Six unique species of wild turkey reside within various ranges of North and Central America. By and large, the eastern subspecies that calls Kentucky home is the most prolific, with numbers in excess of 5 million roaming the woods and fields of the eastern United States.

However, three other species of wild turkeys also call the U.S. home, and these three types of turkeys live in climates and geography so different from one another that sometimes it is difficult to believe they are all essentially the same bird.

A small, dedicated group of turkey-hunting fanatics began to make up terminology related to the pursuit of all of these different species years ago when populations once again could sustain hunting. Since that time, certain expressions have been used for individuals who travel the nation in hopes of tagging one of every kind of subspecies. When turkey hunters speak of fulfilling what is often a lifetime dream of hunting every subspecies in the nation, they refer to their quest as a “Grand Slam” and one local youngster has already finished his Grand Slam at age 12.

Twelve-year-old Hunter Bailey of Auburn began tagging along with his father, Jeff, at age 5 and in subsequent years has accompanied his dad as he guided out-of-state hunts for friends each spring.

“We didn’t set out and say ‘OK, we’re going to get the Grand Slam and he’s going to get it by age such and such,’ ” Jeff Bailey said. “I’ve been fortunate enough to guide a lot of turkey hunts and have been able to take Hunter to some really nice places with great people.”

Hunter’s Grand Slam came to be by circumstance. Last year, after successfully hunting the wary Osceola subspecies, which calls the palmetto jungles and expansive cattle pastures of central Florida home, the father and son team followed through with their plans to hunt for Merriam turkeys in New Mexico and Rio Grande turkeys in Oklahoma in 2011.

“To me,” describes Hunter, “it’s like I get to have a road trip and hang out with all the guys. It’s just the experience, not just going to kill a turkey. I’ll tell my friends about it and they’ll be like, ‘Why would you go do that when we have plenty of turkeys here?’ But that’s not all it’s about to me.”

A 15-passenger van served as the party’s chariot for several thousand miles as they spent a couple of weeks traveling far from home to arid New Mexico to begin this season with the stunningly colored Merriams, and then stopping in Oklahoma on the way back to Kentucky for a chance to match wits with the long-legged Rio Grande turkey. Ultimately, the group experienced a great deal of success, but Jeff is more pleased with Hunter’s actions out of the field than he was of the young man achieving a Grand Slam.

“There were five of us, including myself, that had never killed a Rio, and I still haven’t,” Jeff Bailey said. “When we were in Oklahoma, Hunter killed his (Rio) and had two tags, but there were three other guys who had not taken a Rio and he told me, ‘that’s it Dad, I’m not taking another one until everyone else gets their Rio.’ That made me more proud than anything else.”

Plans for next year are already in the works for Jeff and Hunter, as one of the members of their party has invited them to Mexico in search of the elusive Gould’s turkey. If things work out and the turkeys cooperate, this local youth, who understands the reasons behind the hunt, will more than likely stake claim to the Royal Slam, leaving only the Oscillated turkey of the Yucatan Peninsula left to round out the World Slam few are ever privileged enough to experience.

— Geordon T. Howell is outdoors columnist for the Daily News. He may be reached by emailing highbrasshowell@yahoo.com.