The slam is established by killing six gobblers common in the Americas. Only 26 firearm hunters had done it before Faulkner became the first bow hunter to do it last spring. Almost as amazing is that he accomplished the feat in 46 days, killing the Ocellated, Eastern, Goulds, Merriam, Rio Grande and Osceola varieties of turkey. Bow hunters are normally precluded from even trying because the Ocellated turkey of southern Mexico resides in such thick jungle that an arrow can't penetrate the many vines. The Ocellated bird typically needs to be shot in the air or while roosting, because it is difficult to shoot on the ground with all the vegetation providing interference.
Turkeys are off the roost during daylight, compounding the hunt.
But Faulkner wanted to take the bird the more ethical way, while it was on the ground, which he also accomplished. Everybody thought I was crazy. Faulkner, a cancer survivor, also was told he wouldn't see the new millennium. His disease was diagnosed in 1983, and three years later Emory doctors told him he had two weeks to live after the cancer returned. If the cancer didn't kill him, the chemotherapy certainly would.