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

[jwright8]

Over 20 is a big bird here. Although one of the biggest ever killed was in my home county. 34 pounds I think it was.  Was the record holder for many years.

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[redjones]

Seems like a lot of birds here run from 20-23 pounds,my biggest is 29.5 killed last day of the season this spring.
I have wondered what he would have gone opening day.
Cant really tell but he has three beards a 10'',6'' and 4''.
Doubt I will ever get a chance at another one like this,but you never know.
I am located in NW Indiana.

      Greg

[davisd9]

20 is a big bird here. 18 is average.  Biggest bird I ever killed was in Bama and it was 21 lbs:




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[WNY Bowhunter]

Our average bird in my area of NY will go around 20. I have killed several that have gone 22 and change. My overall heaviest was taken in KY last spring. He went 24 and my wife killed one the following day that went 24.5...

[greentag]

Seems like a lot of birds here run from 20-23 pounds,my biggest is 29.5 killed last day of the season this spring.
I have wondered what he would have gone opening day.
Cant really tell but he has three beards a 10'',6'' and 4''.
Doubt I will ever get a chance at another one like this,but you never know.
I am located in NW Indiana.

      Greg

monster bird!be hard to top that one again.

[turkeywhisperer935]

Yes sir that's a porker. In my hometown in west TN most average around 16 to 18 pounds. Me and my hunting partener have both killed one that weighed 23 though. That's pretty large here.

[HOOKS1]

In my area of central Louisiana 18# is about average and anything over 20# is considered a big bird. The heaviest I've taken was 22# 5 oz.

[sixbird]

Here in N.J. a twenty five pounder is huge. I've heard of bigger ones but they're rare. A nice average is 17-18 lbs.

[GobbleNut]

It's weird I know, but I kill 24 or 25 pound birds every spring that somehow lose 6 or 7 pounds by the time I get them back to camp and put them on a scale.  A guy can really work the weight off of one carrying them out.
...Really, our Merriams gobblers here in NM will typically weigh 18 to 19 pounds, with a few running a little heavier or lighter.  The heaviest I have killed weighed 22 lbs. 7 oz. and I'm not sure I can remember weighing any others that were heavier than that.
We have also weighed a good number of Rios from TX and OK and they averaged about the same.
People seem to think that Gould's are somehow much bigger than that, but we have also weighed probably 30-40 Goulds gobblers and they, too, have averaged about the same weight, perhaps just slightly more on the average than the others. 

[TauntoHawk]

Winters came take their toll up in the north east and the average bird weight can swing 2-3lbs just on how severe or mild the winter was. In NY a 20lb bird is solid and 22 is big in my mind but a lot of guys are killing mostly 17-18lb birds I just got a few properties that hold good birds because of solid winter food. I've won a few hundred dollars in a big bird contest a few years back with  23.5lb bird the same year my wife killed a 24.5lb bird but wasn't entered in the contest, that bird was a stud and looked noticeably larger than average strutting across that field. (Best hunt to date)

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[perrytrails]

Most birds average 18 to 20 here in Se Ohio.

My heaviest birds have been taken in Ky. Biggest was 24.

They don't require you to weigh your bird for tagging in Ohio now. Most people I know use the guess method. Those use to be 20lb birds are now 24. Lol

One thing I've noticed is heavier birds are usually taken around horses and Cattle, getting grain from their crap I suppose.

A older fellow told me years ago, where there is cattle you can bet there is turkeys. Lotta truth to that.

[Jbird22]

I'd say 17-18 lbs. is normal here in South MS with a heavy one being 20+ lbs.

[fldoghunter]

It seems a central Florida public land bird will average 17-18 pounds, My heaviest was 21 and change. It was the heaviest killed on that WMA in several years and for several years after. I've only killed 3 or so over 20#. The private land hunters in the same general area kill 20# birds more regularly.

[trkehunr93]

I've killed a couple here in VA in the 22-23 lb range, my biggest and best being the 23 lb one.  He was a stud and now hangs on my wall.  Have seen some push 25 lbs. but that is after an excellent mast crop in the fall.  18-21 is our typical average here in my part of VA (SW), you get out in the tidewater area of the state and it goes up because of all the agriculture they have. 

[turkeyfoot]

For my area NC most will run 18-20 lbs I've killed several over 20 but not by much by far most mine are in 19lb range. Only killed one in NC bigger than 22 it was a freak 26.14 lbs 11 3/4 inch beard and hooks that were just tinge under 2 inches, Can't say I called him in wouldn't come to calls so I just patterned his hens he was following and killed him off a Mtn on a logging road. I think turkey weights are one of the most exaggerated things I've seen. Everyone wants their bird to be over 20 but hey a 18 Tom is not a bad thing