Spring is here! Let the gobbler games begin as NRA President Jim Porter descends over the Friendship Trail Bridge connecting Tampa Bay and St. Petersburg, Fla., where he will embark on the first of four turkey hunts en route to attempting to earn a prestigious Grand Slam. Grand-Slam honors are bestowed on hunters who take all four U.S. subspecies: the Eastern, the Rio Grande, the Merriam’s and the Osceola. First up: the Osceola. This subspecies, first described in 1890 and named for Seminole Chief Osceola, is found only on the Florida peninsula.
As any turkey hunter will attest, getting even one gobbler takes time, dedication and endurance. Stay tuned to see how Jim Porter does on Round One this weekend as the Florida season opens tomorrow.
Call it a Grand Slam, call it a home run. Either way we hope Porter’s hunts are a slam dunk ... or would that be a “slamming” success?
