i agree with you on both of those statements. especially the missouri comment
i pattern the same turkey and watch my flocks throughout the entire year,and i have noticed that as birds get older their habits do change. and alotthat can probably be chalked up to maturity and experience. But regardless of where they get it. It does make that certain bird more of a challenge.
And I believe that is what your aftermaybe more than the score. Regardless of what it is i support your goal and hope you succeed.

I have three in the high 60's, 2 in the 70's(71,74) but never in the 80's. Had a chance possibly last season but I set up on him wrong and tried making a shot off handed-never drew a feather. I know what you mean, if I had an extra 5,000 I could grand slam with the best of them.

I'd love to kill one like that. I've been after one specific bird for a couple of years. I've named him Dr. Tom. I hope I get him before old age does.

As far as selling your soul.....I've heard that it can be arranged

Thanks quicksilver! Unfortunitely it happened way too early in my turkey hunting career. I was only 20 at the time and Mo_Bowhnter was 19. It was my 3rd turkey and his 2nd. He killed a jake that year also the week before in the same spot. And note that this was on public land as well. I guess this shows that even on public land we really do have some of the best turkey hunting for Easterns in the world!

i forgot to say congrats on that double youscored on MOmightymite an Mo_Bowhnter good luck to ya this year.

Other than on here, Ive never even heard of scoring a turkey, Ive taken some great gobblers in my life, and a couple that will go 70+, although I have nothing but the beards left and the memories, I never put much stock into the spurs except the last few years, but my heaviest bird weighed 27lbs, and I have 2 26s and several 23-25lb birds. I have always hunted our family farm, and all but 2 of my birds were 20+. I wish I still had the measurements of the spurs and weights all together so I could score some of them. We do have some fantastic birds here in Missouri.. I wonder if scoring the turkeys is a lot like scoring deer, I know of so many that are huge, and will make record books, but dont know of any that were actually entered into the books. Also when talking of typical and non-typical, is nontypical a multi-bearded bird?? I got pics of one a few years ago with 4 big beards on him, I have tons of pics of him, for a few years, but have only had one opportunity to kill him,, but he came in with two other birds and they ended up getting head on to me, and moving around a bunch, and I shot the wrong bird[&:]so he got away that time. What kind of scores are great for nontypicals?

well the #1 record a typical in missouri had 8 beards and scored somewhere around 194 i believe.
i took a 3 bearded turkey last year and it scored almost 88
here is the link to the online scoring calculator for the NWTF http://www.nwtf.org/all_about_turkeys/turkey_score.html
your can also search records for certain states
and a 27 lb bird that is awesome man. we missouri boys got it good

So, Im guessing, if the bird has multiple beards, you can add all the lengths together, and then double it? I have taken a few double bearded birds and one triple beard. I have trail cam pics of one with 4 but havent gotten him yet.

yes you add all the beard lengths together. or spur lengths i have heard of birds with more than one spur on one leg. spurs is still where the big points are.

Wow! I was at a buddies house and he has a big gobbler mounted, I figured up a score for it and it is a monster! It was a 24 lb bird, with an 11 inch beard and 2 inch spurs!!!If I added right, thats and 86?? Right? The most impressive thing on this bird is the spurs, they are fantastic long hooks, I guess thats where he gets his high score.