Author: mookyj
A Gobbling Genetic Frontier
How the Wild Turkey DNA Project Is Rewriting the Story of America’s Bird
For generations, the story of the wild turkey has been told in feathers, tracks, and the thunder of a gobble rolling through hardwood ridges. Today, a new chapter is being written in code, genetic code, and it may reshape everything we know about the bird that has become a symbol of both all things wild and a grand conservation recovery story.
The WildTurkeyDNA project, launched in 2025, is an ambitious genetic study undertaken for the wild turkey genome. It is a collaboration between the Wild Turkey Lab, the National Wild Turkey Federation, Ducks Unlimited, the University of Texas El Paso, and the Low Country Game Bird Foundation. Its mission is bold and far-reaching: Build the first continent-wide genetic map of wild turkeys using hunter-submitted DNA samples.
Hunters at the Center of the Story
- One of the most compelling aspects of the WildTurkeyDNA project is its reliance on hunters. The 2025 program asked turkey hunters to submit samples from birds with unusual plumage to help researchers understand the origins of these traits.
- For 2026, Hunters who harvest a bird with normal, or unusual plummage, typical or non-typical can request a kit, collect a small tissue sample, and mail it in. There is no cost to participate, thanks to funding from NWTF, DU, and other partners. NY NWTF has provided funding to cover up to 100 New York hunters that will be selected to participate, with some receiving kits and others mailed vials to put a sample in. Due to limited funds and resources, there is a selection process.
- This study connects turkey hunters in contributing directly to the science that will guide future management. It also strengthens the bond between hunters and the resource they care about, a flashback of hunters helping‑science tradition that helped restore wild turkeys in the first place.
How It Works (source:wildturkeyDNA) click here download
- Go to wildturkeyDNA.com and register to participate or use the QR code below.
- Those that register will get an email asking them which county/counties they hunt in
- Hunters who are selected will be mailed kits and asked to collect a sample from birds they harvest.
- For each sample, hunters will upload an image of the bird and other information through their online wildturkeyDNA account.
- Samples will be sent to UTEP via pre-paid mail for genetic analysis.
- Hunters that don’t receive kits but want to participate will be sent a vial to put a sample in and asked to mail it to UTEP.Hunters receive a certificate of pedigree for their harvested turkey
Use your smart phone camera to capture QR code below to access the signup directly!
This work is powered and funded in part by state chapters like the New York State NWTF, whose funding helps keep the program free for hunters and ensures researchers can analyze thousands of samples from across the country.
Wild turkeys have roamed North America for thousands of years, shaped by geography, climate, and isolation. Each subspecies carries its own genetic fingerprint, from the white-tipped tail fans of the Gould’s to the deep chestnut hues of the Eastern. Understanding how these genetic signatures vary, overlap, or blend is central to the project’s mission.
Researchers are using DNA to answer the following questions that field biologists have debated for decades:
- Are rare color phases: smoke, white, or mixed plumage, natural mutations, or signs of domestic ancestry?
Early results show many are fully wild, though some birds do show hybridization with domestic or heritage turkeys. - How genetically diverse are today’s populations?
Restoration efforts in the 20th century often moved small, related flocks into new areas. Scientists want to know whether history left some regions with narrower genetic baselines. What level of diversity exists, and what are the implications of determinations? - How distinct are the five subspecies at the DNA level?
The project’s next phase will analyze samples from across the entire range to map subspecies boundaries and identify areas of overlap.
This work builds on the model of DU’s DuckDNA program, which revealed widespread hybridization and genetic drift in waterfowl, findings that reshaped how wildlife managers think about long‑term species resilience.
The New York State Chapter of the NWTF is among the organizations helping fund the WildTurkeyDNA project. Their support ensures that the program remains free for hunters and that researchers can expand sampling, increase lab capacity, and accelerate analysis. The state chapter has a long history of supporting wild turkey research, habitat projects, and the restoration of the American Chestnut, which was once a primary food source for wildlife
For New York, where turkey populations have fluctuated in many counties across the state in a downward trend in recent decades, this investment is both pragmatic and symbolic. It reinforces the state’s long‑standing commitment to science-based management, wild turkey research, and positions New York hunters as key contributors to a national conservation effort.
