Dividing lines can constitute a grey area where the deer are similar in appearance, and possibly genetics. That said, the further a hunter travels from these divisions, the more different the habitat and the deer become.
WhitetailSLAM uses eight whitetail deer territories to represent the traditional ranges of 8 huntable North American whitetails included in the WhitetailSLAM award recognition platform. The whitetails in these eight territories have the most recognizable differences as to size, appearance, habitats and adaptation in behavior to climatic conditions. The map below outlines the 8 varied habitat areas that have allowed the whitetail deer living in these areas to become strikingly different.
Notes On The Territories- The eight territories have boundaries that lie adjacent to other territories. Rivers, roads and county lines paint the tidiest of borders for humans to abide, but hardly contain whitetail bucks during the rut. Whitetail deer taken very close to these boundaries may be similar or identical on both sides even though general boundaries of traditional subspecies areas are recognized. Yet, like a small Rocky Mountain elk looks like a Tule and Alaskan brown bears are only recognized along coastal Alaska but bears on the coast of Northern British Columbia are considered coastal grizzlies even though these bears look the same, feed and act the same, the animals are considered different by biologists even though these subspecies reside in close proximity.
4 bucks shot from any 4 diff subgroups of deer is considered a Whitetail Slam.
8 bucks taken all 8 subgroups is considered an Ultimate Whitetail Slam.
If u send me 20bucks you can register a nelson slam.
One deer, moose, elk and bear in the same year.
While I agree there are certainly different subspecies of whitetail... to act like this map of 8 species for a registered slam isn't a bit gimmicky is naive at best.
Talk to a biologist who studies caribou. Each herd has distinct antler characteristics. They even have different migration routes. There is as much variation between caribou herds as there is between whitetail 'subspecies'. Its a made up declaration. If that fact bugs you.....
Damn bad that's how!
Lucas- they don't recognize the Carmens' Mt subspecie. I guess they gotta draw the line somewhere?? Neat looking deer for sure. Not too many hunters have got away from their computer and taken this deer.
I have NOT hunted either because of the higher costs involved.
The Carmen Mountain slight is totally unfair. That is a big miss by the slam creators. A big miss. How would they feel if they were a Carmen Mountain deer??? Damn bad that's how!
If I get another message I'll ask him about what appears to be a very biased and discriminatory approach to Carmen Mountain deer.
The Carmen Mt. deer filed a lawsuit claiming they were being singled out. They wanted to remain just a Whitetail deer and it was purely discrimination to call them something else. They won but it is being appealed by the Upper Midwest Whitetail and the Coues in a higher court.
Oh, and that home based business that Tom sent you is a phone sex hotline. I tried it but apparently I am not as appealing as that "Jake form State Farm" guy?
I contacted Tom Miranda about that very email....he got hacked.
Hey guys- I thought I would chime in here on the Whitetail Slam.
Many years ago Dr. James Kroll wrote an article concerned that whitetails didn't have their own recognized slam. The reason whitetails were left out was because of- some of all that you have mentioned in this thread. But the main reason was that biologist's couldn't agree on the number of subspecies.. Some think 16 some 22 some 37 different subspecies. Of course with restocking and population expansions due to agriculture- many of the whitetail blood lines are not pure. [ of course many species of the super slam IE: tule elk, bison & others.... don't have pure bloodlines either.]
in 2011 famed biologists Dr James Kroll, Dr Harry Jacobson, Brian Murphy and Kip Adams of QDMA all looked at North America and helped to determine the 8 main sub-groups of whitetails. Their criteria was definitive areas of true sub-species, rut cycles, and physical appearance & size. Only Eight territories were formed because it was thought SCI's Slam of whitetails was too many animals- and it contained the Columbia whitetail which is limited and very expensive to hunt.
To complete a Whitetail Slam a hunter must harvest one buck from each of any four of the subgroups. Hunters who shoot all 8 subgroup bucks earn the Ultimate Whitetail Slam.
Method of take is also categorized so there is an Archery Whitetail Slam. Currently there are about 80 Whitetail Slammers registered.
It's free to register at Whitetail Slam, Free to start a Slam Page, and free to register your bucks. To archive a Slam, there is a certification fee for each buck and every hunter's slam page has a gage showing the progress toward the slam. The certification fee is for website maintenance and the cost of the awards. Slam certificates are personalized, custom framed and very nice. Plus there are gear giveaways on the website every week- all free to enter.This week a ThermaCell, DVD and can of BuckBomb.
For more information, Check out Whitetail Slam.
www.whitetailslam.com
ScoutLook Weather's Cy Weichert is a co-Founder of Whitetail Slam. Whitetail Slam was started to engage hunters to travel North America and hunt the greatest big game species on our continent. Also to bring the attention that not every whitetail is the same. Cy Weichert's website and weather apps for tracking deer and checking wind at your tree stand are amazing and also Free- check them out.
www.scoutlookwether.com
Sincerely, Tom Miranda
PS- Oh-Yes- My LinkedIn account was hacked- I am not sell snake oil or pyramids..
Good luck to all who go for the four deer slam or those who ultimately reach the eight deer ultimate slam.
Tom Miranda's Link
heheheheh....
You have to kill a deer in each of the 50 States of the US, Each of the Canadian Provinces, and Each of the Mexican States!
That would be a real adventure.
Guess I'm heading to Denny's cuz that's the only slam I can afford!
That doesn't include introduced whitetails to such places as New Zealand and that have now been isolated so long, likely could be considered their own subspecies by now...
If that is the case it would seem the Ultimate Slam may not really be the ultimate. I wonder if someone should look at adding more sub-species to that and making it a Platinum Slam for 12 species.
then you will never get your name on the website or be certified! no personalized certificates in a custom frame for you.
your loss.
=D