An in-depth look at Jake Ensign's Archery Super Slam

	*Photos, Data, and Commentary compliments of Jake Ensign. Compiled by Bowsite.com.*

Few bowhunters have taken Archery's Slam (all 29 species of North American Game Animals) and even fewer have done it as efficiently as Jake Ensign. In this feature Jake shares this extremely difficult feat with Bowsite.com visitors as he chronicles the 30-year journey of his slam, commenting on every animal taken. His data includes the costs of each hunt, how many attempts he made for each animal, the level of difficulty he encountered, and photos of his trophy animal both in the field and in his home. Jake has a passion for archery rivaled only by a few, but it is his willingness to share honest, candid information that makes him one of Bowsite's most popular Visitors. Jake is also answer questions on this thread.

Sequence	Species	Kill Photo	Mount	Hunt Description	Total Cost	# Attempts
1	Rocky Mountain Elk			Very few animals are willing to give away their location in the wild. I really think that is why I enjoy turkey hunting and elk hunting as much as I do. While turkey may... more	$4,600	2
2	Mountain Lion			I purchased my cat hunt at an RMEF auction in 1993 for $1,800.00. I hunted near Ovando, Montana with a tough-as-nails guide that was a Vietnam Veteran. He had a... more	$2,100	1
3	Quebec Labrador Caribou			I have hunted Q/L Caribou on many occasions, and I never tire of the adventures that those hunts provide. The migrations are a hit or miss proposition, and you have to ... more	$5,750	1
4	Muskox			I was quite interested in bow hunting for polar bear. A hunting buddy (Bob Miller) that had already taken a polar bear with his bow, suggested a muskox hunt as a “warm up”... more	$10,500	1
5	Grizzly Bear			There are few things that can get the adrenaline pumping any more than bowhunting for an apex predator. We were hunting in northern Alaska, and we spotted a... more	$10,000	1
6	Pronghorn Antelope			I have hunted speed goats with a decoy, and by spot and stalk. They can both be quite exciting. If you are going to hunt with a decoy, you had better be ready, because if they... more	$2,300	1
7	Plains Bison			My plains bison was taken in British Columbia just a few days before Christmas. They are an immense animal (though the Wood Bison is bigger, IMO), and they are much... more	$7,500	1
8	Black Bear			In 2005, I took a Wood Bison in Alberta. The next day, I hunted for black bear in a tree stand that had a bait barrel within bow range of it, but it also happened to be in close ... more	$0	1
9	Woodland Caribou			What a cool animal to bowhunt! I hunted in Newfoundland for my Woodland Caribou. On the very first day, I stalked to within 10 yards of two completely separate... more	$4,575	1
10	Polar Bear			Pat actually started a thread on Bowsite back in 2007 to follow me on my second attempt for Ursus maritimus ("DIRECT from the ice"). I actually wrote the ... more	$36,500 (2 hunts)	2
11	Columbia Blacktail Deer			I took my Columbia Blacktail Deer about an hour west of Eureka, California. I had hunted from several treestands, and never had a shot opportunity for the five days that I was... more	$4,485	1
12	Mule Deer			I hunted Mule Deer in the Sonora desert. I stalked to within 30 yards of a really nice buck on the first morning of my hunt, but he saw me about one second before I saw him,... more	$5,585	1
13	Coues Deer			While some of my more hard core hunts have been 1X1 or solo hunts, I sure do enjoy going on some of my hunting adventures with a good friend. You will always have... more	$4,250	1
14	Desert Bighorn Sheep			A last minute cancellation afforded me the opportunity to bowhunt for one of the most coveted animals in North America in February of 2008. I assumed that most of my... more	$41,000	1