This funding aligns with NWTF’s broader research strategy. In 2025 alone, the NWTF and its partners allocated more than $4.5 million to wild turkey research nationwide, bringing total investments since 2022 to over $22 million a scale of support unmatched in the organization’s history.
What Early Results Reveal
Although the project is still in its early stages, several patterns are emerging:
- Odd-colored birds are often 100% wild, confirming evidence that rare plumage variants do occur naturally.
- Hybridization with domestic turkeys does happen.
- Genetic diversity varies by region, prompting new questions about long-term population resilience.
- A continental genetic baseline is forming, something wildlife managers have never had before. A unified map of wild turkey DNA across North America that reveals how subspecies, regions, and restoration histories connect.
This emerging foundation gives wildlife scientists a powerful new tool to track genetic diversity, identify hidden vulnerabilities, and guide future management with unprecedented precision. As the dataset grows, researchers expect to uncover deeper insights into subspecies boundaries, historical movements, and the genetic health of local populations.
Why This Research Work Matters
Wild turkey restoration is one of America’s greatest conservation success stories. But success is not the end of the story. We cannot rest on our laurels as the wildlife ecosystem is ever-changing. Populations in some regions are declining, and managers need better tools to understand why.
Genetics offers answers that traditional field methods cannot:
- It reveals hidden patterns of ancestry and diversity.
- It identifies hybridization that is not easily identified in plumage.
- It helps managers make informed decisions about trap and transfer and habitat priorities.
- It provides a long-term roadmap for sustaining healthy, resilient turkey populations.
In short, genetics is becoming the next frontier in turkey conservation—and hunters are helping lead the way.
© 2026 Joyner Outdoor Media
Book Release: J Ranch Wild Turkey Cuisine: Wild Turkey Hunter Recipes
Joyner Outdoor Media Proudly Announces the Book Release of a New Cookbook by Lee & Mike Joyner Celebrates the Hunt, the Harvest, and the Meals That Bring Hunters Together
McGraw, NY — Outdoor enthusiasts, wild‑game cooks, and turkey hunters have a new reason to gather around the table. Acclaimed outdoorsman and author Mike Joyner, together with co-author Lee Joyner, announces the release of J Ranch Wild Turkey Cuisine: Wild Turkey Hunter Recipes, a cookbook rooted in the traditions, flavors, and fieldcraft of the American turkey woods.
Drawing from decades of hunting experience and the culinary heritage of the J Ranch, this collection showcases the versatility of wild turkey through recipes designed for real hunters and real kitchens. From campfire staples to refined lodge-style dishes, the Joyners offer a practical, flavorful guide to making the most of every bird harvested. Non-hunters will enjoy these recipes as well with farm-raised birds. “Wild turkey hunting is more than a meal; it’s a story,” says co-author Mike Joyner. “The recipes in this book honor the hunt, the turkey woods, and the shared moments that make wild‑game cooking special.”
J Ranch Wild Turkey Cuisine features:
- Field-tested recipes for easy-to-make and flavorful cooking
- Camp-friendly dishes alongside elevated, dinner‑table favorites
- A celebration of the J Ranch tradition and the culture of wild‑game cuisine
Whether readers are seasoned hunters or newcomers to wild‑game cooking, this book offers a fresh, authentic approach to preparing one of North America’s most iconic game birds. J Ranch Wild Turkey Cuisine: Wild Turkey Hunter Recipes is now available for hunters, cooks, and anyone who believes the best meals begin in the woods.
About the Authors
Lee Joyner is a wonderful cook, a comfort food champion that brings a passion for wild‑game cooking and a deep connection to the J Ranch tradition, making this collaboration a natural extension of their marriage and shared love for the outdoors. Mike Joyner is an unruly force of nature in the kitchen, full of culinary surprises, and an award-winning outdoor writer, lifelong turkey hunter, and author of eight books celebrating America’s turkey woods.
