Hunting royalty: O’Fallon hunter bags all 5 North American varieties of turkey – Outdoors – Belleville News-Democrat

BY ROD KLOECKNER – News-Democrat

William “Slim” Boente and several of his buddies are considered royalty in the turkey hunting world.

Boente, a 42-year-old construction worker from O’Fallon, recently completed the Royal Slam of turkey hunting: shooting all five species of wild turkey — the Eastern, Rio Grande, Merriam’s, Osceola and Gould’s — common to North America.

Boente and four of his turkey hunting buddies traveled to Chihuahua, Mexico, during the last week of April to hunt the Gould’s bird, the fifth leg of the Royal Slam. Boente; his brother, Steve Boente, of O’Fallon; and Joseph Wrigley, of Collinsville, all completed the Royal Slam.

“It’s something I’ve always dreamed of doing, and to get the opportunity and run with a group of guys like that and do it all together, especially with my brother, is special to me,” Slim Boente said. “I probably only know of six or eight guys that have gotten a Royal Slam.”

According to the National Wild Turkey Federation’s records database, the trio are the 11th, 12th and 13th Illinois hunters to complete the Royal Slam. Three other area hunters — John Brown (Chester), Mark Allen Carr (Greenville) and Mark Mueller (Mascoutah) — also have Royal Slams to their credit.  Click below for full story!

via Hunting royalty: O’Fallon hunter bags all 5 North American varieties of turkey – Outdoors – Belleville News-Democrat.