Heavy birds this year

[catman529]

Many people have been posting gobblers weighing 23, 24 even 25 pounds. Mine was 23-9 which is my heaviest ever. So what's the cause, is it extra mast in the woods or what? Or did the ice freeze cold storm have anything to do with it? Either way I like how fat the birds are this year.


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[Setterman]

First a ton of folks lie about bird weight, why I have no idea because it means nothing, but people in this state tend to grossly exaggerate the weights

But it is possible as a result of a massive acorn crop

 

[Hunt 365]

My son shot one just under 23...noticed it was a big bird for our area. It was a mild fall, where they could plump up, but I hope the heavier bird weights show a healthier overall flock. I agree with Setterman that the mast crop was likely a big factor

 

[woodsman87]

I think alot of people exaggerate the weight.

I would rather kill a 16 pound adult gobbler than a 24 pounder. I believe the smaller ones have more of the true wild genes.

I have seen over 200 dead gobblers in Alabama and Tennessee combined. Biggest one was a 24 pounder killed in Giles county Tennessee. The average weights are about 19 pounds.

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[catman529]

A lot of people use digital fish scales, myself included, and a lot of these birds are actually big, I don't remember people "exaggerating" about the weight this much in the past. Sure some people guess the weight but overall a lot of the turkeys posted here lately have been 2-3 pounds heavier than usual.


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[tc 308]

We kill 20 -25 pound birds every year in Bedford co. The scales don't lie!

 

[LanceS4803]

Catman, agreed.
Digital scales put my jake from this weekend at 25.4 pounds. He was as long as my Mossberg 835.
But, this farm in Lincoln County (just east of Giles) has always had larger than normal birds.

 

[Setterman]

A lot of people use digital fish scales, myself included, and a lot of these birds are actually big, I don't remember people "exaggerating" about the weight this much in the past. Sure some people guess the weight but overall a lot of the turkeys posted here lately have been 2-3 pounds heavier than usual.


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People lie/exaggerate like crazy. I've killed a ton of turkeys and seen a ton more and the biggest I've ever touched weighed just under 24 lbs. every bird weighs about the same except in the Deep South they're smaller

It's some sort of d*ck measuring contest when it comes to turkey weights. Which for the life of me makes no sense.

 

[catman529]

A lot of people use digital fish scales, myself included, and a lot of these birds are actually big, I don't remember people "exaggerating" about the weight this much in the past. Sure some people guess the weight but overall a lot of the turkeys posted here lately have been 2-3 pounds heavier than usual.


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People lie/exaggerate like crazy. I've killed a ton of turkeys and seen a ton more and the biggest I've ever touched weighed just under 24 lbs. every bird weighs about the same except in the Deep South they're smaller

It's some sort of d*ck measuring contest when it comes to turkey weights. Which for the life of me makes no sense.

you haven't touched all the birds from all the different flocks across the state. Some people lie and exaggerate but some people are also honest. But you will probably never believe it unless you hold each bird with a certified scale and 3 witnesses.

And I'm not aware of any contest about turkey weights. Most people care about the beard and spurs. Never seen anyone here try to one-up another based on weight.


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[RF270]

The birds are heavier in the beginning of the season as well. Let them chase hens for 8-10 weeks and you won't find many over 20 pounds. I agree about people bragging about the weight like it has something to do with it being a better turkey. My experience has been most unusually large birds are healthy 2 year olds. My best bird weighed 16 pounds but had 1.5 razor spurs, I'll take that over a 25 pound 3/4 spur any day.

 

[TboneD]

Buddy of mine told me that he called in one for his son Saturday that weighed THIRTY POUNDS!!. Don't think he'd lie at church on Easter morning do ya? [emoji15]


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[Fleet Fox]

I use a Rapala digital fish scale and hang them up on it. I also hang it so it's stationary to make it more accurate. There were a ton of acorns this winter and the clover jumped up really well the last month. I was surprised how heavy the 3 we killed Saturday were. They weighed 23 7 23 14 and 24 7.

I assure you I have no reason to lie, due to the fact that I wouldn't even weigh them if it weren't required when you turn them in. We are also selective about which ones get shot, cause just like deer, I had rather kill the older ones. Also not sure why anyone would lie about it. I though the beard and spurs were for bragging purposes?

Most mature birds around here usually average about 22lbs. I just think food sources were abnormally good for them this winter. I killed one 2 years ago that weighed 28 lbs 2 oz. which likely won't ever happen again. Plus, Williamson County has good dirt. You also have to take into account that environments are totally different. Turkeys around here eat a lot of spilled corn and beans out of neighboring silos and eat out of creep feeders the neighbors have for calves year round.

 

[Fleet Fox]

The birds are heavier in the beginning of the season as well. Let them chase hens for 8-10 weeks and you won't find many over 20 pounds. I agree about people bragging about the weight like it has something to do with it being a better turkey. My experience has been most unusually large birds are healthy 2 year olds. My best bird weighed 16 pounds but had 1.5 razor spurs, I'll take that over a 25 pound 3/4 spur any day.

I kill turkeys to eat and I can't eat a spur, and don't even keep them, so I would much rather kill a heavier bird.

 

[Setterman]

A lot of people use digital fish scales, myself included, and a lot of these birds are actually big, I don't remember people "exaggerating" about the weight this much in the past. Sure some people guess the weight but overall a lot of the turkeys posted here lately have been 2-3 pounds heavier than usual.


