10-year-old hunter completes her Maine Grand Slam
By Susan Bard, Bangor Daily News Outdoors Editor
Ten-year-old Aria Gourley of Skowhegan has joined an elite group of hunters after completing her Maine Grand Slam — harvesting a turkey, bear, moose and deer all in the same year.
Her journey began June 21 at the Farmington Fairgrounds, when her name was drawn for a coveted moose permit in the first year she was eligible. “You have to be at least 10 to be drawn,” said her father, Brandon Gourley. “I asked her then if she wanted to try to get her Grand Slam.”
Aria tagged her first animal, an 11-pound hen turkey, on Sept. 13 — youth day of the fall season — while hunting at a family friend’s property in Harmony. She tagged the bird at Griswold’s in Solon.
GRAND SLAM — Aria Gourley poses with the 610-pound bull moose she harvested Sept. 23 in T6 R15 WELS. The moose had a 36-inch spread. Gourley completed a Maine Grand Slam, harvesting a turkey, bear, moose and deer all in the same year.
Next came her bear. Another family friend offered Aria the use of a bait site in Zone 4, the same area as her moose permit. On Sept. 19, at 6:15 p.m., she shot a 90-pound boar with her .30-30 Marlin rifle in T6 R15 WELS. The bear was tagged at Pittston Farms.
Her moose hunt began the following Monday. After a slow start, Aria and her father were able to call a bull out onto the road on Sept. 23. She made two clean shots with her .30-30, dropping the 610-pound bull, which had a 36-inch spread, just a few miles from where she had taken her bear. The moose was also tagged at Pittston Farms.
The final leg of her Grand Slam came during youth deer day. A friend who had followed Aria’s success invited her to hunt one of his food plots in Cornville. On the morning of Oct. 24, she and her father watched several does feed in the plot. Aria decided to take a doe rather than wait for a buck. When she pulled the trigger, her rifle misfired. Brandon quickly chambered another round, and once her rifle was ready, Aria made a perfect shot on a 117-pound doe at 7:15 a.m.
After waiting a short while, they went to look for the deer. It was laying just inside the trees, no more than 30 yards from where she shot it. The deer was tagged at Griswold’s in Solon.
With these harvests, Aria officially completed her Maine Grand Slam, a rare accomplishment for any hunter, especially at just 10 years old.