All book formats are available on Amazon https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0GLDVZNFW
© 2026 Joyner Outdoor Media
Tales From the Roost- 2025 2X Award-Winner
In the world of outdoor storytelling of the turkey woods, few voices capture the spirit of the wild with as much warmth, wit, and authenticity as Mike Joyner. His latest work, Tales from the Roost, Roost’n Time Tales, has not only resonated with readers and listeners alike—it’s earned top honors at two prestigious outdoor writer events in 2025, solidifying Joyner’s place among the turkey hunting story genre in outdoor literature.
A Storytelling Triumph
In May 2025, Tales from the Roost clinched 2nd place in the EIC audiobook category at the New York State Outdoor Writers Association (NYSOWA) Excellence in Craft (EIC) Awards, held in Niagara, NY this past May. This is a recognition that celebrates outstanding contributions to outdoor communication.
Just several months later, the book earned another 2nd place award in the AIC book category at the Association of Great Lakes Outdoor Writers (AGLOW) AIC Awards, held in Eau Claire, Wisconsin this past September.
Tales from the Roost is more than a collection of stories—it’s a heartfelt tribute to the rhythms of nature, the quirks of wily wild turkey, and the enduring bond between people and the outdoors. Whether read in print or experienced through its immersive audiobook format, Joyner’s tales evoke laughter, nostalgia, and a deep appreciation for the natural world.
Mike Joyner’s Signature Style
Joyner’s writing blends humor, insight, and a keen eye for detail. His ability to turn everyday encounters in the turkey woods into memorable anecdotes makes Tales from the Roost a favorite read among outdoor enthusiasts, storytellers, and anyone who’s ever paused to watch jake turkey’s antics, eagerly watch the sun rise through a ridge top overlooking a valley, or listen to the wind whispering through the trees.
A Well-Deserved Honor
Winning at both NYSOWA and AGLOW in the same season is no small feat. These awards highlight Joyner’s versatility and excellence in both written and spoken word—a rare achievement that speaks to the quality and charm of Tales from the Roost. Written in a manner of friendly conversation whenever hunters meet up, and was translated well by narrator Tim Harper with just the right tone and friendly inflection.
What’s Next?
With Tales from the Roost earning critical acclaim and audience love, fans are already wondering what stories Mike Joyner will share next. If history is any guide, it’ll be something worth roosting for. Two long-overdue and laborious works, D. D. Adams, Evolutionary Turkey Call Pioneer, and Empire Limb Hangers, New York State Wild Turkey Records, are past the halfway mark for both titles and are time-intensive efforts with plenty of challenges. There is a turkey-centric cookbook, J Ranch Wild Turkey Cuisine, co-authored with his wife, Lee (Mike is the control test subject to cook and prove anyone can make each recipe), in the taste-testing phase, and will come out in 2026. Another story book, several novels, and a few other surprises to reveal as these primary projects are completed.
Whether you’re a longtime follower of Joyner’s work or just discovering his storytelling magic, Tales from the Roost is a must-read—and a must-listen. Available on Amazon :
Audible Audio Book Narrated by Tim Harper https://www.amazon.com/Tales-Roost-Time-Turkey-Woods/dp/B0FCVHT28R
Paper Back Book https://www.amazon.com/Tales-Roost-Time-Turkey-Woods/dp/B0F3TFBQXV
Hard Cover Book https://www.amazon.com/Tales-Roost-Time-Turkey-Woods/dp/B0F3TBQGP
Kindle https://www.amazon.com/Tales-Roost-Time-Turkey-Woods-ebook/dp/B0F1MLQNMH
About AGLOW
The Association of Great Lakes Outdoor Writers (AGLOW) is a dynamic community of professional communicators who share a passion for the outdoors. Founded in 1956, AGLOW brings together writers, broadcasters, photographers, podcasters, and digital creators who cover hunting, fishing, conservation, and outdoor recreation across North America. Whether you’re a seasoned journalist or a rising content creator, AGLOW is where outdoor stories come to life—and where storytellers find their tribe.
Learn more at aglowinfo.org
About NYSOWA
The New York State Outdoor Writers Association (NYSOWA) is a vibrant network of professional communicators dedicated to celebrating and preserving the outdoor heritage of New York State and beyond. Since its founding in 1967, NYSOWA has united writers, photographers, broadcasters, and digital creators who specialize in hunting, fishing, wildlife, conservation, and outdoor recreation. Whether you’re chronicling the thrill of the chase or the serenity of a mountain stream, NYSOWA is where outdoor communicators find inspiration, recognition, and camaraderie.
