just wondering what your guys' best turkeys were my best was my first and to this day I have never beat it 26 3/8 pounds 10 inch

[jmise]

just wondering what your guys' best turkeys were my best was my first and to this day I have never beat it 26 3/8 pounds 10 inch beard and left spur was 1 3/8 and right spur 1 5/8 to this day I have never killed another one over 24 pounds but its just fine with me

[Ncarl]

28 lbs, 11" beard, both spurs 1 3/4"

[Gary Devine]

Man, you two guys killed monster birds. Ncari and jmise are these turkeyzillas in your profile photos? I would love to see them. If not please post the photos on the F&S Trophy Room photos.
Thank You, I can't wait to see them.
Congrats to both of you.

[Ncarl]

Thanks! And yes it's titled 28lbs Iowa turkey in my profile photos.

[IND_NRA]

My best was taken in Indiana in 2006 31 lbs 11" beard 1 3/4" spur and one spur was rubbed down to about 1". It was and has been the biggest turkey that I have ever seen. That big ol' bastard didn't want to fit in the fryer.

[IND_NRA]

I was told at the time I was checking it in and getting it weighed that it could Potentially be the new state record. I declined as I have never taken much stock any record programs, as my grandpa taught me at a young age that the real trophy is the meat you provide for your family and the tradition of the hunt that you share with the ones you love. I also have a giant typical buck that I arrowed in Indiana a few years back that a friend put the tape to at 194 inches. He has begged me to have it officialy scored, but I will let my kids dicide that after I am long gone.

[357]

best tasting bird i ever shot was a 10 pound hen who happened to stroll by my at end of light, she had a 3 inch beard making her legal for the taking and man was she tasty.

best Tom wasn't too impressive since he tough as nails. But man i tell you what that Hen was a keeper i now eyeball the hens first things to see if one is sporting a beard.

[Gary Devine]

357, your correct. The young ones are better eating and you can cut the meat with a butter knife.

I have a question for you 357, would you shoot a 25 pound Tom or a 10 pound hen if they were standing side by side?

I would shoot the monster Tom and go buy a young turkey at the food store.

[FirstBubba]

So far my biggest bird was 24 pounds.
Two beards: 9.5 inches and 5 inches.
Spurs were 1 inch and well broomed from fighting.
Best beard was 11.5 inches.
Best spurs were 1.25 inches and needle sharp.

For the over 26 pound crowd, were your birds Eastern, Rio or Eastern/Rio cross.

According to NWTF records, the heaviest bird is a 36 pound Rio.

[357]

standing side by side probably the tom and cut him and make soup, i want at least one full body strutting tom mount for the wall.

[ALJoe]

A twenty pound turkey is a huge turkey around here. I've killed just a few that would go over twenty pounds. I too would like to know if those big birds ya'll are posting about are rios, merriams, or easterns. Only easterns in my part. I got one full strutter mounted that had just a touch over a 12" beard. He also was sporting 1 1/2 spurs.

[Ncarl]

Firstbubba and ALJoe, My bird was an eastern. I killed him in Iowa. Iowa and Missouri are the only two states Ive ever turkey hunted in so all my birds have been easterns. My uncle is a DNR officer with a degree in fisheries and wildlife biology and works with a guy who retired from the NWTF and cuts the grass for the state park now. My uncle estimated the bird was at least 4 if not 5 years old. I shot the bird in May and the retired NWTF guy explained to me that birds loose weight as they go through the breading season and my bird was most likely 30 pounds during Iowas first season in early April. I guess I just have good luck with turkeys seeing as my second largest was 27 lbs with too beards and my third largest was 25 lbs.

[philbourjaily]

They are all big up here in Iowa -- 21-22 is average, 24-25 is big. I've shot a few around 25 but the one I remember was the healthy mature gobbler I killed one year that only went 18 pounds. I have never heard of another one so tiny in these parts. It had little bitty feet, too.
357 -- I shot a bearded hen on the last day one year. Eight inch beard, tasted great plucked and roasted whole and I made a call from her wingbones

[Treestand]

My bigest Turkey was 18# No Beard No Spurs got it at W*M

[FirstBubba]

Hen wings make the "very" best calls, pb. I always try to take a hen in the fall when they're legal for that reason.