Put turkeys in the NWTF record book?

[idgobble]

My 112.375 point 4 beard gobbler this year would smash the state record of 99 and be 31 in the national Merriam's records.  I've had a couple others in the last 20 years that would be high in the state record book. One of them would be number 2.  I've never entered any of them but am rethinking that now.  It would be fun to have the #1 state bird.  Unfortunately, I didn't even weigh it and I would have had to have a witness anyway. Maybe I'll enter the next good one I get.  Have you ever entered a turkey in your state's records?  Why or why not? If you did, what was the score and where did it place?

[guesswho]

I've entered one.  Still ranks #2 in Alabama.  I actually tried to have it entered without my name attached to it, but the N"WTF" wouldn't allow it without a hunters name.  I feel any recognition should be for the animal and not the hunter.  It's strickly luck of the draw for the hunter and nothing more.   I think that hunter recognition can lead some folks to do things they shouldn't do.   But now with Facebook and other social media sites, the look at me crowd has multiple outlets.   So now a record book probably doesn't cause any more shortcuts than any other recognition source.

That bird scored 156 and some change.   

[Gooserbat]

It's all up to you.  I've killed some good ones and wished. Had entered them but I didn't.  The great bow hunter Paul Shafer was once congratulated on one of his trophies and he replied to the tune of "why are you congratulating me", and pointing to the animal in question he said "he grew it".

[fallhnt]

I had the KS record archery Reo at one time. Last I looked it was 2nd. I also have a archery hen with a beard 9 7/8 in. long. Those are the only two I bothered to score out of a hundred plus archery birds. The hunts are why I scored them. My buddy wouldn't let me shoot a bearded hen,that he shot. The boss Reo came in after he shot the hen. I was laughing the whole time. My bearded hen came in during a fall hunt. I though it was a gobbler at first glance. I doubled on two hens,which filled my MO. turkey tags.

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[countryboy3006]

I have never scored any of my birds.  Usually I don't even weigh them to be able to score them.  I've never really been that worried about how big a tom I get.  As long as its an exciting hunt is all I'm after.

[catman529]

I haven't scored one since the contest here last year. Other than the friendly competition like that I've never really cared to score one.


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[idgobble]

Thanks for the good replies. IMO, getting a gobbler that will score real well is just luck. Other than trying for a bird with a long beard there's not much you can do. Can't see the spurs, pretty hard to tell if it's 21 lbs. or 24 lbs., I know I can't.  Beard length, I can't tell if it's 10 inches or 10.75 inches.  Of the 3 gobblers I've got with multiple beards, I never knew there were more than one beard until he was dead. It's not like judging a deer, elk, bear or bighorn sheep, which some guys can be very accurate at. So I don't feel I've earned any special recognition for getting lucky on a high scoring turkey but next time I get one that is a new state record I think I'll enter it just for the fun of it.  It will give my hunting buddies something to kid me about when I blow it somehow calling in a turkey.

[sixbird]

I've entered one.  Still ranks #2 in Alabama.  I actually tried to have it entered without my name attached to it, but the N"WTF" wouldn't allow it without a hunters name.  I feel any recognition should be for the animal and not the hunter.  It's strickly luck of the draw for the hunter and nothing more.   I think that hunter recognition can lead some folks to do things they shouldn't do.   But now with Facebook and other social media sites, the look at me crowd has multiple outlets.   So now a record book probably doesn't cause any more shortcuts than any other recognition source.

That bird scored 156 and some change.

Heard from a friend just the other day about a guy here in N.J. who claims to be a turkey "guide."
As the story was told to me, he actually hunts over corn and apparently the "hunters" are o.k. with that although it's illegal here.
This "guide" claims he's killed three 28 lb. turkeys which is pretty much an impossibility in this State. The turkeys are entered in NWTF records and apparently, NWTF accepts his claim. Now, here in N.J., when you check your bird, at most check stations, you weigh and measure your own bird, so you can claim it weighed anything you want.
So, NWTF records, in that case, are subject to fraudulent claims. Anyone who has a legitimate record, is shut out because of dishonest guys like the "guide..."
Yes, make a system that can be jacked and it will be jacked. It's just human nature to cheat. It apparently means that much to people like the "guide" and his "hunters" to be "honored", that they're willing to cheat to get it...

[yelpy]

I enter nothing because the little ones don't count. LOL!

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[silvestris]

Contests have no place in what should be a personal sport.  Whatever.

[idgobble]

I've entered one.  Still ranks #2 in Alabama.  I actually tried to have it entered without my name attached to it, but the N"WTF" wouldn't allow it without a hunters name.  I feel any recognition should be for the animal and not the hunter.  It's strickly luck of the draw for the hunter and nothing more.   I think that hunter recognition can lead some folks to do things they shouldn't do.   But now with Facebook and other social media sites, the look at me crowd has multiple outlets.   So now a record book probably doesn't cause any more shortcuts than any other recognition source.

That bird scored 156 and some change.

Heard from a friend just the other day about a guy here in N.J. who claims to be a turkey "guide."
As the story was told to me, he actually hunts over corn and apparently the "hunters" are o.k. with that although it's illegal here.
This "guide" claims he's killed three 28 lb. turkeys which is pretty much an impossibility in this State. The turkeys are entered in NWTF records and apparently, NWTF accepts his claim. Now, here in N.J., when you check your bird, at most check stations, you weigh and measure your own bird, so you can claim it weighed anything you want.
So, NWTF records, in that case, are subject to fraudulent claims. Anyone who has a legitimate record, is shut out because of dishonest guys like the "guide..."
Yes, make a system that can be jacked and it will be jacked. It's just human nature to cheat. It apparently means that much to people like the "guide" and his "hunters" to be "honored", that they're willing to cheat to get it...

I guess if he feeds them enough corn he might get them up to 28 lbs.  You could shove a bunch of lead sinkers down their throats, too.  That would help.

[Happy]

I don't think I would ever enter one. There is to much of a desire for personal recognition and fame. This is especially prevalent in deer hunting but it's started carrying over to turkeys. I have nothing against recognizing an amazing bird but with all the baiting and extracurricular activities people perform to achieve recognition will always make things suspect in my mind to the point that I no longer pay attention to any of it. The old gobbler contest is the only reason I measure anything and that is just for fun. The bird already met my personal standards if I pulled the trigger on it and is a trophy to me. A contest for fun doesn't change my standards or methods of hunting. I hunt  mountain birds that wouldn't know a cornfield if it fell on them. Anything that scores above 50 is a good bird and 60 is exeptional. But you earn every one of them if you hunt them straight-up and they are in my mind one of the hardest challenges in turkey hunting. A tape measure doesn't tell that tale.

[bigbird]

My oldest son has killed a couple dandy birds. The best one has a 12"3/4 and 10"1/2 beards with 1.25 spurs and 25 lbs    The other one has identical measurements but the beards were 11.5 and 8.5.

[HookedonHooks]

I would have the #1 overall scoring typical bird in the state of MO that I shot when I was 15 had it been entered. My little sister shot a Tom when she was 10 that would have the #1 spur length record in MO and be 3rd place nationally also had it been entered.

They weren't entered by my father, part because you had to be a member of NWTF to have them registered, and also for many reasons that have already been said. It's more about the hunt, the memories, and having a personal level of respect for the animal, whether he's a trophy by your standards or the record books standards.

[tha bugman]

I still haven't entered my grand slam in the NWTF record books yet and never have scored a bird for sure.  Don't know why, after I finished the slam it, just didn't seem as important to document it.  Maybe if I finish the world slam I will, but for now that's just a pipe dream.