Learn more at nysowa.org
© 2025 Joyner Outdoor Media
9.11.2001 Temporary Lessons
Twenty four years have passed…
I digress for a moment to point out some repetition from recent years of commentary on 9/11
For the families, loved ones, and friends, the wounds of profound loss continue to be fresh for some. Life was changed forever for them, an unwelcomed new normal, and what changed for us in our reaction to the horror of that day has faded for far too many, judging by how we treat each other today.
It is hard to recognize the lessons learned on 9.12.2001 to where we are at now. For the days that followed, our politics did not matter, racism did not matter, we didn’t care what color you were, station in life did not matter. who we slept with did not matter, what set of sex organs we sported in our underwear did not matter, what God each other believed in, or what we commented in thought did not matter at all. We did not need pronouns, diversity training, reparations, cults of personality, or unhinged pundits to guide us in understanding what was in our hearts and what we felt in our guts -that we are Americans.
Twenty-four years ago, and one day later, with great cause, we rallied for each other and had each other’s backs. We demonstrated what is awesome about us, our country.
It can be claimed that we have forgotten who our family, friends, and neighbors are, what we actually mean to each other as Americans. Right now, we are failing at this. Too damn caught up in perceived racism, real or assumed inequities, mortally wounded by the infractions of the slightest language snafus. All fodder for justifying violence and abhorrent crimes. The social fires are fanned by our own elected officials who play us against each other in the manufactured chaos. It is a terrible way for those of us who live on, to honor those fallen on this fateful day.
Lessons learned twenty-four years ago need to be reinstated as a permanent staple of our society. How we treated each other back then, as we rallied for those lost and for justice to prevail, needs to be revisited in earnest.
In twenty-four years have not forgotten:
The memories and the feelings from that day have not faded, nor diminished. It was to be a perfect bluebird day in September.
The near-perfect September day morphed, shattered for thousands of victims in mere seconds for many, some in agonizing, terror-filled minutes, hours yet for others.
In the ripples of life, our greatest loss is to never know or benefit from what great deeds and accomplishments of all those lost.
That we came together as Americans. We were united as Americans. We still are Americans. Many have forgotten this very fact in recent times.
Those that perished on this fateful day of September 11th, 2001.
Those that gave all in order to save lives. Heroes that walk among us to this day.
Those who survived only succumbed to it days, months, and years later.
That we are all equal by way of our maker
This is republished each year as I find it so important to include:
On each anniversary of 9/11, my thoughts return to two fellow NWTF members Cynthia Giugliano & Walter Weaver that we lost that day. A memorial webpage can be found at http://www.turkey-talk.com/9_11_01_memorial.htm
I ask that each of you give thought to those that serve us in all vocations. In your travels, I ask that you take the time to thank those that serve us, and continue to support what they do for our country.
Along with counting your blessings, say a prayer for all innocent victims, and that you do something on your part to make the world just a little bit better for those around you. We can all benefit from random acts of kindness.
-MJ
© 2025 Mike Joyner- Joyner Outdoor Media
Last Call in NY
Best wishes to my fellow turkey hunting brethren still in the chase to fill a tag- As you can see, Our Viking Diva is warming up on my shoulder. 11:59:59 AM, the reigning queen of the opera sings the last act tomorrow.
No pressure… hunt smart, and you’ll send her packing.
Gobblers here in CNY are far fewer in number than most of us old timers remember. With longbeards being of the strong and silent type, the best or worst among us hunters can’t buy a gobble in many anecdotal reports.
Run and gunning may leave you eating a tag this late in the season. Play it old school. Confidence calling, feeding purrs, whips, and whistles, light clucks, and very soft yelping. If one stomps your call with a voracious gobble, get ready as they’ll likely not gobble again and come in swift but silent. Exceptions duly noted. With four weeks of renewed education, errors on our part in the turkey woods during the final hours will not be forgiven with second chances.
