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How many true 70 point birds, only one beard counted, have you actually shot. Easy for me, just 1. Only a dozen or so in the 60's even. Tough to get the spurs and beards to get them that high of a score up here. They have a tough life in these parts, lol. Z

My best single beard bird went 81.3750, I may have a few 70's mark, and most are in the 60's range.

*Just looked at our WGS Contest from last year and here are the top scores in their categories

Typical Shotgun
George Scott      74.5000
Logan Swenson            74.0000
Tyler Newlun      72.3750

Typical Archery
Brandon Paradis           78.9375
Jen Peak              65.3125
Justin Peak      59.5000

Atypical Shotgun
Billy Degenhardt   70.0000
Dalton Way      67.2500

Youth Contest
Moses Memmer           79.6250   
Haze Memmer           74.5000   
Harper Stenner           71.6250

MK M GOBL

Only (1) Z. The ridge birds I hunt lack long spurs, the rocks keep them "well manicured". Most of my birds score in upper 50's, low 60's. They all taste just fine though....

Quote from: Tom007 on March 25, 2024, 08:44:33 AM
They all taste just fine though....

Yup  :TooFunny:

I'm not a counter of these magnificent Birds.. However, most times.. you tend to remember the really good ones.
1 @ 72.2pts.. I do remember another I shot, don't have the stats. He was a great one. Could've went a lil bigger.  Last season, I had an another almost, just a Weee bit short.

Like You Z.. 1 or 2 in the 60's  ;D

I always loved the stories of the ones we didn't get. They usually start,
"He was the biggest Gobbler I've ever seen"
:turkey:

Quote from: TrackeySauresRex on March 25, 2024, 09:02:26 AM

Quote from: Tom007 on March 25, 2024, 08:44:33 AM
They all taste just fine though....

Yup  :TooFunny:

I'm not a counter of these magnificent Birds.. However, most times.. you tend to remember the really good ones.
1 @ 72.2pts.. I do remember another I shot, don't have the stats. He was a great one. Could've went a lil bigger.  Last season, I had an another almost, just a Weee bit short.

Like You Z.. 1 or 2 in the 60's  ;D

I always loved the stories of the ones we didn't get. They usually start,
"He was the biggest Gobbler I've ever seen"
:turkey:

Very true here, the ones I missed looked as big as Ostriches.......lol  :drool:

Quote from: Tom007 on March 25, 2024, 09:10:51 AM

Quote from: TrackeySauresRex on March 25, 2024, 09:02:26 AM

Quote from: Tom007 on March 25, 2024, 08:44:33 AM
They all taste just fine though....

Yup  :TooFunny:

I'm not a counter of these magnificent Birds.. However, most times.. you tend to remember the really good ones.
1 @ 72.2pts.. I do remember another I shot, don't have the stats. He was a great one. Could've went a lil bigger.  Last season, I had an another almost, just a Weee bit short.

Like You Z.. 1 or 2 in the 60's  ;D

I always loved the stories of the ones we didn't get. They usually start,
"He was the biggest Gobbler I've ever seen"
:turkey:

Very true here, the ones I missed looked as big as Ostriches.......lol  :drool:

:TooFunny:
How the H did WEee ever miss them they were HUGE!

After i carried one about 2 miles back to the truck he ended up scoring about 10 points with me ...

Several in the 50/60 's and few pushing more than 60 ...

weight of the bird made some difference ..

Quote from: TrackeySauresRex on March 25, 2024, 09:14:12 AM

Quote from: Tom007 on March 25, 2024, 09:10:51 AM

Quote from: TrackeySauresRex on March 25, 2024, 09:02:26 AM

Quote from: Tom007 on March 25, 2024, 08:44:33 AM
They all taste just fine though....

Yup  :TooFunny:

I'm not a counter of these magnificent Birds.. However, most times.. you tend to remember the really good ones.
1 @ 72.2pts.. I do remember another I shot, don't have the stats. He was a great one. Could've went a lil bigger.  Last season, I had an another almost, just a Weee bit short.

Like You Z.. 1 or 2 in the 60's  ;D

I always loved the stories of the ones we didn't get. They usually start,
"He was the biggest Gobbler I've ever seen"
:turkey:

Very true here, the ones I missed looked as big as Ostriches.......lol  :drool:

:TooFunny:
How the H did WEee ever miss them they were HUGE!

I know, I still have nightmares about these Giraffes  :turkey2:

I've have gotten at least a dozen  70+ birds they are not that uncommon around my hunting area. Certain farms are notorious for growing long spurred heavyweight birds.

Great question....and for more than one reason.
Personally, I have killed one "single-bearded" gobbler (Osceola) that scored 70+.  Of all the gobblers I have killed over the years, the only ones that have come close to 70 have been Osceolas, except for one Rio that was close.  Except for that one Rio, from every other subspecies (all of them), the closest I have come to 70 may have been in the mid-60's and there have been very few of them.

