Culpeppers Guide to Grand Slam

Osceola

Destination: Florida

Capturing the elusive Osceola turkey can be a challenge! If you have access to private land, then your chances of scoring an osceola is certainly much higher. However, if you do not have access to private land, Florida does have 6 million acres of WMA land. The catch to this is you have to apply for a permit. Sources tell us that the chances are low of drawing a permit, due to the demand of osceola turkey hunting in Florida. Culpepper finds most of his success hunting private swamp lands, where these birds thrive. The Osceola turkey season in Florida typically begins in March and ends in April.

Osceola Turkey Characteristics:

• Dark-brown tips on tail feathers

• Mostly black wings with very small white bands

• Adult males weigh approximately 20 pounds

• Adult females weigh 8 to 12 pounds

• Long legs

• Strong gobbles

• Very long spurs

• Shorter beard-lengths than Easterns

• Considered the toughest species to call in

Eastern

Destination: Georgia

Being from Georgia, Culpepper obviously chose Georgia as his destination of choice to get an eastern turkey. However, you can find the eastern strand of turkeys from Georgia, all the way up to Maine. Due to the variety of states these turkeys reside in, there are multiple opportunities for public land hunts when it comes to the eastern strand of turkeys.
Eastern turkeys prefer big timber forests and areas with nearby water sources. Their loud gobbles and impressive beard lengths make them a favorite among turkey hunters. In Georgia, the Eastern turkey season typically starts in early April.

Eastern Turkey Characteristics:

• Chestnut-brown tips on tail feathers

• White and black bars on the wings

• Adult males weigh 18 to 30 pounds

• Adult females weigh 8 to 12 pounds

• Very strong gobbles (strongest gobbles of all subspecies)

• Very long beards (longest beards of all subspecies)

• Second to the Osceola in difficulty of calling in

Rio

Destination: Texas

Similar to Florida, Texas has a large chunk of WMA land. 1 million acres to be exact. You also have to draw a permit to hunt this land. A better alternative is having access to private land, but obtaining permission for out of state hunting ground is no easy task! Culpepper said there are two things to keep in mind when it comes to the Rio subspecies of turkeys. They will definitely eat and sleep! Focus on finding areas with roost trees, and food sources. Texas has complex turkey season dates, starting as early as March and ending as late as May, depending on the region.

Rio Turkey Characteristic:

• Tan-colored tips on tail feathers

• Same amount of black and white barring on wings

• Adult males weigh approximately 20 pounds

• Adult females weigh 8 to 12 pounds

• Moderate gobbles

• Moderate beard-lengths

• Moderate spur-lengths

Meriam

Destination: South Dakota

For Merriam turkeys, Culpepper suggests South Dakota, particularly the Black Hills, which is a vast area with 2.3 million acres of public land. This rugged, mountainous terrain offers a great hunting experience but presents unique challenges due to the birds' tendency to roam widely.

Merriam’s Turkey Characteristics:

• Snow-white tips on tail feathers

• More white and less black on wings

• Adult males weigh 18 to 30 pounds

• Adult females weigh 8 to 12 pounds

• Weakest gobbles of all subspecies

• Shortest beards of all subspecies

• Shortest spurs of all subspecies

Culpepper’s Advice for Completing the Grand Slam

Check out the video! The Hunt Club crew embarks on an attempt to harvest a U.S. Grand Slam on all four of the turkey subspecies, but here’s the kicker. Can they do it in 7 DAYS? 🦃

Reference: https://www.nwtf.org/content-hub/know-your-wild-turkey-subspecies