# shot one today- need help scoring!



## jc502 (Oct 8, 2002)

Hey guys, I'm newer to this, don't know how to score a tom. Do you count both beards if there are two? I got a tom with two 9.5" (not quite after the excitement settled down, see my story post below) beards. I'm thinking I might want to go to a taxidermist. Any info appreciated. Oh, 7/8" spurs. 

JC


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## codybear (Jun 27, 2002)

A good friend on mine (Keith Crandall) currently holds the state record for typical at 19-12/16..

Keep us posted

Sorry, I edited my post, your right.

CB


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## chris_kreiner (Sep 6, 2006)

Keith holds the state record typical shotgun. The mulitbeard state record is a rediculous score. Here is the state record turkeys from the CBM site.

http://www.buckfax.com/state_turkey_records.htm


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## jc502 (Oct 8, 2002)

How can you tell if it is two beards or one split? I'll try to get a photo up...

thanks
JC


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## jc502 (Oct 8, 2002)

here it is - sorry about the shot, trying to do it all myself- I just don't know enough about them to know if this is a double or one that is split?


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## chris_kreiner (Sep 6, 2006)

that is definitely two!! Congrats on a great bird.


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## gunner7848 (Feb 8, 2006)

Use this to cal. this website were you enter the get your score
http://www.nwtf.org/all_about_turkeys/turkey_score.html

You can calculate the score of your turkey with our scoring calculator.

Before you begin to score your turkey, be sure to note that all measurements are taken in 1/16-inch increments and converted to decimal form. A current NWTF member or another licensed hunter from the state where the bird was harvested must verify all measurements. 
*Step 1:*Weigh your bird in pounds and ounces and convert ounces to decimal form. Click here for conversion chart. *Step 2:*







Measure each spur. Spurs must be measured along the outside center, from the point at which the spur protrudes from the scaled leg skin to the tip of the spur. Add both spur measurements and multiply the combined length of the spurs by 10. This is the number of points you receive for the turkey&#8217;s spurs. *Step 3:*







Measure the beard length (a beard must be measured from the center point of the protrusion of the skin to the tip) and convert it to decimal form. Click here for conversion chart.
Next, multiply the beard length figure by 2; this is the number of points you receive for the beard length. If you have an atypical bird (multiple beards), measure each beard, convert them to a decimal number, then add those figures together and multiply by two. This is the number of points you receive for your turkey&#8217;s beards.
*Step 4:*Add together the weight, the points for spurs and points for beard(s)


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## jc502 (Oct 8, 2002)

this is the other side of the beard- is it possible a bb went through the base of the beard and split it?


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## Critter (Mar 3, 2006)

That sure looks like two beards to me.


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## dsconnell (Aug 29, 2007)

Thats Sweet!! 

True trophy right there!


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## old graybeard (Jan 19, 2006)

Awesome bird, congrats!


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## srconnell22 (Aug 27, 2007)

thats two beards...awesome!


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## Randy Loker (May 16, 2007)

Sweet bird man, pretty rare. Make sure you take a lot of pictures. If you want it entered in the record books, you need to have somebody certified by CBM score it. 

Back in '98 I was still in the youth category and ended up killing a double bearded tom that I had been after for six days straight. His beards were 12 1/4" and 10 1/2" with 1 1/8" and 1 1/16" spurs. This gave him a combined score of 24 15/16 which held the record in the youth shotgun multibeard catagory until 2006. I've never seen another one with multiple beards.


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## jc502 (Oct 8, 2002)

I'm in Bay City, called and left messages with some local CBM scorers on a list I found at Bay Archery. I tossed around the idea of a full body mount but just can't justify the money at this point. Can it be scored once the bird is processed? 

This bird was gobbling pretty close to me from 5:45 until he flew down around 6:30 or so. There were 2 others gobbling about 200 yards away. I called at him, he cut me off, but there were real hens calling to him too. I saw a couple different pairs of hens come past over the next half hour or so. I got out of my tent with the idea of sneaking off to the edge of a cornfield to check the action when I spotted some deer moving through. I held up and heard a hen yelping 150 yards behind me. Got back in the tent and sure enough, the hen, this tom, and 3 jakes were all mingling in the clearing I was next to, about 100 yards out. I purred, yelped, purred, he just kept strutting and following the hen he was with. I kept up with any call that got her attention, she eventually started working toward me. When they were about 75 yards out, 4 hens appeared behind me (it pays to hunt with a friend). The hen with my tom started moving with purpose toward these new hens, and led her big boy right into my sights. Hit him at 36 yards with Winchester XX 2 3/4 magnum #4. 

One beard is 8.75" and the other is 9". One spur is 7/8 and the other is 15/16. He weighed 20 lbs 11 oz on the digital scale. This is my third tom in my 8th year of turkey hunting in MI. This one was shot in Tuscola county at 7:45 AM.

I debated about posting last week looking for a team to join for the contest, but I didn't want to be dead weight!


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## multibeard (Mar 3, 2002)

Congratulations on a nice non typical turkey.

Yes it can be scored after the bird is processed. cut the beards off leaving a little of the skin. Just cut the legs off at the joint. 

CBM scores the birds differently than NWTF. CBM's scoring is simple at Beard 1 + beard 2 +spur 1 = spur 2= Score.

NWTF has a formula that includes the weight into the equation. The weigh has to be done on a certified scale. IMO Figuring the weight in to equation discriminates against the birds that come from the snow country of the north. My best limb hanger was huge but only weighed 17 lbs and probably would not have survived the winter if it hadn't been for the land owner feeding the flock when he was cutting wood near there wintering grounds.

Look in my photos and you will see the display cases with the beards of the three multiple bearded turkeys I harvested from the same farm the limb hanger I mentioned in the previous paragraph came from.


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## melvvin (Nov 21, 2007)

Thats two, nice bird, nice job congrats.


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## jc502 (Oct 8, 2002)

multibeard said:


> NWTF has a formula that includes the weight into the equation. The weigh has to be done on a certified scale. IMO Figuring the weight in to equation discriminates against the birds that come from the snow country of the north. My best limb hanger was huge but only weighed 17 lbs and probably would not have survived the winter if it hadn't been for the land owner feeding the flock when he was cutting wood near there wintering grounds.


Thanks for the comments -

You know, this bird I got today was big, huge. I was surprised when he just tipped the scale at 20 lbs. He looked bigger than that, I never really thought about the effect winter could have on them. His tail dwarfs the one from the tom I shot in 2000 (7" beard). His tail feathers are much wider, and a full 2" longer. 

Thanks again to everyone who has commented- this is the biggest success I've had in 30+ years of hunting anything. 

JC


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## bigmike (Oct 21, 2004)

congrats on a spuer bird


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## jc502 (Oct 8, 2002)

just got the official score from CBM
20 9/16
looks to be #4 all time in Tuscola Co.

I'm still a little stunned!


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## Ack (Oct 3, 2004)

Awesome bird...congrats! Double beards are indeed a true trophy....I can still remember rolling over the bird I shot last spring and seeing the double...it was great!


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## tjstebb (Jun 5, 2006)

congrats on a awsome bird....
tjstebb


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