Although I did not have a scale handy, when I picked up the bird by the feet, it hurt my shoulder and wrist. (I have some bursitis in my shoulder and had a strained wrist from retrieving food from the back seat of my truck earlier). Even with that I estimated him to weigh at least 25 lbs. He looked like he was twice as big as the pretty boy (strutting tom) decoy I was using, when he strutted up to it with a sideways stature. It was mostly like a dream. Or maybe it was still raining like it did all night long the evening before and right up to daybreak which was about an hour before he came. But I like to think about it being a dream like apparition when he showed up. When his head lined up on top of the bead of my 12 gauge, he was 16 yards, or about two steps, which is what I remember taking between the seat I was in and where he hit the ground. I had found strut marks and feathers at this spot the day before and figured there had been a fight. Then I figured he was ripe for a “Pretty Boy” encounter. Was he ever. Judging from the tracks in the mud, he came over 100 yards up the road to get to the decoys. The only audible sound he made was spitting and drumming, but I had heard him gobble the day before, so I knew he was capable. I guess he thought he was going to sneak up on pretty boy and surprise him. As you can see, the spurs are at least 1 ½ inches and the beard is 10 inches long. I estimate him to be about 5-6 years old. The wing tips are so worn from strutting, it appears to be missing nearly 4 inches from the tips of the first four feathers. I am still having a hard time believing how magnificent a trophy this is. But I am trying…
Keith C.