Dumb question about Turkeys

[Grantspastor]

I have jillions running around my place and little interest in hunting them, so I haven't really paid any attention to what trophy quality birds would look like. I read about record book Turkeys but don't know what constitutes a trophy. What do they score or measure on a Turkey to determine a Trophy?

[Gun Rod Bow]

Beard, but spurs are usually mentioned too.

8" good, 9" great, 10" amazing!

You know, just like...uhm...I mean...ugh....

Mountain Trout! Yah that's it.

[HawkeyeBilt]

Originally Posted by Gun Rod Bow

Beard, but spurs are usually mentioned too.

8" good, 9" great, 10" amazing!

You know, just like...uhm...I mean...ugh....

Mountain Trout! Yah that's it.

[gottafish]

Originally Posted by Gun Rod Bow

Beard, but spurs are usually mentioned too.

8" good, 9" great, 10" amazing!

You know, just like...uhm...I mean...ugh....

Mountain Trout! Yah that's it.

My wife translated that for ya.
3"good, 6"great, 8"amazing LOL

[huntercgr]

No wonder most men are so insecure, Tom's make us look bad.


Here's one formula you can use to "score" your turkey.

http://www.nwtf.org/all_about_turkeys/turkey_score.html

[mpmax]

I had to stop on Hwy 38 in Elkton yesterday to let a flock of (wild) Turkeys cross the road, about a dozen hens.

[ommedia]

I was just in GP yesterday and saw a few birds.

anyway, one thing to note about the NWTF scoring system/methodology. Although it is a great way to score a bird, in Oregon and a lot of states, it is difficult to find a "certified scale".

More often than not, a bird is killed, cleaned, and then later the hunter seeks to find out about scoring. So, because of this, the Oregon Record Book (and Washington's, Idaho's, and Montana's) all have a Wild Turkey Categor(ies)! There are several ways/categories to enter your turkey into these record books:

1. NWTF score (weight, beard length, total spur length) against the formula. This category is broken down into harvest method as well (shotgun, shotgun youth, archery, and archery youth)

2. First Beard length. Most turkeys don't get "officially" weighed. Thus, the first(longest) beard is the ranking method, we also record spur length. These too are broken down into harvest methods (shotgun, shotgun youth, archery, archery youth).

3. Total Beard length (non-typical). Some birds have mulitple beards, for this reason we have a category where you add those lengths together. We print the number of beards, the length of the longest beard, and the spur length. Again, this is also broken down by harvest methods.

4. We also list them by official/certified weight.

Originally Posted by Grantspastor

I have jillions running around my place and little interest in hunting them, so I haven't really paid any attention to what trophy quality birds would look like. I read about record book Turkeys but don't know what constitutes a trophy. What do they score or measure on a Turkey to determine a Trophy?

[wildebeast]

I get lots of turkey pictures but never really knew much about the bird.

How do these 2 birds rank as to the beard and spurs?

cliff

[OR_Bo_Huntr]

Originally Posted by wildebeast

I get lots of turkey pictures but never really knew much about the bird.

How do these 2 birds rank as to the beard and spurs?

cliff

I dont know too much, I would think those are 7-8" beards and 1" spurs
The one on the right would "score" better

[ommedia]

As far as "scoring" goes, you want several things (as I mentioned in previous post): weight, beard length, and spur length. In regards to beard length, it is determined by measuring the "longest hair" in the beard. Big gobblers often have "broomed" bears that bend or curve because they drag on the ground. This causes the hairs to break. The longest one is the only one that matters.

Originally Posted by wildebeast

I get lots of turkey pictures but never really knew much about the bird.

How do these 2 birds rank as to the beard and spurs?

cliff