With an abundant but unfortunate supply of wet, cool weather, many hens have come off the nests and we have a dating/mating reset with the clock running out. If a hen challenges you, then you have to answer her appropriately. Girlfriend gets the boyfriend in trouble every time, and you may find one not on her first nest yet if you had a very late second or third hatch from last year. Too young to mate, but he’ll follow her anyway.
If you go in loud, you’ll likely leave empty handed. They’ve been chased all season, and any mistake you make will be an exit stage left with an alarm putt if you get any indication at all that you messed up. The foliage is thick as ever, and when a gobbler is pursued by a variety of predators, there is no tolerance for a clumsy two-legged one either. However far you may think he gobbled from, it might be better to halve that estimation in the woods now.
As they are not talking much now, any sightings are key tactical data. If you can get out and roost tonight, it may be the final clue to the last day. Bring your binoculars and glass as much as you can. With the foliage fully out, you can get in close, but you’ll have to be there very early tomorrow morning. The forecast is for more rain tomorrow, the last day, yet this morning is a rather nice one.
Hunt all the way to your spot, and all the way back to the truck, the entire hunt can turn around in 30 seconds, and the action can be fast and furious. On State Game Lands this past Wednesday, I filled a second tag, less than 150 yards away from my truck as I hunted back to it. It took him a full 20 minutes to show after a half gobble/half yelp.
Stay sharp, safe, and alert.
Best of luck in the final remaining hours of the season. Now if we can get this lady off our damn shoulders…
© 2025 Mike Joyner- Joyner Outdoor Media
Turning Wishing Into Fishing
I would like to introduce my readers to a fantastic organization- Chasing Dreams Charters. I came to know of them this past week at the 2025 NYSOWA Spring Conference in Lewiston, NY. I got to spend a little time with Ned Librock, Founder of Chasing Dreams Charters, and came away with a firm understanding of who they are and the good works they do. To meet Ned is to like him, and it is a short study to know what he brings to the table in helping children deal with the difficulties of cancer and subsequent treatments. A fun and relaxing time on the water fishing is therapeutic in as many ways as any of us can think of.
Ned has assembled a fantastic and capable team of charter boat captains and a solid board of directors. To support their mission, they work closely with Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center, coordinating programs with The Courage of Carly Fund and the Adolescent and Young Adult (AYA) program.
I borrow and repeat from their published mission and website, and I strongly recommend that if you can support them in their mission, it will be well worth your efforts.
Catching Dreams Charters, Inc. a 501(c)(3) not for profit, provides fishing adventures for children and young adults battling cancer! Fishing Therapy for Cancer Kids! Cancer at any age is terrifying. Our motto of “turning wishing into fishing” promotes fishing therapy as a psychosocial therapy for these young warriors.
If you would like to donate to the mission, or have resources that can help expand to more of New York and reach more afflicted children, Contact Ned at 716-870-5326
To learn more visit-
https://catchingdreamscharters.org https://www.facebook.com/catchingdreamscharters
Final Week Of CNY 2025 Spring Turkey season
Those with turkey tags still in their wallets may have a tall order to fill in the Central New York area. Being one of the wettest and coolest months of May I can remember makes it much more difficult. News reports indicate temperatures 20 degrees lower than average norms, and so far, the rainiest in the past 20 years. In the past week around Cortland County, it appears that hens have come off their nests and are looking to re-nest again. The lack of gobbling is another indicator. There will be exceptions, and like many things, it’s all about location, location, and location. Like many of you, I see the smiling pics with gobblers with the obvious results of a great hunt on social media, texts, and emails, and there are hot spots to be had. Should you wake up to a bird that is gobbling his fool head off, you are a fortunate person in our area. I cover a lot of ground, so far I can’t buy a gobble.
The first nesting is thought to be the most successful for brooding, and has the best chances for poult survival. I believe we are looking at a second and possibly a third attempt at it. The cool, wet weather makes it easier for predators to find the eggs and will also increase the chances of nabbing a hen that may be trying to protect the nest. Second and third time around, the predators have figured out what to look for. Gobblers with well-stocked harems and hens out and about early and late in the day are not what you want to see in the last week of the season. If your areas, honey holes, are way down in turkey sightings, it might be good to let it rest, or hunt more fruitful hunting grounds. My scouting from last fall to the present so far has me checking all my spots to keep track, but declining to hunt them there. My personal choice is not to be that one hunter who takes the last gobbler left in an area. I have always thought it best to leave plenty for the next season and not overhunt great parcels of turkey woods.
