What is a "Heavy" bird in your area? (with pics)

[MK M GOBL]

So I live in the mid-west (WI) and have hunted a number of states from down south and out west and just wonder what you consider a "Heavy" bird in your area? Birds around here seem to average 22-23 lbs. My heaviest bird was a 3rd season (early May) bird that went 28lbs 6oz. Mostly around here they are considered "Big" at 25-26lbs.

MK M GOBL

"Big Bird" 28.6

[MK M GOBL]

I have had 2 other birds that topped the 28# mark and one of these was a double that  weighed in at 28lbs 4oz / 1 1/8" spurs / 11 3/4" beard and #2 was 26lbs 2oz / 1 1/8" spur (the other was busted up) / 10 5/8" beard. YUP!!!

MK M GOBL

[MK M GOBL]

And this guy was a mid/late may 4th season bird that tipped the scales at 27lbs 5oz, wish I would have taken him during 1st season with a bunch of "Turkey Jello" fat/breast sponge on him.

MK M GOBL

[guesswho]

Anything topping 20 is a heavy bird around Al/Ga is a big one.   I've seen a lot of 22-24 lb birds around here that in reality is 18-20 lbs.   some are legit, but just as many or more have a fudge factor involved

[dirt road ninja]

20 pounds here as well. I've killed really nice birds that didn't go 18 #'s, but were the studs in the area.

[OldSchool]

Same here, 18-20# is a nice big bird here around home. I've killed a few heavier, but not very many.

Those are some slammers there, congrats.

Bob

[trad bow]

Those are some big birds. Congratulations on them. Here in the Ga piedmont the biggest I have seen registered at the local hardware store contest was 24 lb. There are a lot in the twenty to twenty-two lb range. My largest was and early season bird that went 21lb. I got on a lease down in the swamps below the fall line that the four birds I shot there over two seasons only weighed 12-14 lb. All the birds had 10 to 11 1/2" beards and spurs over 1".
Jeff

[WildTigerTrout]

Mature birds here average 16 to 18 pounds. My largest went 23 pounds even. I have killed three others that were 20 pounds or over. I weigh all my birds and it takes a big gobbler to go 20 pounds! The gobbler in my avatar was 21 pounds.

[WisTurk]

I mainly hunt north-central WI, and I would consider a 25 lb bird to be big.  Have got several in the 22-23 lb range, but have yet to break the 25 lb mark.  I know of one guy that got a 27 pounder in western WI, and my buddy got one at 30 lbs in the southwestern part a couple of years ago...unfortunately for him, he was still pretty new at turkey hunting and didn't realize what he had and got the bird cut up before he could have it officially weighed.  Probably would have made the record books with that one with the beard length and spurs thrown in as well.  That's the breaks I guess.

[MK M GOBL]

I mainly hunt north-central WI, and I would consider a 25 lb bird to be big.  Have got several in the 22-23 lb range, but have yet to break the 25 lb mark.  I know of one guy that got a 27 pounder in western WI, and my buddy got one at 30 lbs in the southwestern part a couple of years ago...unfortunately for him, he was still pretty new at turkey hunting and didn't realize what he had and got the bird cut up before he could have it officially weighed.  Probably would have made the record books with that one with the beard length and spurs thrown in as well.  That's the breaks I guess.

I live in Southwestern WI Driftless Area!

[strutnva]

20 in VA is a good one, some do go over but most that you hear about are just a guess.

[jepcho]

Here in Iowa we have pretty big birds. The vast majority of the birds I've killed here in Iowa have been over 20, a lot like 21 -23. I would consider 25 and up to be getting real big. I have killed about 4 at the 25 and up mark with the biggest being a giant 30.5 lb bird on opening day of first season back in 2007.

[Happy]

17-19 pounds is average around here. Anything over that is considered a heavy bird. My personal best is 23 lbs. I killed him about ten years ago. Don't know if I will ever top that if I just hunt around here. Crappy picture but here he is.

[buzzardroost]

22-23 is a big one here. 18-19 is average.


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[WisTurk]

I mainly hunt north-central WI, and I would consider a 25 lb bird to be big.  Have got several in the 22-23 lb range, but have yet to break the 25 lb mark.  I know of one guy that got a 27 pounder in western WI, and my buddy got one at 30 lbs in the southwestern part a couple of years ago...unfortunately for him, he was still pretty new at turkey hunting and didn't realize what he had and got the bird cut up before he could have it officially weighed.  Probably would have made the record books with that one with the beard length and spurs thrown in as well.  That's the breaks I guess.

I live in Southwestern WI Driftless Area!

Lafayette County is where he goes.  Quite a few birds down there.