In the area I generally hunt, I have scored HUNDREDS of Merriam's gobblers over the years.  Of those hundreds, I can't recall a single gobbler that would have scored 70+.  The average mature gobbler here is lucky to hit 60, and most will score in the low to mid-50's.  The local genetics here, and the habitat type, just are not conducive to growing birds that "fit" the scoring system used.  There is invariably one (or more) of the three scoring parameters that is weak.

The bottom line is that comparing gobblers...even within the same subspecies, but especially across all of the subspecies...is a glaring example of the old "fools errand".  Genetics and habitat are the key ingredients,...and those vary so much in different regions of the country that referring to what a gobbler "scores" in the existing system is quite honestly...and with all due respect to Colonel Dave Harbour, the "system creator",...a waste of time.

The "other" bottom line is that the real "trophy" in turkey hunting is not what a gobbler scores, it is all about the hunt and all that it encompasses.  Any gobbler taken "fair and square" is a trophy equal to any other...   :icon_thumright:

Of all the gobblers I have called up and killed, I have never once felt the need to "score" one. I'm proud to state that.

Personally not a single one in over 30+ years.  Even though I hunted private lands. They were all heavily hunted. Few farm lands, mostly woods in the mountains.
However there were a few mentors that killed high 60's to 70's every year. How? I'll never know.  They have all passed.
My Son just killed his first in Hawaii.  Man my heart is full.  He is 12 and making plans for next year.
I told him I would buy him any turkey gun he wants.  He said nope. I want this one. Lol it's my very first turkey gun. Old 870, that is spray painted.  How cool is that?
Stay safe out there. May God bless y'all.

Took a Florida Registry bird in 2008.  Don't remember if it was scored or not.  A few big Ohio birds over the years.  For whatever reason scoring wasn't a big deal when I was in my prime.  In the early days people were scoring deer but turkeys not so much.

One. It scored 74.55, and weighed a hair over 25 pounds...heaviest one I've killed by over 3 pounds.


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None, at least not yet. The vast majority of the birds I have taken over the years of hunting are Merriams, and most of them score in the 50's range. Have a hand full of Easterns that would score in the low to mid 60's, but not in the 70's.

I don't know honestly but there's been a few.

Five off the top of my head

I have no clue what so ever, but I killed one in 2022 that scored over 75 and I only know that because he was a contest bird for a local buddies contest. I always wrote the stats on pictures so I could go back and score some. In 1984 I killed a non typical that scored 94 and that was because the local NWTF chapter I was active in had a big bird contest. I have killed probably a dozen 2-3 bearded birds that would score pretty well, but thinking of typical gobblers I am guessing 8-10. Last year the local bow shop had a contest and the top three birds all scored over 70. You weren't in the money under 65 (paid 5 places). We have some pretty decent birds here. Like gobblenut said it's all genetics and habitat. The area I have hunted in Ky has some big bodied birds with good spurs but usually 10" or less beards. Genes genes genes

I've not scored a turkey. I've killed some dandies through the years though. I loved them everyone

2 or 3

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Quote from: Old Swamper on March 25, 2024, 10:00:45 AM
Of all the gobblers I have called up and killed, I have never once felt the need to "score" one. I'm proud to state that.

Soo true!

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Only one that went over 70.  He scored an even 71.  Several in the 60's.  The problem here is the spur length. These rugged stone mountains and ridges keep them worn down.

Don't really know. The majority of the turkeys I kill are ridge running, mountain gobblers. As far as the officials' scores go, if one breaks 60 he is a dandy. 70 point birds are way more abundant down out of the mountains. It's been my experience that they are easier to kill as well. To put a score on a gobbler isn't really giving you his true value. Mr Nunnery had a scoring system that got closer to the point of things in my humble opinion. Every one I have killed has ranked high to me. In short, he scores what you put into him, and that can only be measured by the person walking up to him.

Good-looking and Platinum level member of the Elitist club

This isn't meant to be contest peeps. It's the incoherent babbling of a first time April hunter that is chewing his tongue off in anticipation. The only reason to score a bird is for this contest. I agree that the memory is the trophy. It's hard to believe that there are a few that have shot a lot of birds and haven't scored a one if em.  :OGturkeyhead: Z

 Had to go to my Journal, because some times i do miss represent accidently.

I killed one during journal time at 71.1. It was a stud!

Killed another big un before the journal. 25#, 4 spurs, the beard was over ten but not 11. I truly can't remember. So I have him at 69.5.

Have killed a pile of 20#ers that would never be close to 70.

Zelmo, I can't remember ever scoring one in the 70's, several in mid-high 60's. You made me stop and reminisce for a few minutes of hunts past. Thanks for that.


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I have killed 2 single beards that went over 70. The one from last year scored 76.01 and the other one was about 6 years ago and it scored 70.25.

I've handled hundreds of dead birds, mine and others combined, have never scored one, never will.

To each their own, I didn't realize it was that big a thing, I get enough scoring BS with big game!


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I have never scored a turkey; never will.  I am only concerned with a gobbler's personality.  If I have to work my tail off to get one, he ranks high in my memory bank.