Having started turkey hunting in 1993, I have memories of many spots I hunted with dozens upon dozens of gobblers targeted to hunt and pursue. Fast forward 33 seasons, I foresee a one-tag only in the spring coming or possibly a temporary hold for several seasons to improve and protect the populations, but that, of course, is decided on much more than my single anecdotal data point by the wildlife biologists and managers at NYSDEC. With much more research underway, the results and determinations are highly anticipated for what comes next in the great Empire State.
I have a few spots in the county and several invites in other areas of the state that I may still hunt before our Viking Diva makes a curtain call. With decent-sized flocks at hunting grounds that I do spend time at, it might be a very quiet and patient style of hunting. With another week of rain predicted, I’m not at all concerned about having a tag left in my pocket. Not my first rodeo.
As difficult as it may appear, where you hunt, all is not lost. Time for old school tactics. Without much gobbling, patience, and scouting are your tools. Roosting in our area has not produced much this season, but a chance sighting or a shock gobble jerked out of a gobbler at the last slivers of daylight may be the key to putting you on a long beard the following morning. After three weeks of being hunted, the birds are going to be coy and very cautious. More so than normal. The foliage and cover are thick and as green as we have ever had. With the grass in the fields getting very tall, plowed fields and open ridge tops are likely spots to find them.
Not likely you will get second chances on sloppy hunting. This means quiet walking, no unnatural noises or lids of box calls squeaking, etc. You may get a bird to gobble or only cluck at you one time. It may take an hour before they appear. Spit and drumming while they strut may be the only thing you hear. Again, you need to be focused and ready. When it does happen, it will likely be fast, with the gobbler departing if he does not see what he came for. You will likely have better success by toning down the calling or at least testing the waters before getting aggressive with your calls. Remember, by now they have heard it all, and will be suspect of a mouthy ‘hen’ that doesn’t shut up. Even the jakes will be three weeks wiser, and be just as hard to call to the gun. Soft clucks, whines, and purrs will get the job done.
Like many of you, I got into turkey hunting for the heart-pounding action and thundering gobbles. Not much of that this year. This season, I experienced mornings of hard gobbling in Texas and Maine, but not the case here in my spots in NY. So far, I have not had those periods of three and four days of excited gobbling that we usually get. Weather, reduced populations, and hen availability have a big role in that. I filled my first tag on a morning with a single gobble by revisiting a known roost and good positioning of the gobbler with five hens in tow. He was a good bird, and glad to have got him, but I do love to hear them gobble.
From here until the last day, you may only hear a cluck, a fly down, or a fly up, and that may be as much as you will hear. The rewards for sticking it out and being patient may be a big old gobbler. Some of the oldest and most difficult gobblers are tagged near the very end of May, and are well worth the effort.
BTW, much of this is repeated from a post made in 2011, and bits of commentary from other wet cool springs in Central New York.
Good luck on the final days of the season!
© 2025 Mike Joyner- Joyner Outdoor Media
Turkey Hunters’ Tall Tales?
Hmmm, heard this somewhere before. When it comes to measuring trophy aspects of our quarry, we might be outdone by fishermen, but there are doubts…
A prefix to this commentary: The subject of records, trophy aspects is one of a novelty, and excellent fodder for the diner, tailgate discussions, hunt clubs, and debate at hunt camps. The experience of the hunt itself, time spent with others, is most important in my view. Like antlers, spurs, and beards, they don’t eat well, unsuitable for soup stock.
As of late, the embellishments (or bending of the truth) appear to be heightened to a comical observation, although this commentary might ruffle some feathers and deflate a few claims. It is a foolhardy, harmless embellishment, unless someone’s forcefully claiming a record bird. In the end, your birthdays will remain unchanged, death and taxes will still prevail…
Noticeably increased observation of social media since the May 1st opener in New York reveals truly great gobblers, smiling hunters, which are the happy outcomes of a great day in the turkey woods. As an author and one who tracks records in the great Empire State, there are norms observed and expected, and it captures my interest when a gobbler exceeds in exceptional characteristics, as claimed.
