2014 Turkey contest

All about the 2013 Gobbler Nation turkey hunting contest.
User avatar
Gobbler
Gobbler Nation
Gobbler Nation
Posts: 7278
Joined: June 27th, 2011, 2:01 pm

Re: 2014 Turkey contest

Post by Gobbler »

How come you Dudes on the winning team are trying to legislate yourself into last place next year?? :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:
User avatar
Shooter
Gobbler Nation
Gobbler Nation
Posts: 5488
Joined: April 19th, 2012, 1:29 pm
Location: Deep South, Middle, TN

Re: 2014 Turkey contest

Post by Shooter »

Guess we are just feeling sorry for the rest of ya'll.
Just kiddin, couldn't resist your reply, :D :lol: :lol: :lol:
User avatar
GobbleNut
Posts: 926
Joined: July 15th, 2011, 8:58 am

Re: 2014 Turkey contest

Post by GobbleNut »

Well, I've got some time on my hands this morning, so I am going to stir the pot on this issue some more.. :stir: There are contests like this now on just about every site, and I have always thought that they should be set up to be as fair as possible to everybody involved if we are going to have one. So, for those that have the attention span to stick with me through this, here is how we would do it. (I know I have already lost about 95% of you, but I'm really just entertaining myself this morning,....and I am obviously easily entertained!)

The NWTF keeps the records for wild turkeys. You can go to their website and get information on the records for every subspecies, state, and weapons type. Those records allow us to compare "apples to apples" in all categories,...subspecies, state, and weapons type, and even typical and atypical gobblers,...and come up with a method of truly comparing gobblers. As it is now, we are basically saying that a 70 point Merriams gobbler from New Mexico is worth the same as a 70-point Eastern gobbler from Alabama. Nothing could be further from the truth. From what I know and have seen, a 70-point Merriams from around here is a friggin' monster, while a 70-point Eastern from Alabama doesn't even get a second glance.

So, you ask, how do we even things up and make the scoring for the contest truly relevant? We can do it by using comparable percentages based on the NWTF score of a bird rather than the actual score itself. Let's take the same two 70-point birds above and compare them using percentages. (Keep focused here, fellas,...stay with me! ...No but, but, buts,...just yet!)

We go to the NWTF site and look at the records. We find the highest scoring (we're assuming two typical gobblers here) Merriams gobbler from NM and the highest scoring Eastern from Alabama in the book. Well, as it turns out the highest scoring NM Merriams is 71.375 while the highest scoring Alabama Eastern is at 81.125. So converting those numbers to percentages, the score of the NM Merriams in a contest would be 98.07 points (70/71.375), while the score of the Alabama bird would be 86.29 (70/81.125).

Not wanting to make this seem like sour grapes from me because I (and others here) hunt where the gobblers are low-scoring birds when references the NWTF scoring system, let's take the same Alabama Eastern at 70 points and compare it to a Kentucky 70 point Eastern. Well, it turns out that the highest typical KY Eastern is the record book #1 at 104.8125, so a 70 point KY bird would only score 66.79 points in a contest (70/104.8125) while your Alabama bird would be at 86.29.

By using this system, we can again compare subspecies variations, state/regional conditions, and even go so far as to break it down into weapons types so that bowhunters (or other weapons types) would get some consideration in the scoring, as well. We also have the capability to compare multi-bearded birds with each other and give them the true consideration they deserve.

I know all of this sounds way too complicated,...but it really is not. It is one step beyond what we are doing now,...and would take a couple of minutes more to come up with a score that truly represents a real comparison of gobblers, regardless of where a person hunts. ...For those of you that made it this far, thanks for indulging me!

Now, for the but, but, but's.....
:dontknow: :dontknow: :toothy7:
User avatar
guesswho
Gobbler Nation
Gobbler Nation
Posts: 5426
Joined: July 11th, 2011, 7:50 pm
Location: Bumpass VA, moving to Fuget KY

Re: 2014 Turkey contest

Post by guesswho »

Boone and Crocket should adopt that as well, and no I didn't read the entire post do to my attention span :lol:

What the N"WTF" records don't tell you is that the 70 point Merriams gobbler from New Mexico can be killed on the last day of the season by a rookie hunter with a rock on land provided by the N"WTF". And that 70 point Eastern from Alabama requires so much more effort and skill to get into gun range, even on opening day. So basically a Merriam from New Mexico requires about 20 minutes of hunting time if you don't get in a hurry, while the Eastern from Alabama requires at least an hour. So 20 minutes divided by 60 is .333 Using that math a 70 point Merriam from New Mexico should be scored 70 x .333 = 23.31 and the Alabama Eastern gets the full score of 70.

