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Rockingham hunter becomes first World Slam recipient across four categories

By Patrick Adrian
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ROCKINGHAM, Vt. — For most Americans, turkey becomes the centerpiece of our concerns and the family dinner table for just one day out of the year.

But the same cannot be said about one particular Rockingham resident. For Mike Petraska, the pursuit and takedown of the elusive wild animal is a year-round — and, more precisely, decade-long — passion.

After nearly 10 years chasing after his goal, Petraska has achieved a new first in wild turkey hunting. According to the National Wild Turkey Federation, an international conservation organization, Petraska, 52, is the first wild turkey hunter worldwide to earn a World Slam with each of the four officially recognized weapons: bow, crossbow, modern firearm (typically a shotgun, though some states permit a rifle) and muzzleloader.

The World Slam is the highest recognized multi-species slam in the federation, which is accomplished by successfully harvesting each of the six North American wild turkey species and subspecies: the Eastern, Rio Grande, Merriam, Gould, Osceola and the Mexico-residing Ocellated.

Petraska said he embarked on this goal about eight or nine years ago, when he noted that no one had earned a World Slam with each of the four weapons. The closest person on record was a woman in Colorado, who had earned a World Slam with every weapon but a bow.

“When I saw that no one had done it, I told myself ‘It looks like you’ve got a quest,’” Petraska told the Eagle Times on Monday.

To achieve his goal, Petraska spent a decade traveling in pursuit of quarry. He made multiple trips to a dozen U.S. states and Mexico, with terrains ranging from the Floridian wetlands, the Rocky Mountains and the jungles of the Yucatan Peninsula.

Reflecting on what he gained from his experiences, Petraska noted that his favorite reward of traveling is meeting new people and adding new relationships to his network.

“[Mexico in particular] was an eye-opening experience,” the hunter said. Despite speaking limited Spanish, Petraska has forged many connections in the country.

Earning a World Slam requires considerable study of each turkey species and various habitats. Some species, like the Merriam, prefer mountainous elevations, whereas the Osceola is only found in Florida, often in swamplands where it feeds on amphibious prey. Differences in habitat, vegetation and wildlife influence variations in each species’ behavior.

“Some species are more vocal, others are more subdued,” Petraska said. They also vary in size, from the Gould, which is the largest of the North American subspecies, to the Osceolla, the smallest among the American native turkeys, and the Ocellated, the smallest of the six.

“I do lots of study,” Petraska said. “I try to see as much live activity as I can.”

In addition to field study, Petraska learns about the species through videos and attending conferences.

One aspect Petraska particularly enjoys is the art of calling turkeys. The ability to interact with the bird by luring it is also a key component to the hunt.

Though already an accomplished hunter using modern firearms, pursuing the record demanded he become proficient with the bow, crossbow and muzzleloader, both for safety and to ensure a clean, swift harvest.

His favorite weapon for turkey hunting is the muzzleloader, a firearm in which the projectile and propellant charge are loaded into the muzzle of the gun that Petraska will admit is a challenge for him. But, that is the whole point.

“With a muzzleloader you only get one shot,” he said. “And you have to wait for the smoke to clear to know if you got your turkey or not.”

Some hunts sent the soon-to-be World Slam hunter home empty-handed. One of his worst “lows” was a trip last year to Colorado, Oklahoma and New Mexico, where he spent hundreds of dollars on the trip but was thwarted by wildfires in Oklahoma and New Mexico and 14 inches of snow in Colorado.

“That happens in hunting,” Petraska said. “But I’ve had a great time pursuing this goal, both the highs and the lows.”

Born in Springfield, Petraska currently lives in Rockingham with his wife Dany. When he is not hunting wild turkey or whitetail deer Petraska enjoys motorcycle racing. This year, Petraska was the overall points champion for his class of “super senior” — comprised of racers ages 50 and older — for the 2019 motocross season at the Canaan Lions MX track in New Hampshire.

In addition to being the first person to earn a World Slam with each type of weapon, he is one of only two Vermont turkey hunters to achieve one or more World Slams, and among only 12 hunters nationwide to have achieved four or more World Slams since the NWTF started record-keeping in 1982.

In February 2020, Petraski will return to Mexico where he plans to begin earning his fifth World Slam.

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