Those of us with many seasons tucked away as fond memories will have more than a few gobblers encountered as hefty carries back to the truck. We’ll be able to eyeball rather quickly as to being of nominal expected size/weight, and lengths of beards and spurs, akin to deer hunters who can gauge racks and weights of whitetail bucks to within close to measured results. In the social media space, with a little lack of civility, opinions may vary.
Turkey hunters often exaggerate the weight of their gobblers due to a mix of tradition, pride, and some genuine confusion in measurement. Here’s why it happens:
1. Field Dressing Confusion: Turkeys are often weighed after being field-dressed (internal organs removed), but some hunters report the weight before. This can cause significant weight differences—up to a couple of pounds, depending on live weight. An 18-pound gobbler carries up to a pound and a half of entrails. These delta anecdotal differences are observed from involvement with spring and fall turkey contests for many years, in which rules dictated field-dressed for weight measure, and to cool the meat and mitigate spoilage, hopefully shortly after being tagged in the field.
2. Lack of Accurate Scales: Many hunters use inaccurate spring scales, cheap electronic scales of questionable accuracy and affected by battery strength, or just guess based on feel. In a turkey contest, you might be surprised how many soaking wet birds are brought in to measure/score on a perfectly sunny day. Sometimes hunters use a coveted measuring device: “SEF Weight Scale.” Surprisingly, the “Shoulder-Elbow-Forearm” weight measuring triangle is the ultimate weight scale device among some turkey hunters. One simple lift of the bird will result in a 25-pound estimate in an eager and optimistic view. Asking for a weight coupon or placing the bird on a verified, accurate scale will not gain you many friends in such situations. All humor aside, it is an observation of casual conversations.
3. Bragging Rights & Storytelling Culture: Hunting, especially turkey hunting, has a strong oral tradition. Telling stories of the “25-pounder” is part of the culture, even if that bird was the typical norm of 18-19 pounds.
4. Misjudging Size: Wild turkeys, in their appearance, look deceptively large due to their feathers. A 20-pound bird feels massive after carrying it through the woods, especially early in the morning.
5. True Big Birds Are Rare: A wild gobbler in New York over 25 pounds is genuinely rare. The average reported weight for an adult gobbler in New York runs 18-19 pounds. So when someone thinks they got a record book bird, they might lean into that claim, whether or not it’s verified. It’s all part of the mystique and fun of turkey hunting, though the conscientious, more serious hunters do strive for accurate records. A 22-pound or heavier gobbler coming at you in the turkey woods will appear as Gobzilla, and a world apart from the size of an 18-pound bird.
Turkey hunters often exaggerate the length of beards and spurs for similar reasons they exaggerate weight, but with a few unique twists tied to measurement error, ego, and tradition. Here’s why it happens:
1. Improper Measuring Technique: Beards should be measured from the skin (base) to the longest strand, pulled straight, not curved or fluffed. Spurs should be measured along the outside curve to the tip, not in a straight line from the middle to the tip. Some hunters measure around the spur or include feathers in beard length, which inflates the numbers.
2. No Standardization in the Field: Some hunters are using a tape measure incorrectly or, worse, eyeballing it. That leads to inconsistency and overestimation.
3. Ego and Bragging Rights: Long spurs and beards are often seen as signs of a mature, trophy gobbler. Hunters may stretch the truth—“That gobbler had a 12” beard!”—because it makes for a better story. We all know that 6” is sometimes expressed as 12”. We’ll stop there and keep it clean.
4. Beard Clumping Illusion: Some gobblers have multiple beards or thick, ropey beards that look longer than they are. Broken strands that haven’t dislodged. Been fooled a few times with that.
5. Curved Spurs or Fat Spurs Create Optical Illusions: Spurs with tight curves can look shorter than they measure along the curve. Wide or fat spurs can appear shorter compared to narrow, needle-like spurs.
