Last year Tooele’s Bob Pannunzio traveled to south Florida and it wasn’t to visit Disney World or stroll along Miami Beach. Pannunzio’s objective was to shoot his sixth species of wild turkey, an Osceola turkey, which can only be found in Florida’s swampland.

Pannunzio returned successfully with an Osceola turkey in his possession and is now a member of a small group of hunters who have achieved the World Slam in turkey hunting. To achieve that status, a hunter must bag each of the six species of turkeys located in the United States and Mexico. Lou Dunyon of Stockton is the only other hunter in the county to claim a World Slam.

“You earn a Grand Slam by shooting the four species of turkeys in the United States which are the Eastern, Osceola, Merriam and Rio Grande. When you shoot a fifth species you earn a Royal Slam and the sixth species you get the World Slam,” Pannuzio said.

“We were hunting with a guide in swampland and yes we did see plenty of alligators,” he said.

The Tooele hunter bagged his first turkey back in 2000 when he shot a Rio Grande here in Tooele County.

The Rio Grande is the type of turkey hunted in northern and central Utah; they are about four-feet tall and are pale and copper colored.

“Ten years ago there weren’t any turkeys in Tooele County; now you can see them in Settlement Canyon, South Willow and other canyons in the Oquirrh Mountains,” Pannuzio said. Hunters estimate there are 600-700 turkeys now in Tooele County.

The Rio Grande also hangs out in northern California, western Oregon, Nebraska, Oklahoma and Texas. Merriam turkeys are found in southern Utah, Arizona, New Mexico, Colorado, Wyoming, Montana and South Dakota.

“I shot my Merriam near Newcastle, Wyo. near the South Dakota border,” Pannunzio said.

The toughest turkey to bag is the Eastern which is located in massive area east of the Mississippi River from Canada to Florida and as far east to the Atlantic Ocean. Pannunzio shot his Eastern turkey in Pennsylvania.

“They are hard to hunt because people in the East have been hunting them forever so they are very wary of hunters and are smart,” Pannunzio said.

The Tooele hunter simply traveled with his own buddies and hunted the Rio Grande, Merriam and Eastern without the help of a guide.

“I needed a guide to help me shoot the two species found in Mexico and the one in Florida because we had no idea as to where to find them,” the hunter said.

The Gould is found in the Sierra Madre Mountains in Mexico while the Oscellated is located in the Yucatan Peninsula just north of Guatemala.

Pannunzio is a member of the TC Strutters turkey club in Tooele County. The group is holding its 10th annual banquet on Saturday at Deseret Peak Complex. The banquet has become extremely popular over the years and was attended by about 700 people last year making it the biggest turkey club banquet in the western United States, according to president Ty Anderson. There also will be door prizes, raffles and an auction.

This year doors open at 5 p.m. and dinner is served at 5:30 p.m. There is a free turkey calling seminar at 1 p.m. in the indoor arena. For more information call Anderson at 830-4460 or Darrin Allred at 830-4153.

“I’ve hunted my whole life and turkey hunting is like an addiction. You go out in the early morning and see them in the dark sitting in the trees and gobbling. It’s a thrill; I’ve called in elk, hunted coyotes, but I really love turkey hunting. It’s just the size of the birds and they’re smart,” Pannunzio said.

“Turkeys can now be found pretty much in any of the canyons in Tooele County. We don’t have fall hunting for turkeys. The three hunting seasons are in April and May when the Toms are out strutting,” said Tom Becker, wildlife biologist with the DWR.

Becker said that the state is committed to improving turkey hunting opportunities for sportsmen, but the TC Strutters and the NWTF bring in most of the funding to help transplant turkeys and improve habitat for the birds and other animals.

“Turkey hunting is growing in popularity. It’s not something where you need a lot of equipment like big trailers. It’s easy to haul a bird out if you can shoot one. It’s a fun hunt and spring is an enjoyable time to hunt as the weather improves after a long cold winter,” Becker said.

Mark Watson: mwatson@tooeletranscript.com