What else you got? :lol:
Double Naught Spy!
RCD's Owner----------------Badonka Deke Prostaff
MoHo's Prostaff-------------Lighter Than HTL Shooter
The Storm Whistle Prostaff
Official Member Of The Unofficial Firedup Turkey Calls Prostaff
User avatar
GobbleNut
Posts: 926
Joined: July 15th, 2011, 8:58 am

Re: 2014 Turkey contest

Post by GobbleNut »

What else you got?
What I got is $1,000 bucks that says I can come and hunt the land you hunt and kill a 70-point bird before you can kill a 70-point Merriams gobbler where I hunt,...be it the first day, last day, using rocks, machine guns, or whatever! You will hunt your entire life here and never kill a bird that scores 70. You would be lucky to kill one that scores 60. In fact, you could hunt your entire life here and never even see a gobbler that you thought would score 70. :fish: :fish: :fish:
User avatar
guesswho
Gobbler Nation
Gobbler Nation
Posts: 5426
Joined: July 11th, 2011, 7:50 pm
Location: Bumpass VA, moving to Fuget KY

Re: 2014 Turkey contest

Post by guesswho »

Blood pressure going up :lol:
Double Naught Spy!
RCD's Owner----------------Badonka Deke Prostaff
MoHo's Prostaff-------------Lighter Than HTL Shooter
The Storm Whistle Prostaff
Official Member Of The Unofficial Firedup Turkey Calls Prostaff
User avatar
Shooter
Gobbler Nation
Gobbler Nation
Posts: 5488
Joined: April 19th, 2012, 1:29 pm
Location: Deep South, Middle, TN

Re: 2014 Turkey contest

Post by Shooter »

Jim, we all understand what you are saying, but I think your wasting your breath.
They are not gonna change the scoring procedure, and I doubt very seriously they are gonna do away with multiple beards, and the way they are scored now, even though I would like to see only the longest beard scored. I think the majority likes it the way it is.
I've seen your birds in NM with thier half broken off spurs, and it is a shame.
I'm gonna stand with my earlier statement,... you need to put some time in your schedule to visit a couple different states with good birds.
If I was in your shoes, and loved turkey hunting as much as you do, I would pack up and move out of that desert, to a place where you can harvest 4 or more turkeys a season.
pedro
Gobbler Nation
Gobbler Nation
Posts: 2190
Joined: June 6th, 2012, 9:21 am

Re: 2014 Turkey contest

Post by pedro »

Maybe there should be different subsets for different subspecies. Like a contest for the best of a certain bird. Then if all u hunt is small merriams you will be judged against only merriams. Team could be split up by what kind and how many birds killed. Or just keep it the same, and those that shoot big birds with multiple birds win.
timbrhuntr
Gobbler Nation
Gobbler Nation
Posts: 2008
Joined: August 28th, 2011, 7:13 pm

Re: 2014 Turkey contest

Post by timbrhuntr »

And hence the reason I like guesswho don't enter these contest anymore. I would much rather hunt in New Mexico for a beautiful Merriam's and to heck with the score than a 80 pt bird in Alabama. I shot a 3 beard and 2 beard in texas and the hunt was no challenge at all compared to running up and down those mountains in New Mexico.
User avatar
guesswho
Gobbler Nation
Gobbler Nation
Posts: 5426
Joined: July 11th, 2011, 7:50 pm
Location: Bumpass VA, moving to Fuget KY

Re: 2014 Turkey contest

Post by guesswho »

timbrhuntr wrote:And hence the reason I like guesswho don't enter these contest anymore.
Exactly. It's all in fun and I couldn't care less who wins. To me if you kill a mature gobbler that score 80 and another guy kills a mature gobbler that scores 50, and another guy doesn't kill one but had fun then it's a three way tie. The winner is the one who had the most fun, which could also wind up a tie. The tie breaker is trash talk.