© 2025 Mike Joyner- Joyner Outdoor Media
. #turkeyhunting #nywildturkeyrecords #wildturkey #nyturkeyrecords #recordbookgobblers
NY Turkey Records 2025
If you tag a gobbler that meets the criteria listed below near the end of this post or in future editions that are anticipated, I would love to interview you for inclusion in the Empire Limbhangers book project. Although your stories and photos will be captured for the book, you will retain rights to your photo’s and your story. Should you wish to have the story I write up used for other uses. Copyright permissions can be granted as needed.
The main issue with keeping it all legit for the project is typically weight as most of the small scales that are used to weigh fish can vary +/- 1 to 2 lbs or more. A weight coupon from a certified scale ensures accuracy and proof of measurement. Otherwise, it can be legitimately challenged. The scale should be suitable for products or goods for sale that are taxed in the state. I live in Cortland County and own several scales suitable for trade with a 25lb calibration weight with certification tracible to NIST (National Institute of Standards and Technology, formerly National Bureau of Standards,) and can also provide a video of calibration and the actual weighing of your gobbler. I will be glad to do so, and there is no fee.
Pics with tape measurement in the pics are required to show scale and accuracy for beards and spurs. There are several handy products to help measure spurs (including the curved outside edge) but as of this writing, none aside from a tape measure cover the spur measurements that have been described going back decades as published by the NWTF http://turkey-talk.com/scoresbpmeasure.html#spus As the decades long description covers the entire exposed spur that can occur below the outer edge of the leg, it is more often that the exposed spur is even with the leg edge. Anecdotal, as such, the differences observed have not exceeded 1/8″. As the calculation is x10 or x32 for each spur it is a detail to be aware of.
Anecdotal evidence unfortunately cannot be used to substantiate record book entries no matter how good the stories are.
Best bet if you think you have one for the books: weigh the gobbler on a certified scale and be sure to get a weight coupon. Take plenty of photos including those with a tape measure. NWTF requires witness signatures that also have to be an NWTF member if you wish to participate in their records program. Safari Club also has a program but is not viewable unless a member. I may include them if details can be worked out in the future.
Record entries not included in the NWTF system once verified can be accepted. You will note that the NWTF requires verifications that I have mentioned and I will accept their determinations for the project. I do support their system and would encourage you to enter your submission with the NWTF as well. NWTF submissions are now accepted online: www.nwtf.org/hunt/records.
Scoring tabulations for the project will include the NWTF system, and the SBP weighted system. for more info on SBP http://turkey-talk.com/scoresbp.html
For those that I have contacted or attempted to contact at the beginning of the project: Your stories will be available to review as I complete them.
If you have harvested a legally tagged wild turkey with one or more of the following attributes in NY during the 2023-2024 spring/fall seasons, or years prior, registered or not registered w/NWTF records, We would love to talk to you about being included in the book!
Please contact mjoyner@joyneroutdoormedia.com
Note: Non registered birds- measurable attributes must be verified for consideration.
Typical score greater than 75.000 (weight x1 + beard x 2 + L & R spur x 10)
Non-Typical score greater than 105.000 (weight x1 + beard(s) x 2 + L & R spur x 10)
Weight greater than 26.5 lbs. (verifiable certified weight)
Beard Length greater than 12″ (verifiable length)
Spur Length greater than 1.625″ (verifiable length)
Color phase variations, Hens with spurs
http://empirestatelimbhangers.com/
© 2025 Mike Joyner- Joyner Outdoor Media
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Opening Day New York Spring 2025
From all of us at Joyner Outdoor Media, we wish hunters heading out into the great Turkey Woods of New York for the 2025 Spring Turkey Season Opener a safe and most memorable morning and season afield in our great forests.
Be diligent in firearm safety and identify your quarry 100%. Do your part to ensure each of us turkey hunters makes it back safely to hunt again another day. If someone beats you to a spot, give them room to work the gobbler, move on to another spot, and check it later in the morning. If someone comes in on you, do not turkey call or wave. Speak in a firm voice- “I’m a hunter.” Courtesy and ethical behavior makes for plenty of respect and positive experiences.
We hope that you are inspired while spending time in the places that feathered monarchs thunder gobbles from the many old and ancient roost trees well known to the prepared, and set your hearts racing in anticipation.
© 2025 Mike Joyner- Joyner Outdoor Media
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