15	Dall Sheep			About four months after I tagged my desert bighorn, I was able to bowhunt for Dall sheep in the Northwest Territories. We were able to stalk within 40 ... more	$33,100 (2 hunts)	2
16	Bighorn Sheep			A couple months before my Dall Sheep was scheduled, I was notified that in my first year of eligibility, I had drawn the first season archery tag for Colorado's ... more	$8,650	1
17	Stones Sheep			Taking three sheep in one year was more than any bowhunter had a right to hope for.....yet the stars lined up perfectly for me, and upon my return home from Colorado,... more	$32,000	1
18	Mountain Goat			Once again, I was able to go on a hunt with a fellow bowhunter and Bowsiter, and meet another one in Alaska. Tom Edgington and I hunted near Cordova, Alaska in the... more	$17,200	2
19	Sitka Blacktail Deer			I bowhunted on Prince of Wales Island in November of 2008. For those people that have been lucky enough to hunt in that area, I am sure that they will agree ... more	$5,725	1
20	Central Barren Ground Caribou			I had to hunt these animals three times before I was lucky enough to take one, and it is my understanding that the season is virtually shut down in much of the area that... more	$19,300 (3 hunts)	3
21	Mountain Caribou			I bowhunted Mountain Caribou twice. Both times, my hunts were in the Northwest Territories. On my second hunt, I hunted an area that was known for its mineral... more	$14,800 (2 hunts)	2
22	Canadian Moose			I hunted Canadian Moose three times. Since the hunts in Newfoundland are much cheaper than out west, I hunted there two of the three times. While I could have ... more	$18,300 (3 hunts)	3
23	Shiras Moose			I actually had two moose bowhunts booked back to back (Canadian Moose in Newfoundland, then Shiras Moose in Utah)....and now that I had some Canadian ... more	$8,500	1
24	Roosevelt Elk			I have taken Roosevelt elk on two occasions, but I was only able to bring the meat back once. I am amazed at how such a large, heavy animal can disappear into the canopy so... more	$4,950	1
25	Tule Elk			I hunted about three hours north of Sacramento, for my Tule bull, and it was a great time. I was amazed the hear bulls bugling even though the temperatures would exceed ... more	$13,600	1
26	Whitetail Deer			As is true with the vast majority of bowhunters, I cut my teeth on whitetail deer. However, for years, I was always killing bucks in the 100" - 115" range because the hunting ... more	$=0	1
27	Alaskan Brown Bear			This animal was my personal nemesis. I hunted brown bear for 53 days before I was able to get a shot opportunity. This animal is also mentioned in a thread on the... more	$58,100 (5 hunts)	5
28	Alaskan Yukon Moose		No Photo	I took an A/Y Moose many years ago, but with a rifle. Once I realized that I might be able to complete the NA29 with archery gear, I returned to the Yukon to try my... more	$18,000 (2 hunts)	2
29	Barren Ground Caribou		No Photo	I had hunted Barren Ground Caribou previously. In Alaska, I was 36 yards from a SLEEPING bull. I was going to stalk closer, but there was another bull in the area, so I ... more	$9,180 (2 hunts)	2
Totals					$400,550	44

Sequence

Species

Kill Photo

Mount

Hunt Description

Total Cost

# Attempts

1

$4,600

2

2

$2,100

1

3

$5,750

1

4

$10,500

1

5

$10,000

1

6

$2,300

1

7

$7,500

1

8

$0

1

9

$4,575

1

10

$36,500 (2 hunts)

2

11

$4,485

1

12

$5,585

1

13

$4,250

1

14

$41,000

1

15

$33,100 (2 hunts)

2

16

$8,650

1

17

$32,000

1

18

$17,200

2

19

$5,725

1

20

$19,300 (3 hunts)

3

21

$14,800 (2 hunts)

2

22

$18,300 (3 hunts)

3

23

$8,500

1

24

$4,950

1

25

$36,500
(2 hunts)

$33,100
(2 hunts)

$19,300
(3 hunts)

$14,800
(2 hunts)

$18,300
(3 hunts)

$58,100
(5 hunts)

$18,000
(2 hunts)

$9,180
(2 hunts)