Don't matter to me other than it's cool to kill one with long spurs. Where I used to hunt in SW Indiana, we never killed one less than 25 pounds, but here in Tennessee I haven't killed one more than 21. Funny thing is I've killed more turkeys in the 6 years in Tennessee than the 21years in Indiana...1 bird versus 4 bird limit.
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Big turkeys (to you)
- Thread starter woodsman04
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Mike Belt
Well-Known Member
The only bird I don't shoot is a jake. Otherwise, if they play the game with me they're fair game. I like weight and beards and spurs but all things being equal it really doesn't matter. My average bird here in SW Tn goes 18-21 pounds but I have killed one that went right at 27 pounds. That was neat but not near as neat as watching a couple of smaller gobblers jump on him getting some retribution while he was doing the death flop.
We typically don't have birds here around the house (Brunswick) but they've begun moving in some. I watched a group yesterday in a field below me and there were a couple of big gobblers in the group.
We typically don't have birds here around the house (Brunswick) but they've begun moving in some. I watched a group yesterday in a field below me and there were a couple of big gobblers in the group.
90% of the birds killed in TN weigh 24-26 pounds. If you don't believe me watch this board in a few weeks! :shock:
gobblinfool
Well-Known Member
Big turkeys are corn fed and live in states like Iowa/Missouri and such....30lb butter balls
Setterman
Well-Known Member
Haha, ain't that the truth. I thing I've tagged and personally seen over 100 TN turkeys maybe more and none were over 23 lbs.Spurhunter":x0fqb0mw said:
Not one
megalomaniac
Well-Known Member
I've never seen one over 20 lbs in south MS.... we got some Itty bitty birds this far south
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catman529
Well-Known Member
A big turkey to me is any Tom that's heavier than usual with a thick long beard and sharp spurs. The thrill of the chase doesn't usually have anything to do with the size of the bird.
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Spurs. 1.5 is really above average in west Tn. I've hunted for yrs, took many gobblers. Of all the birds I've taken, I've only took three with legit 1.5's or better, my best is 1 5/8. I was at Natchez Trace one yr on a quota hunt, had some birds roosted. That morning as I was leaving the truck, a young boy pulled in. The birds where already gobblin in the dark, and he heard them. I was hoping He'd be polite, and leave, since I was already there, but seeing his excitement I asked him just to hunt with me, so we would probably be better off together. Long story short, birds flew down, marched to us full strut. I counted down, we doubled. Ran out to flopping birds, mine had 1 spurs. He picked his up, first gobbler he had ever killed, solid, and I mean solid 1-3/4 spurs. I liked to died. He never had a clue. I tried to tell him, but it could have been a jake and he would have been torn up. Just glad I got to be part of it.
bobbuck
Well-Known Member
tickweed":15i9k02l said:
That is pretty dang cool!
TN Larry
Well-Known Member
To me in terms of excitement, it is a gobbler with a full fan that plays the game gobbling to the gun. That matters the most to me.
In terms of a big turkey in my area, any spurs over 1" that is sharp and anything over 21 lbs in terms of weight is a big turkey. I do like a thick, paint brush beard. The birds that I hunt are all woods birds in rocky terrain so we don't see a lot of birds with sharp spurs or excessive weight. It was many years before I killed a bird that would go 20 lbs. It seems the last 3 to 4 years that the weight of the turkeys in my area have went way up. I killed one a little over 22 lbs last year on opening morning that is the biggest bird that I have ever killed weight wise. My son killed one about an hour later that was 23 lbs which is the biggest bird that I know of weight wise taken where we hunt. We did kill 5 birds last year between 21 and 23 lbs which would have been unheard of 5 years ago.
In terms of a big turkey in my area, any spurs over 1" that is sharp and anything over 21 lbs in terms of weight is a big turkey. I do like a thick, paint brush beard. The birds that I hunt are all woods birds in rocky terrain so we don't see a lot of birds with sharp spurs or excessive weight. It was many years before I killed a bird that would go 20 lbs. It seems the last 3 to 4 years that the weight of the turkeys in my area have went way up. I killed one a little over 22 lbs last year on opening morning that is the biggest bird that I have ever killed weight wise. My son killed one about an hour later that was 23 lbs which is the biggest bird that I know of weight wise taken where we hunt. We did kill 5 birds last year between 21 and 23 lbs which would have been unheard of 5 years ago.
Full fan and I'm shooting. Of course it is a bonus if you get to him and he has a long beard and a nice set of spurs. Weight does nothing for me, though I think it would be cool to shoot just a total butterball, no pun intended.
catman529
Well-Known Member
that's awesome. Can't beat that.tickweed":3ibeilrl said:
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Finally someone I believe when they talk about 1.5" spurs on the eastern species of turkeys.tickweed":2t0ey38a said:
I'm with REN. I just look for a full fan. I measure beards and spurs because people ask. I've only been turkey hunting about 3 years, and I've only killed 4 or 5 birds. I couldn't tell you the measurements of any of them. Makes no difference to me.
I was trying to shoot a tom last year who had no beard (rot?).
I was trying to shoot a tom last year who had no beard (rot?).
Not trying to be that guy, but technically, that bird is off limits in TN.TNReb":321krj5j said:
"One (1) bearded turkey per day, not to exceed four (4) per season"
Thanks for pointing that out. I honestly don't recall if he had zero beard or just a piece of one. He had a full fan and kept gobbling at me and I couldn't figure out what the heck I was looking at for a minute.Andy S.":21r46ua3 said:
I just love to hear that gobble. If it is not a jake and it gobbles to the call, that is my trophy.
JCDEERMAN
Well-Known Member
My thoughts as well for where we hunt in Hickman. At my house just west of Nashville, I have ostriches walking around my yard...absolutely enormous turkeysAndy S.":r81fth7w said:
