hawglips

I'm turkey hunting, not trophy hunting.

But if two turkeys simultaneously present a shot, I'll look for the best fan and take him. (I have a house full of fan mounts.)

But what I really like is spurs. Spurs, beard, weight, in that order. And weight only matters to me because it comes into play when scoring a bird.

Hal

Fullback24

I'm with Maytom on this one.......a full fan is all I'm looking for.....the weight and all that will take care of itself....BUT, the first thing I look at is the spurs......just love them sharp hooks, however, I'll take 3/4" two year old all day and be happy with em.

mauser06

i agree....the HUNT is what makes a gobbler better then others....though Spurs, beard legnth, and wieght are also important as in the "trophy" aspect, it really doesnt matter.....its kidna hard to see and tell how long the spurs and beards REALLY are....not like antlers where you can see how big they are ect..and decide to pass....sure a short beard can be noticed.....to me turkey huntings all about the excitement and thrill of the hunt....no deer hunt or any other hunt can compare to the good days when you can really work the birds and have them going nuts.....but if a guy kills a 12inch beard 1.5 inch spurred gobbler that is a true trophy...but shoots it outa of the tree...and i call in a gobbler with an 8 inch beard and 7/8th inch spurs and had to work him and set up on him and call him in....in my eyes MY gobbler is better...though it may be legal....thats just not my style and i think it ruins the hunt.....sure you tag a bird and get the beard and spurs......but whats the story? oh ya...heard him gobbling and walked under him and BOOM tagged him and left......just my view on things.......i just love turkey hunting....

Fullback24

True that, Mauser.......It is the hunt that means the most.........Unfortunatley, in my state(Va) rifles are still permitted during the spring season.....I'd say snipers account for a large part of the kill around here.....but I'm like you, it's a call em in within 40 yard sport to me.......It made me sick one time, watching these "snipers". One guy stood at his truck and blew an owl call, while another hunter stalked toward the roost tree, and got within about 70-100 and as soon as he got the a clear shot he busted it.......well before flydown time.....that sucked.

Arrowmaster

I love the pic of the gobbling turkey on the roost. Very nice.

PA GOBBLER

i also love the hunt. if a bird outsmarts me a few times and or i trickhimgood that makes thatgobbler better to me.i to like the spurs and the beard and fan, but im a sucker for a paintbrush beard!!! if 2 would come to me and one was a strutter and the other was a looker and the looker has a big FAT beard, id take him

mookyj

Well like many of you I like spurs the best as they are the most reliable indicator of age, but the first canidate that shows up swinging a beard gets the lead headache.

However I am suprised that nobody has mentioned what is truely the better bird......................


The one that makes a fool out of all of us, you almost got him, maybe next year. That makes that gobbler the better one to get. It is always great to tag a nice gobbler, but to get even with a pea brained gobbler that gets under your skin is the next level in satisfaction in my book!

Bobgobble2

Exactly Mook!!!Hunted,callshy,henned up gobblers,can and will leave ya frusterated but harvest one and you dont forget!!They just make me hunt harder,and there aint nothin more satifying when a plan comes together!!!...

hawglips

This is so true.

My most satisfying turkeys are never the best "trophy" but always those where I had to dig deep in my bag of tricks and come up with a plan -- that worked!

Hal

Strut&Rut

The ones harvested with friends...

The ones harvested after weeks of hunting...

The ones that come in silent...

The ones that come in 15 minutes before the end legal hunting...

The ones that come in dragging a harem and satelite gobblers to boot...

The ones that come in...

Yeah, I guess I like that last one the best...[8D]