struggled a bit but managed to maintain a small population whiles others like those in Anderson county took off. Since the super stockings started back in 2014 the birds at those locations have been doing well and there are about 4 more to take place starting later this month. According the the report of the lead turkey biologist the population has been on slowly but surely on the rise. People who's never seen turkey or haven't seen them in years are reporting birds in various locations.

Birds I killed out there the past couple of years were at least 3 year old birds. We did happen to see a few jakes last year though.

Any recommendations on what states we should go to? I know I'm gonna have to go to Florida but what about the other 3. Id like to do it all on public land WITHOUT a guide of any type. I would like it to be states that I can just get my license and tags over the counter without going through some sort of lottery system and possibly ending up not being able to complete my slam because of a tag. I plan to complete my entire slam in one season.

My whole RR county Eastern Story.... Starting back from the around 1999- 2011 come fall...they would all be but square dancing under the feeders...honest I'm not stretching the story....come spring(then it was a limited small 10 day -2 week season), you'd swear There wasn't a turkey within 100 miles! The last 4-5 years you'd see groups form 12 or so to as many as 50 or more ..hard to count all those bobbing and weaving heads in the piney thickets! I never got one ...seen many of many however! Buddy got gobbler every Spring for last 3 years he went up. In fact one year he got up early on morning went to Lake Joe Pool got a 25 limit of crappie,went home grabbed his shotgun, drove up to the lease, less than 2 hours away and got a nice gobbler that afternoon! (No Place like Texas!)

I miss that lease...we had Deer ,hogs,Turkey ,coyotes(many) and various small critters. It was thick and ever changing cause it was paper plantation, fast growing fertilized trees. Thick one year and completed stripped and gone the next in checkered board fashion but it kept the place lively! Had the cost not grown to 4-5 times original price....Still be there!

Go to Kentucky for your easterners try fort know or some of the public land near there. I learned to turkey hunt there, always hunted public and killed 8 in 3 years.

Completed my grand slam back in 2008. I am currently trying to draw an AZ goulds turkey
tag to complete my royal slam. I have no desire to complete my world slam. I hunted
my home state of MO for easterns, TX for rios, NE for merriams, and finished up in FL.
Good luck on your quest!

I am wanting to do this. Looking to find a place that I can try to take a Rio with my crossbow.

New Mexico (Merriams), Texas (Rio), Eastern KS or MO for Easterns but you can also kill Rio in South Central KS, Florida of course for your Oceola.