Now when it comes to trash talking I always bring my A game and try to win :lol: I want my name on the trash talking champions cup :D
Double Naught Spy!
RCD's Owner----------------Badonka Deke Prostaff
MoHo's Prostaff-------------Lighter Than HTL Shooter
The Storm Whistle Prostaff
Official Member Of The Unofficial Firedup Turkey Calls Prostaff
User avatar
GobbleNut
Posts: 926
Joined: July 15th, 2011, 8:58 am

Re: 2014 Turkey contest

Post by GobbleNut »

Yeah,....but,..but,..but,....that is exactly the reason for proposing a system that puts everybody on a level playing field. ....So the guys that don't get to hunt every day of the season, or hunt in places where they can kill a truckload of birds every spring, or where every other gobbler has two or three beards,...can have some relevancy in the contest. I agree totally with the idea that all of it is just for fun,...but why can't we have fun while making the rules so that they are fair to everybody that participates?! :dontknow: :)
User avatar
BrentM
Posts: 125
Joined: July 17th, 2012, 12:02 am
Location: Jackson County, Alabama

2014 Turkey contest

Post by BrentM »

This is probably none of my business since I wasn't in the contest so take this for what it's worth or ignore me or tell me to shut up or whatever but you guys are starting to sound way too much like deer hunters with all this scoring stuff......... The only way to score a wild turkey is by how tough he was to trick and by how good it felt once you got to sling him over your shoulder............. Anything else is just a number that means absolutely nothing.
drenalinld
Gobbler Nation
Gobbler Nation
Posts: 1330
Joined: December 10th, 2011, 8:37 pm

2014 Turkey contest

Post by drenalinld »

I like the current system. I thought it was a team contest not an individual contest. He tried to put guys who kill a bunch with novices and those who only have a couple tags as well as different regions thus equalizing the teams not individuals. We are pretty sure an all Alabama team would be tough to beat. We don't have that here. I was reluctant to compete this year because I found myself fretting over a score last year. Nothing I hate worse than trying to get measurement pics by myself.
User avatar
guesswho
Gobbler Nation
Gobbler Nation
Posts: 5426
Joined: July 11th, 2011, 7:50 pm
Location: Bumpass VA, moving to Fuget KY

Re: 2014 Turkey contest

Post by guesswho »

Give anyone who hunts Merriams a 30 point stamp to be used however they want to use it, like the current SNAP card. Except this could be called a SPAP card for, Supplemental Points Assistance Program. Everyone who hunts Easterns should have to give up two points per bird to help fund the SPAP. And if you hunt Easterns in Alabama and kill a bird with two or more beards you should have to give half the points for the extra beards to the SPAP, like overtime or bonus money on a pay check. And if we don't accumulate enough extra points from the Eastern hunters, just print more points and give out the SPAP cards anyway.
Double Naught Spy!
RCD's Owner----------------Badonka Deke Prostaff
MoHo's Prostaff-------------Lighter Than HTL Shooter
The Storm Whistle Prostaff
Official Member Of The Unofficial Firedup Turkey Calls Prostaff
User avatar
GobbleNut
Posts: 926
Joined: July 15th, 2011, 8:58 am

Re: 2014 Turkey contest

Post by GobbleNut »

drenalinld wrote:I like the current system. I thought it was a team contest not an individual contest. He tried to put guys who kill a bunch with novices and those who only have a couple tags as well as different regions thus equalizing the teams not individuals. We are pretty sure an all Alabama team would be tough to beat. We don't have that here. I was reluctant to compete this year because I found myself fretting over a score last year. Nothing I hate worse than trying to get measurement pics by myself.
Your point about the stacked Alabama team is exactly why we need to modify the system to take out the regional and subspecies advantage that some people have in these contests. With the very small change in the system I propose, it does not matter if every team chooses their entire roster! Anybody who wants to can be on the same team and it will make very little difference. Everybody's score would be based on how their birds compare to the typical birds where they hunt rather than comparing "apples to oranges" across the country.

For instance, multiple-bearded turkeys can be scored,...but they will be compared to the other multi-bearded birds that come from the area those people hunt. Bowhunter's birds would be compared to the birds killed by other bowhunters and rewarded accordingly. A guy that kills a great, typical, older-age-class gobbler will not come up with a lower score on his bird than someone that shoots a two-year-old bird that just happens to have an extra 6" beard. A guy that shoots a 60-class bird on public land in an area where the average score of a gobbler taken is 50 will probably not have a lower score than the private-land guy that shoots a 65-class bird where the average gobbler scores 70. ...The advantages to this slight modification of the existing system are many!

