Every morning when I walk outside it sounds like a battle zone with all the toms gobbling. I can't claim I go turkey hunting anymore as it is more of just going out the front door and walking 1/4 mile and shooting a Tom. I guess to make it more exciting, I'll have to get real picky and go for the biggest bird w/best beard. Last year we harvested 3 birds during the spring season. They were: 28 1/2 lbs w/13" beard L spur 1 7/8" R spur 1 5/8" 25 lb 3oz w/3 beards [11", 8", 6"], L spur 1 1/2" R spur 1 1/2" 25 lb w/9" beard, L spur 1 3/8 R spur 1 1/2" I have seen a couple of toms that drag their beard when walking upright out here that have to be pushing 30 lbs. They are on the hit list for this season. Do you have your sites on a particular Tom, or is it first come, first serve?
I do both. First spring season is bow, and then 4th season shotgun. The turkeys are thick as thieves here and when I'm not picky, I can go out 30 minutes before daybreak and be home with bird an hour after sunrise. Last year while gun hunting I could have had two nice toms with one shot, but only had one tag left.
We've got a fairly large amount of turkeys here too, and a lot of them get some pretty good size to them too. Whenever I started I was fairly easy to please and would shoot the first jake/tom that made an appearance. However, in the past couple years I've held off on some resulting in a 25 lb. 11" beard 1.5" spur tom last year, and a 24.5 lb 11.5" beard 1/2" spur tom the year before. With this being my first year bowhunting for turkeys, I'm not 100% sure how picky I'm going to be, but I would like to get a good bird killed for my team in the contest. We'll just see how things go I guess.
Thanks. But when you have groups of 40+ turkey running around together in an area where most of the locals don't hunt turkey, the pickin's get easier.
I won't have a lot of time because of baseball, so the first male bird (really don't want to shoot a bearded hen in the spring).
28 Lbs with a 13 inch beard...thats FREAKING HUGE! Around here, we have big turkeys, but id say the heaviest would be just a tad over 25 lbs. Alot of pressure too.
Yikes, and I thought my 21.5lb bird was big last year. I'm not out to top last years bird as it was my first bird. Probably any sizable jake or tom seeing as I have limited time to get it done in PA.
I.V. - those are some world class toms. Wow. I've won our local turkey pools a few times, and I watch intently every year as 30-60 birds get turned in. We've NEVER had a natural bird score even come close to scaring the 80 point mark. I have one of the best PA birds I've ever seen, and he grossed in the mid 70's. Man, you are into some real warhammers. This is the first year in memory that I'm not outrageously amped for turkey season... But I must say - if I knew I was on a 30-pounder with 1.6"+ hooks - I'd probably be foaming at the mouth. Good luck dude.
I'll take any tom that decides to come into range for me. Theres plenty running around but not enough for me to get picky. Fran you going to have a lot of time to hunt this year? I know last year you were pretty much screwed.
One of my goals for this year is to now only harvest a tom, but get a 70 NWTF. I know that one close to that exists out their, i just have to get the slip on him.
For me here in GA on public land it'll be the first tom to cross my path. Heading out early in the morning to chase some birds actually.