Whats considered big?

[Buckwheat21]

Well last year was my first year turkey hunting and I found myself a jake. 4 inch beard, nubs for spurs. I was so exited about it, its not even funny. This year on day 2 of hunting I end up taking a (what i consider) a very nice size tom. 21 lbs, 8.5 inch beard and 1 inch spurs. Thing is, earlier that morning I seen an even bigger bird out in the field but didn't come my way. If my bird is considered big than that other guy is a monster. Or is the one I got just average and the other guy considered big? So i was just wondering what other people considered big? And whats considered a monster?

And by the way I can't stop thinking about that other bird….Its taking over my life….

[Camocruzr]

21lbs, 1" spurs. I would consider that a nice 8pt buck, not a monster just really nice. A nice healthy bird. Congrats

[KennyT]

They all look like monsters in the field and I mean that sincerely. My biggest bird ever was 24.5 lbs, 12.5 inch beard and 1 3/8 inch spurs. But he looked pretty average, even small, when I shot him. It was a rainy day and he was soaked, he snuck up behind me without a gobble or one fan of the tail feathers. I took him as it was the first tag of that season. So his measurements were a pleasant surprise.

My bird this year was strutting in the sun after a drizzly morning, with another full tom. They were in full strut and looked like VW Beetles out in the field. The sun was blazing through their fans and the quills of their tail feathers looked like ropes. Both birds were comparable, but his spurs were more visible from where I was. So I took him, thinking he may be my biggest yet. Turned out to be 22 lbs, 9 inch beard and 1 inch spurs. I was surprised, and maybe even a tiny bit disappointed. My point is that I have seen lots of birds, taken nearly 20 and am always surprised how wrong I am when it comes to judging them alive.

So I hope that your new bird is indeed a monster. But I would imagine he is very comparable to your other, which was a very representative tom. Anything over 20 lbs, with inch or more spurs, 9 plus inches of beard is likely 3 or more years old and is a very respectable bird IMO. But I hope you get him and prove me wrong.

[Mfisch2003]

25lb
1.5 spurs
12 beard
That would be BIG!

[RackHunter]

X2 but in my opinion the age of the turkey is the bigger prize..because he went through lots of other hunter lol

[hunter10]

I dont think it should matter. any bird someone takes is a good bird if they are happy with it, heres my view.. i personally think from seeing alot of dead birds, taking a a bunch myself and having many close calls i would say to average it out.. 17-19/20lb would be a respectable/great bird etc. 20-22 id say would be "big" and i think alot of toms taken are in this weight range by most men/women. 23-25/26+lb would be your monster, giant etc IMO

[GERRYL]

ill take a 21 lb bird any day of the week. nice size . to answer your question I think any turkey 20lb or greater is a big one

[SongDog]

When they have the big light bulb for a head and paint brush for a beard. Old tom's spurs even go a lighter colour and 1 5/8ths is big

[MikePal]

some info when this was asked last year : http://www.oodmag.com/community/show...o-Record/page4

When I looked into it at the time around 26 lbs was considered a 'record' bird'....that would jive with records in the US too.

If the scales are accurate, most buys 'big' birds on here are 21-23 lbs. That would be normal. Most Jakes come in around 14-18 lbs so that is also normal back when they had the weight stations.

Not sure why guys think they have to have the 'biggest' .....meat's far better off a young bird and if your putting in on the dinning room table to feed your family, I'm sure you don't want to see them wrestle with shoe leather.

[mox72]

some info when this was asked last year : http://www.oodmag.com/community/show...o-Record/page4

When I looked into it at the time around 26 lbs was considered a 'record' bird'....that would jive with records in the US too.

If the scales are accurate, most buys 'big' birds on here are 21-23 lbs. That would be normal. Most Jakes come in around 14-18 lbs so that is also normal back when they had the weight stations.

Not sure why guys think they have to have the 'biggest' .....meat's far better off a young bird and if your putting in on the dinning room table to feed your family, I'm sure you don't want to see them wrestle with shoe leather.

I agree with this statement, I'll take a jake over a tom anyday. I say go out and chase the big toms until you have a nice fan/beard/spurs for the wall if you are into that sort of thing and then go after the jakes. Beards arent like antlers, they all look the same and nothing compares to a nice 15 lb jake on the table.

Mind you, if I see a Tom with a 14 inch beard or 5 beards or something im not going to hesitate.