Sent from the talk of tap

People lie/exaggerate like crazy. I've killed a ton of turkeys and seen a ton more and the biggest I've ever touched weighed just under 24 lbs. every bird weighs about the same except in the Deep South they're smaller

It's some sort of d*ck measuring contest when it comes to turkey weights. Which for the life of me makes no sense.

you haven't touched all the birds from all the different flocks across the state. Some people lie and exaggerate but some people are also honest. But you will probably never believe it unless you hold each bird with a certified scale and 3 witnesses.

And I'm not aware of any contest about turkey weights. Most people care about the beard and spurs. Never seen anyone here try to one-up another based on weight.


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Killed and watched them die in every conceivable part of this state, MS, Ky, AL, Ga, VA, and FL. I also talk daily with guys hunting all those same areas/states. These aren't newcomers either, they've toted one or two out over the years.

Not saying it's not possible, just saying people tend to stretch the truth

 

[Roost 1]

Lots of corn fed birds were killed this weekend.. I love when you can clearly see in the pics or videos the bare ground where they have been feeding them......

 

[WORM82]

I have no reason to lie. I write down the weight, beard length and spur length of every bird I have killed along with the date and location. The gobbler I killed yesterday weighed 24lbs 14oz and was over 2lbs bigger than any of the others I have ever killed. On average from the last 18 or so years most of my gobblers were in the 19 to 22 pound range.

 

[Fleet Fox]

Lots of corn fed birds were killed this weekend.. I love when you can clearly see in the pics or videos the bare ground where they have been feeding them......

Which ones? I want to go back and look at them.

 

[Roost 1]

Lots of corn fed birds were killed this weekend.. I love when you can clearly see in the pics or videos the bare ground where they have been feeding them......

Which ones? I want to go back and look at them.

Pay close attention and you can figure it out for yourself... I'll never accuse anyone directly, but we all kno it happens...

 

[Anonymous]

Noticed but keep quite.

 

[Setterman]

Found em, and one in particular if you save it, then enlarge you can actually see corn remnants. I'll make sure it gets to the right folks

 

[Gravey]

I use digital fish scales. Took a pic so I'd remember.

 

[callemquacktn]

We weight all our birds. I had more than 1 person around when weighing my bird saturday. It was 26 lbs and a ounce. Only second bird I've ever had that heavy. Mine come off public ground in deep wooded ridge. The ridge is still covered in acorns and his craw was full of them. On average my birds usually weight in the 21 -22 lbs range. My landlord killed one on Saturday that weight 23 lbs 5 oz. I believe it is the heavy acorn mass that is contributing to the heavier weights.

 

[megalomaniac]

Honestly, I think birds on cattle farms tend to be heavier than woods birds. My hens love to feed under the calf creep feeders. Although I've never seen the gobblers using them in the spring much, they do seem to like to hit them when it's not breeding season. Our birds average around 21-22lbs on fish scales, but my personal heaviest was 26lbs. My cousin has taken one that was 27lbs (fish scales), and our largest bird weighed 29.5lbs on certified scales (this is out of approx. 200 birds taken in past 25 years). Unfortunately, one of his spurs was broken off and the other partially broken down to 1 1/4".

They also LOVE to pick the undigested corn out of cow patties, and leave no dried pattie unturned looking for grubs, worms, and beetles underneath them.

Of course, that doesn't count the 35lb'er I killed back in '95 than ended up being a domestic bird belonging to a neighbor 3/4 mile down the road- oops. I still feel bad about that one.

 

[Tennessee Lead]

My heaviest weight is 22.3 pounds. My Dad has several 24's and one 26 pounds. All weighed in at the local check station on their digital scale. I now weigh my own since we can tag over the app. I use Moultrie digital scales to weigh my deer and turkey with. I've referenced mine agin the checking station scales twice and both weighed alike. So I feel good about my scales.
I would love to kill a heavy bird but would willingly trade out for 1&1/2" plus Spurs


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[PinchPoint]

Honestly, I think birds on cattle farms tend to be heavier than woods birds. My hens love to feed under the calf creep feeders. Although I've never seen the gobblers using them in the spring much, they do seem to like to hit them when it's not breeding season. Our birds average around 21-22lbs on fish scales, but my personal heaviest was 26lbs. My cousin has taken one that was 27lbs (fish scales), and our largest bird weighed 29.5lbs on certified scales (this is out of approx. 200 birds taken in past 25 years). Unfortunately, one of his spurs was broken off and the other partially broken down to 1 1/4".

They also LOVE to pick the undigested corn out of cow patties, and leave no dried pattie unturned looking for grubs, worms, and beetles underneath them.

Of course, that doesn't count the 35lb'er I killed back in '95 than ended up being a domestic bird belonging to a neighbor 3/4 mile down the road- oops. I still feel bad about that one.

I agree, most birds are not heavy birds... But I do hunt a big cattle farm and every bird I have taken there are exceptionally bigger (22-25lbs)

 

[TheLBLman]

The main reason the birds are coming in a little heavier this year is the same reason many hunters' deer sightings were down:

Acorns, specifically red oak acorns.
In my areas, the turkeys are still finding and focused on eating them, and they're almost totally ignoring lush plots of clover.

 

[callemquacktn]

The main reason the birds are coming in a little heavier this year is the same reason many hunters' deer sightings were down:

Acorns, specifically red oak acorns.
In my areas, the turkeys are still finding and focused on eating them, and they're almost totally ignoring lush plots of clover.

Yep. Same thing I've been seeing.