I agree with the problems of the picture taking. It is a real pain in the ass, but I understand the desire for verification. It also makes "marginal" people think twice about getting into a contest where they have to make a little bit of effort to play.
timbrhuntr
Gobbler Nation
Gobbler Nation
Posts: 2008
Joined: August 28th, 2011, 7:13 pm

Re: 2014 Turkey contest

Post by timbrhuntr »

GobbleNut wrote: I agree with the problems of the picture taking. It is a real pain in the ass, but I understand the desire for verification. It also makes "marginal" people think twice about getting into a contest where they have to make a little bit of effort to play. [/color]
OUCH!!!! I think I know what that word means!
User avatar
guesswho
Gobbler Nation
Gobbler Nation
Posts: 5426
Joined: July 11th, 2011, 7:50 pm
Location: Bumpass VA, moving to Fuget KY

Re: 2014 Turkey contest

Post by guesswho »

GobbleNut wrote:It also makes "marginal" people think twice about getting into a contest where they have to make a little bit of effort to play. [/color]
Marginal :lol:
Double Naught Spy!
RCD's Owner----------------Badonka Deke Prostaff
MoHo's Prostaff-------------Lighter Than HTL Shooter
The Storm Whistle Prostaff
Official Member Of The Unofficial Firedup Turkey Calls Prostaff
User avatar
GobbleNut
Posts: 926
Joined: July 15th, 2011, 8:58 am

Re: 2014 Turkey contest

Post by GobbleNut »

guesswho wrote:Boone and Crocket should adopt that as well, and no I didn't read the entire post do to my attention span :lol:

What the N"WTF" records don't tell you is that the 70 point Merriams gobbler from New Mexico can be killed on the last day of the season by a rookie hunter with a rock on land provided by the N"WTF". And that 70 point Eastern from Alabama requires so much more effort and skill to get into gun range, even on opening day. So basically a Merriam from New Mexico requires about 20 minutes of hunting time if you don't get in a hurry, while the Eastern from Alabama requires at least an hour. So 20 minutes divided by 60 is .333 Using that math a 70 point Merriam from New Mexico should be scored 70 x .333 = 23.31 and the Alabama Eastern gets the full score of 70.

What else you got? :lol:
:stir: :stir: :stir: Heh heh heh, I ain't finished yet! You're right that there ought to be some sort of "modifier" for the difficulty of the hunt. Lets' see now, I hunted Alabama for three days last spring and it took me an entire DAY to call in my first mature gobbler. Not only that it was on public land where anybody could go hunt (although I never saw another hunter in those three days,...so much for the "hard-hunted public land in Alabama" theory!).

...On the other hand, in NM this spring, it took me nine days of hunting to call in my first mature bird here,...on land that I know like the back on my hand! So, using your theory of added points for difficulty, I figure that means that if those oh-so-tough Alabama birds are worth 70 points, by your own admission, I guess my NM birds must be worth about 500 points apiece (plus or minus a few). I like your theory! Let's use it!
:toothy7: :thumbup: :toothy7: :thumbup: :toothy7:
User avatar
guesswho
Gobbler Nation
Gobbler Nation
Posts: 5426
Joined: July 11th, 2011, 7:50 pm
Location: Bumpass VA, moving to Fuget KY

Re: 2014 Turkey contest

Post by guesswho »

Oooops
Last edited by guesswho on June 22nd, 2013, 11:57 am, edited 1 time in total.
Double Naught Spy!
RCD's Owner----------------Badonka Deke Prostaff
MoHo's Prostaff-------------Lighter Than HTL Shooter
The Storm Whistle Prostaff
Official Member Of The Unofficial Firedup Turkey Calls Prostaff
User avatar
guesswho
Gobbler Nation
Gobbler Nation
Posts: 5426
Joined: July 11th, 2011, 7:50 pm
Location: Bumpass VA, moving to Fuget KY

Re: 2014 Turkey contest

Post by guesswho »

GobbleNut wrote:Lets' see now, I hunted Alabama for three days last spring and it took me an entire DAY to call in my first mature gobbler. Not only that it was on public land where anybody could go hunt (although I never saw another hunter in those three days,...so much for the "hard-hunted public land in Alabama" theory!).
How many beards did it have and what did it score? Everyone knows that Bama birds have at least two beards and rarely fall below 80 on the scoring system.
GobbleNut wrote:On the other hand, in NM this spring, it took me nine days of hunting to call in my first mature bird here,...on land that I know like the back on my hand!
There's the issue. Anyone can call in a bird. The challenge is shooting from a moving vehichle. For every 10 mph of speed you get 5 bouns points. If your skilled enough to pull off the 50 mph shot, you get 25 bonus points. You call in a 50 point bird and shoot him, he scores 50. Shoot that same bird from a vehichle traveling at 50 mph, he scores 75. But pictures will be required of the speedometer. Tack on your 25 points from your SPAP card and you just shot a 100 point bird. You might get your name on the trophy two years in a row. :toothy7:

Oh, and you don't have to convince me that Bama birds aren't any tougher than other bird. :dontknow: Except maybe for those Barn-yard birds.
Double Naught Spy!
RCD's Owner----------------Badonka Deke Prostaff
MoHo's Prostaff-------------Lighter Than HTL Shooter
The Storm Whistle Prostaff
Official Member Of The Unofficial Firedup Turkey Calls Prostaff
User avatar
GOLD HUNTER
Gobbler Nation
Gobbler Nation
Posts: 4595
Joined: September 1st, 2011, 10:07 pm
Location: BIG LICK VA.

