It's the "Holy Grail" of bowhunting. The harvesting of the 29 hunt-able big game species in North America. The archery SUPER SLAM®.
The first SUPER SLAM® consisted of only 27 big game animals... and since that time, the central barren ground caribou and tule elk have been added to make the current target number 29.

When it comes to hunting achievements in North America, The Archery SUPER SLAM® stands alone. The shear scope of taking the recognized twenty nine with bow and broad heads becomes a daunting task of hard work, travel and expense. For a bowhunter, It starts as a pipe dream........ and each successful hunt brings the adventure hunter one species closer.

Just like there are jet pilots and fighter pilots, mountain climbers and those who have reached the summit of Everest...... football players and Super Bowl Champions. There are big game bow hunters and those who have reached the pinnacle of the archery SUPER SLAM®.

Super Slammers are the elite. Dedicated hunters who have put in the miles, did the research, glassed, spotted, stalked, hiked, climbed on the most grueling hunts that this continent can dish out. The perspective is simple. It's a thirty year goal if you can take one specie a year. A mere decade... if you can take three a year.

Yet, a typical sheep or brown bear hunt often takes two or more weeks.. which can add up to the total allotment of vacation time from work. Add in that the odds of success on these type hunts is generally less than 50 percent.... and it means that half of the hunters who try.... will have to do it again .... and again. and again...

Arizona hunter Bob Housholder founded the Grand Slam Club in 1956. Housholder's goal was to document North American wild sheep hunters and recognize the successful harvest of Dall, Stone, bighorn and desert bighorn as a Grand Slam. In the early 70's Housholder began keeping track of hunters who were trying to harvest other animal species as well (he was on a quest to hunt all of North America's recognized big game animals with a rifle).

Originally the phrase "SUPER SLAM®" was used by the International Sheep Hunters Association, referring to the harvesting of twelve different sheep species. Today, neither this association nor the sheep "Super Slam" exist.

In January 1990, California bowhunter Chuck Adams arrowed a mountain lion to become the first bowhunter to harvest the 27 North American big game animals as recognized by the Pope and Young Club. Adams soon began to use the phrase "SUPER SLAM®" referring to this accomplishment. He was closely followed by Jimmie Ryan, then a host of other bowhunters, all driven by their desire for adventure bowhunting.
As the Pope and Young Club has recognized more species of big game, the list of SUPER SLAM® animals has grown to a total of 29.  Today, Grand Slam Club/ Ovis® operates a special SUPER SLAM® Program which monitors and records hunters in pursuit of the recognized 29 North American big game animals. Currently there are 17 bowhunters who have registered their SUPER SLAM®  with GSCO. www.superslam.org