Quote from: silvestris on March 25, 2024, 07:26:08 PM
I have never scored a turkey; never will.

Of course!

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Single bearded ??   I'm guessing no more than 2 or 3.

I say that because there is a mounted 75.25 point bird in the garage.  It was my younger daughter's first-ever longbeard at 12 years old. 

I've only ever killed a couple single beards that would (maybe) top it.  I really only started measuring gobblers a few years back for the Old Gobbler Contest.

I've never even weighed one nor even thought of a score.  I didn't think people really kept score with turkeys

There were numerous turkey contests around in the late 80s-90s around me some at factories and some just small town general store contests. We also had to go to a check station where they weighed and measured  spurs and beards. One town contest in particular they just went off weight and you had too be real close to 30lb to win it every  year. There are some really big birds in that area 28lb was very common for a big bird to weigh in at.

I've only ever scored one bird and he had 3 beards so not the norm. I've killed several over the 25 pound mark but never scored them

Quote from: GobbleNut  on March 25, 2024, 09:47:47 AM
The "other" bottom line is that the real "trophy" in turkey hunting is not what a gobbler scores, it is all about the hunt and all that it encompasses.  Any gobbler taken "fair and square" is a trophy equal to any other...   :icon_thumright:

^^^^^
Right on!

Quote from: Hook hanger on March 25, 2024, 08:35:14 PM
There were numerous turkey contests around in the late 80s-90s around me some at factories and some just small town general store contests. We also had to go to a check station where they weighed and measured  spurs and beards. One town contest in particular they just went off weight and you had too be real close to 30lb to win it every  year. There are some really big birds in that area 28lb was very common for a big bird to weigh in at.

That's a good point. I ran a check station for years and we weighed every bird and recorded if it had over 1" spurs or more than an 8" beard. This was to determine the ratio of adults to juveniles. Most hunters wanted us to go ahead and record the total beard length and spurs. If they wanted to register their bird we would copy the check slip for them. I checked one of the world record eastern gobblers at that station, sometime in the late 80s. That hunter used the check slip for official verification. So yes in some areas scoring was initiated by the state.

Only one I can think of and that's due to 1.625" spurs. Very difficult without good spurs.

Quote from: Old Swamper on March 25, 2024, 10:00:45 AM
Of all the gobblers I have called up and killed, I have never once felt the need to "score" one. I'm proud to state that.

Absolutely my way too. I didn't realize it made the difference. 

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Only one that I can think of, the overall hunt was the single best turkey hunt I  have ever had, fun story I'll have to tell some time.

I really dislike having to score birds for the contest here, I only participate because I enjoy having a group to txt with all hunting season that care about turkey hunting.

One of my favorite reasons for enjoying turkey hunting more than deer is there's so much less stigma and importance placed on the "trophy" aspect. 

Some of the most enjoyable turkeys have been exceptionally unimpressive in any stats department. Wading an icy stream barefoot in the castkills to watch 6 tom pitch 300yds to land in front of me. Taking my first afternoon gobbler after a 14 mile day on a solo out of state. I once spent 4 days of cat and mouse to catch up with a bird that had 1 spur, beard rot and 2 broken tail fans but boy was he a quirky one that loved to gobble but never commit.

I do however have a bird mounted that I'm sure meets that criteria, if I recall his stats correctly he'd score around 74. Most of the areas I hunt would never produce a bird that size, all of my highest scores were visits to more farm environments.

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I would agree with several of the comments here about scoring turkeys. It probably is much less significant of a measure with turkeys than most other trophy animals. Let's just spit it out on the floor for all to see the ugliness of trophy categorization. It's a who has the biggest D#!* ego fest and was created by those that wanted to make money off it. For turkeys the system was created by the NWTF and they charged for it. I have always said a true trophy, records the score without cost. If you set a record in baseball do they send you a bill? It has absolutely ruined many areas of hunting. Living in an area that is known for trophy deer it has cost me a lot of hunting ground. I am pretty sure all these people coming from other states and paying big bucks to lease land wouldn't be as willing to pay if there was not a trophy system. If all they could shoot were 100 pound does, they'd never come. Now a turkey hunter comes to hunt turkeys with no expectation of the trophy status. The people who gain most by scoring turkeys are the people making money off it, namely the NWTF. Just another bone I have to pick with them. Oh I confess I have fallen into the trap more then once and I usually hate what it does to me. I imagine this might rub some wrong but it's just my personal opinion and worth nothing, so I hope it won't get me into too much hot water.

25 pounds is my best.10 inch beard.He was a huge bird I called in.

This was just a way to keep my tiny brain busy for a few minutes guys. If I fool any tom into range, I am taking the shot. Broken spurs, tailfeathers, limping, blind and deaf, BANG, lol. I think, not speaking for anyone but me, that most of us live for the game. Some hunt meat, some glory. If you do your thing and do it "right for you" then you are a winner. No high horse here, I ride a pony and am proud of it. I dont want to ruffle any feathers here. Maybe a goat mane  or 2, but all in good fun. Z

I've called in some smallish gobblers, and let them walk.