Re: 2014 Turkey contest

Post by GOLD HUNTER »

guys don't you know that the winners of the 2014 contest have been picked, and that's the way it going to be.

:lol: :lol: :lol:
LET'S GO TROUT FISHING
User avatar
Shooter
Gobbler Nation
Gobbler Nation
Posts: 5488
Joined: April 19th, 2012, 1:29 pm
Location: Deep South, Middle, TN

Re: 2014 Turkey contest

Post by Shooter »

guesswho wrote:
GobbleNut wrote:Lets' see now, I hunted Alabama for three days last spring and it took me an entire DAY to call in my first mature gobbler. Not only that it was on public land where anybody could go hunt (although I never saw another hunter in those three days,...so much for the "hard-hunted public land in Alabama" theory!).
How many beards did it have and what did it score? Everyone knows that Bama birds have at least two beards and rarely fall below 80 on the scoring system.
GobbleNut wrote:On the other hand, in NM this spring, it took me nine days of hunting to call in my first mature bird here,...on land that I know like the back on my hand!
There's the issue. Anyone can call in a bird. The challenge is shooting from a moving vehichle. For every 10 mph of speed you get 5 bouns points. If your skilled enough to pull off the 50 mph shot, you get 25 bonus points. You call in a 50 point bird and shoot him, he scores 50. Shoot that same bird from a vehichle traveling at 50 mph, he scores 75. But pictures will be required of the speedometer. Tack on your 25 points from your SPAP card and you just shot a 100 point bird. You might get your name on the trophy two years in a row. :toothy7:

Oh, and you don't have to convince me that Bama birds aren't any tougher than other bird. :dontknow: Except maybe for those Barn-yard birds.
LMFAO!!! You're a Riot!
User avatar
GobbleNut
Posts: 926
Joined: July 15th, 2011, 8:58 am

Re: 2014 Turkey contest

Post by GobbleNut »

"There's the issue. Anyone can call in a bird. The challenge is shooting from a moving vehichle. For every 10 mph of speed you get 5 bouns points. If your skilled enough to pull off the 50 mph shot, you get 25 bonus points. You call in a 50 point bird and shoot him, he scores 50. Shoot that same bird from a vehichle traveling at 50 mph, he scores 75. But pictures will be required of the speedometer."

Heck, if I had known you get all those points for being a "drive-by specialist", I would just recruit all the yahoos around here that hunt that way to be on my team! Our woods are full of 'em!
"Tack on your 25 points from your SPAP card and you just shot a 100 point bird. You might get your name on the trophy two years in a row." :toothy7:

Why should I be satisfied with a 100 point bird when you already suggested your other scoring theory that makes my birds worth 500? I can be my own team all by myself, kill two NM Merriams worth 500 each, and win the contest going away! I'm goin' with that one. My momma didn't raise no dummy, Jethro!
User avatar
guesswho
Gobbler Nation
Gobbler Nation
Posts: 5426
Joined: July 11th, 2011, 7:50 pm
Location: Bumpass VA, moving to Fuget KY

Re: 2014 Turkey contest

Post by guesswho »

GobbleNut wrote:My momma didn't raise no dummy, Jethro![/color]
Are you saying she traded kids with the neighbor at an early age? :bootyshake:
Double Naught Spy!
RCD's Owner----------------Badonka Deke Prostaff
MoHo's Prostaff-------------Lighter Than HTL Shooter
The Storm Whistle Prostaff
Official Member Of The Unofficial Firedup Turkey Calls Prostaff
User avatar
GobbleNut
Posts: 926
Joined: July 15th, 2011, 8:58 am

Re: 2014 Turkey contest

Post by GobbleNut »

guesswho wrote:
GobbleNut wrote:My momma didn't raise no dummy, Jethro![/color]
Are you saying she traded kids with the neighbor at an early age? :bootyshake:

Dammit!....That was just a lucky guess, Dude! ..She promised me that she hadn't told anybody else!... :lol: :lol: :lol:
Post Reply

Return to “2013 Gobbler Nation Turkey Hunting Contest”