Did you keep a count of Long Beards taken?

[Timmer]

I used to keep a turkey hunting journal.  I documented not only my successful hunts and associated bird count, but other fun or more rare things I encountered in the field.  Most of those stories I remember off the top of my head, such as a badger running past within 2 feet of me to go after my decoy, or a bald eagle that didn't like that new camo blob against the tree and sat right above me for 2 hours screeching its fool head off until I went away.  After a number of years I realized I never went back and read what I took a great deal of time to write, so I stopped doing it. I do still have the journal.  Maybe one day when I'm too old to hunt I will enjoy reading it and will have wished I kept documenting things.   

[RutnNStrutn]

I keep reminders of every harvest. Beards, spurs, fan mounts and full body mounts. So yes, I know how many I have taken. But that is not why I hunt. I hunt for the pure enjoyment of the sport, especially now that I'm in my 60's.
Harvest or not, I enjoy greeting the dawn, hearing owls and songbirds, waiting for the first gobble of the morning and watching the denizens of the woods going about their lives. If I just so happen to harvest a gobbler, that's just the icing on an already sweet cake.

Sent from my moto z4 using Tapatalk

[Mabren2]

I don't keep a count, so to speak, but like others I keep beard, spurs, etc.  I also usually keep the hull of the shell used for the harvest.  I haven't done it, but one thing I thought was pretty neat was a story on a local public network hunting show.  An old-timer had written the story of the hunt, with great detail, on a small piece of paper, rolled it up, and stuck it in the hull from the hunt. I thought how cool would it be if I could read the hand written stories of grandpa's hunts.

[Wigsplitter]

Yes - I keep count and know the number- I like some others have every beard and spur I've killed- I've got a number in mind I want to reach for myself- then all others will be a bonus- I'm not all that far away from my goal!!

[Haypatch]

I have no clue on the number... but i do keep beards and spurs!

[dublelung]

I had them all wrote down for a long time but slacked a few years and realized it didn't really matter. I'm guessing 130ish and can't wait for the next one!

[Ihuntoldschool]

Yes. They have season limits here so kind of have to.

[owlhoot]

Do not count them , but keep beard and spurs in old boot boxes.

[Farmboy27]

I know exactly how many I have killed and I have every beard to prove it. But I don't bring it up. Even if someone asks me how many I've killed, I just say "my fair share"

[mudhen]

Every single one for 40+- seasons...

I keep a log, and can remember each one...

[makestomstremble]

I began in an old spiral notebook in 1983 and record the date, time, location, weather, who I'm hunting with, if not alone, gun used, ammo used, distance of shot in yards. I don't know why I started this, but I knew the first year I called a longbeard in this was something different. NOTHING else like it to me.

[Turkeyman]

One thing I started doing several years ago is take an "as found" picture from my Gaia GPS app. That way I have the picture, date and location. Then after the fact I edit that waypoint adding the beard length, spurs and weight.

Sent from my SM-G950U using Tapatalk

[Turkeyman]

That waypoint gets the number and state. On my Gaia I have a folder with all tsken since I started doing that.

I can only remember several over time that were memorable for some reason but doing the Gaia thing as I look at them I pretty much get total recall.

Sent from my SM-G950U using Tapatalk

[TrackeySauresRex]

If I never kill another one I can honestly say I have killed my fair share.

You -n- me BOTH, brother !!!!

But I still can't wait for the NEXT one.   

This is definitely one way to look at it...

Or...if you can count 'em, it's definitely not enough.   

[ShootingABN!]

Thanks for sharing everyone.  I enjoyed reading the responses.
Hope everyone has a safe and productive season.