This is not a hate thread, I am just curious. How many of you go through the process of scoring your bird and submitting the score to NWTF?
I do not
No.
I have never submitted a bird and no plans to
Silly money grab for records that no one really cares about but yourself.
This is mostly what I expected. I am a member along with several of my friends and we have never heard of anyone submitting a score.
I have killed some that would score pretty high and never had them officially scored.
I never have
Over the decades, I have scored a lot of turkeys with the Dave Harbour scoring system (the NWTF took over the records from Harbour a few years after he started it). I have admittedly submitted one gobbler to the records decades ago...only to recognize the turkey itself.
Although I think the scoring system is seriously flawed and, as such. has limited value in comparing wild turkeys, it does provide a "barometer" for hunters to evaluate a gobbler's "standing", if you will, to other gobblers a hunter may have harvested and/or in comparing the relative "trophy characteristics" of a gobbler from a given area or region.
At this point in time, I agree that the NWTF uses the record book for turkeys as a money grab. Unless things have changed, any hunter can submit a gobbler, regardless of its size, to the record book as long as the submission is accompanied by the "fee" for doing so. (Most game-animal scoring systems have some sort of minimum score to be eligible for inclusion...not so with this one as far as I know...you shoot a jake and want it put in the record book, send in your money... ;D
Having said all of the above, the Harbour scoring system, to my knowledge, is the only one in use for scoring (and comparing) wild turkeys. I don't think enough people care enough about scoring turkeys to come up with something better, so we are "stuck" with this one. ...But if someone wants to get in the record book, more power to them...go for it (just make sure you submit the proper dollars for it)... :icon_thumright: ;D :D
The only time I have scored a turkey is for the team contest here on the forum. I haven't submitted anything to the NWTF and don't plan on doing so in the future
Never have
See post #8 - I'm a hoarder by choice so this was easy to find. I submitted an Osceola to FWC back in 2008 for an Outstanding Gobbler Certificate. This bird deserved it but, as usual, was a right time, right place kill.
Quote from: joey46 on April 14, 2025, 10:35:58 AMSee post #8 - I'm a hoarder by choice so this was easy to find. I submitted an Osceola to FWC back in 2008 for an Outstanding Gobbler Certificate. This bird deserved it but, as usual, was a right time, right place kill.
I think we are showing our age, Joey. I've got the same book...and in about the same condition. ;D I assume Col. Dave put the inscription on the page? That would be pretty cool.
I've got this one, as well. I think this included the first edition of the records when the bookkeeping was taken over by the NWTF, as I recall.
(https://i.imgur.com/KmAS4LRm.jpg?2)
I'm sure he did. It says to hurry up and make a submission as the first record book would be out in 1982. Still enjoy the chapter on his contact with a very young Harold Knight in LBL. Time flies. Good memories.
Interesting thoughts. Thank you to all who answered.
I have had a few scored in friendly pools on hunting trips.
Had a Rio near Coleman, TX back in 2009, that was a good one. He won me enough for gas money home! But I never thought to have one entered.
Living on the Oregon central coast, my brother and I have taken many black tailed deer and Roosevelt's elk. Several of our deer officially scored higher than the the minimum and my brother's first elk official score would have made it #19 in Pope and Young. We never entered any of them. We just wanted to know the score. Then when I became a full time taxidermist, I learned how to score them for my personal use and for customers, so that they would know if they should get it officially scored. Same with turkeys. I retired from the taxidermy trade, but still score my turkeys just for my personal use. Personall i feel no need to enter them.
I don't think a trophy score signifies a trophy turkey in any way. It's only a measure of physical parameters that are solely genetic and food related. Just because a gobbler is big bodied and has long spurs and beard doesn't mean anything about how hard he was to outsmart. Look around at all animals, especially people. Is a man smarter and wiser just because he is 6'5", 275, and muscled up? Secondly I think trophy recognition only brings the worse out in people. I understand the desire to recognize genetic exceptions as exceptional examples of physical traits, but it means squat about the survival skills of the animal. I doubt I will ever register an animal. I just believe trophy hunting brings out the worse in our communities.
I have always cringed at "big buck" and "heaviest turkey" contest that were pretty common in Ohio, at a local level, when I started out. When all was said and done it was alleged a whole lot of cheating took place. Competition can bring out the worst in some.
I only ever had one scored, mainly to honor the bird. Had some history with it.
Your right Joey, They have a contest locally here and I done it the first year just as a favor to my buddy (it was a a team thing) and regretted it. It changed the whole season for me and I have never done it again. When I was younger the local NWTF chapter had a contest and I always entered. It was just for chapter members and for fun, no prizes except a local maker made a call trophy for the winner. I play in this OG contest and enjoy it because it is just for fun and comradery. I have made some new friends through it. It's absolutely not about the trophy here but the people. I am glad OG set it up this way.
Maybe if I had a bird with 2 inch spurs and 5 beards I might but other than that NO. A bird like that would be newsworthy and I would have to have it mounted.
Only score to compete with my hunting buddies.
Never have and never will.