Justin and Kristen Patterson have achieved a world slam in turkey hunting, something that very few hunters will ever do.
To do this, six different turkey subspecies must be harvested throughout Mexico and the United States.
In addition to Kristen becoming the first woman from West Virginia or Virginia to finish the globe slam, the husband and wife duo from West Virginia has became the first pair from their state to accomplish this coveted milestone.
They traveled almost 15,540 miles over the course of three years, from the West Virginia mountains to the hot jungles of Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula.
Hunters must capture the Gould’s Turkey, the ocellated turkey from Mexico, and the four subspecies of wild turkeys found in the United States: the Eastern, Osceola, Rio Grande, and Merriam’s.
“We started with the goal of completing the Grand Slam, and then we just couldn’t stop,” Kristen Patterson stated. “Each challenge made the victories that much sweeter.”
The couple’s journey to this accomplishment was far from simple.
When high school sweethearts got married in 2003, they had to deal with a lot of personal issues, such infertility and losing both of their mothers, who they were very close to. Their outlook on life was radically altered by these encounters.
“We realized how fragile life is,” Justin Patterson stated. “We stopped waiting for someday and started chasing our dreams.”
After they began dating, Justin introduced Kristen to the sport of turkey hunting, which was the beginning of their adventure.
At first, hunting turkey was difficult for Kristen since it required total silence and stillness, which was not something she was used to. There were particular difficulties in the search for every subspecies.
The Gould’s turkey in Chihuahua, Mexico, was very challenging for Kristen. She was forced to return home empty-handed after her first try ended with a missed shot and a terrible illness. She was unfazed and went back the next year to successfully harvest the bird.
Hunting on a fifth-generation family property in Nebraska, where Merriam’s turkeys appeared to be especially elusive, Justin had the most difficulty catching them. He remembered, “I was at the last minute, not sure if I would close the deal.”
The Yucatan Peninsula’s ocellated turkey offered what was arguably the harshest hunting conditions. The couple’s determination was put to the test throughout the search, which took place in a dense jungle with temperatures as high as 100 degrees.
The ocellated turkey emits a distinctive sound, or “key,” that makes hunting more difficult than it would be for other gobbling turkey subspecies.
As they traveled, their equipment changed. The Mossberg 535 12-gauge shotgun Kristen used to finish the slams has subsequently been replaced by a left-handed Charles Daly 600 20-gauge automatic.
For better accuracy, Justin still uses hand-loaded tungsten super shot rounds and prefers to hunt with a Stoeger 3000 12-gauge.
Hunters who successfully complete the several slam levels are awarded a certificate and pin by the National Wild Turkey Federation, which formally acknowledges such accomplishments.
To honor their achievement, the names of the Pattersons will be posted on the organization’s website.
The Pattersons have already started collecting Osceola turkeys in Florida in preparation for their next challenge: trying to complete a single-season Grand Slam.
North Carolina, West Virginia, Virginia, South Dakota, Wyoming, and Oregon are among the states they intend to hunt in.
The pair invites outdoor fans to follow their travels by posting their activities on social media under the name @JKOutdoors.WV.
The Pattersons stress to anyone who are motivated by their tale that committed hunters can achieve the world slam. It calls for perseverance, talent, and a readiness to explore and take on new challenges. Kristen remarked, “Every setback made the victories sweeter. We wouldn’t trade a single moment of this incredible journey.”
There is more to their story than a hunting success. It is proof of tenacity, teamwork, and the strength of following one’s passions in spite of setbacks.
This information has been sourced from wvdn.
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