I am finally getting around to writing about my sixth and final bird that completed my archery world slam. After flying home from New Mexico, I went in search of the big and plentiful Eastern. Plentiful, yeah right. The Eastern turkey has the biggest numbers, but I really believe he is the smartest of the six, for sure.

When I arrived home to Michigan my son and husband were both waiting for me and were quick to give me a report of the bird in an area we were watching, just 15 miles away from where I grew up. I had tried to kill this subspecies in Mississippi, Alabama, and had already been in Michigan a couple of days for a quick try, between my Goulds and Merriams. Determination was the name of the game and no giant bird with a brain the size of a pea was going to outsmart me. I sat down with Mike and Zach and the three of us came up with our game plan. The land that we were hunting is owned by a paper company and has beautiful hardwoods on it. Not to mention a good number of our Easterns. The only problem was that it was the middle of May and these birds had been called to death. They really had developed selective hearing. The first morning we went out, I called in my very first human turkey. That's right! Mike was up on the ridge and I went down in a flat and he had to intercept a guy that thought I was a real live bird. On another day, I had another guy shoot the bird I was working to me. I just kept telling myself to have patience and kept praying for a little luck. The clock was ticking down and I was running out of time quickly. My son had the most confidence out of the three of us. He was sure I would succeed.

The weather turned cold for a few days and then all of the sudden bingo. Birds started moving and reacting. Even the partridge were strutting and drumming. They gave us quite a show. Rabbits were running around everywhere and the squirrels were chattering away. I thought to myself, this is a good sign. On May 15, 2004 at 7:30 a.m., we heard a nice gobble. This morning it was just Mike and I. Zach had wanted to stay home from school and call for me, but I didn't want him to miss another day. It took the Tom about 30 minutes to present himself. He was all by himself and marched right along a creek bed until I could see him. I am not sure who was more nervous me or Mike. This guy was so loud and put on a really good show. As he worked his way closer, Mike got the camera focused and I got my bow ready. We were hiding in a pop up blind and had tucked it into a big pine tree. A perfect hiding spot, when Tommy boy got in range, I drew my arrow back, aimed, and pulled the trigger of my release. The Tom collapsed right in his tracks. It was 8:10 a.m. and I had completed my world slam of turkeys with a bow, 57 days after I had begun.

It didn't really sink in that I had finished until a few days later, when our local paper called me and asked if they could interview me for what I had just accomplished. I agreed and when the paper came out, the entire front page of the Outdoor section was about my slam. It felt so good to have everyone be able to read and share what I had experienced for those two months. I think if I had been able to kill an Eastern that first day on that first try in Mississippi, it would not have been as memorable as it is to me now. So many people help me accomplish this slam and to all of them, I send my thanks and love.