How to score your wild turkey

You can calculate the score of your turkey with  calculator from the National Wildlife Federation..

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 must verify all measurements where you harvested the bird.

First, weigh your bird in pounds and ounces and convert to decimal form.

Next, 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 the two spur measurements, and multiply the combined length of the spurs by 10; the product is the number of points you receive for the turkey's spurs.

For the beard, measure the beard length and convert it to decimal form. A beard must be measured from the center point of the protrusion of the skin to the tip.

Next, multiply the beard length figure by 2; the product is the number of points you receive for the beard length. If you have a non-typical bird with multiple beards, measure each beard, convert them to a decimal number, then add those figures together, and multiply by two; the product is your beard points and you add this figure to your weight and spur points.

Add together the weight, the points for spurs, and points for the beard(s). Your total is the grand total of points or your score that you receive for your turkey.

Spurs must be measured along the outside center, from the point at which the spur protrudes from the leg scales to the tip of the spur.

Hunters must enter each turkey on an official entry application form, including certification that the turkey was taken by legal means, in the spirit of fair chase, and not released for commercial hunting or confined within any artificial barrier.

To download an official NWTF Wild Turkey Score Sheet, please click here.

All entries must be signed, witnessed, and mailed to:
The National Wild Turkey Federation
P.O. Box 530
Edgefield, SC 29824-0530

Contest categories for each subspecies include: Top Scoring Total for American Wild Turkeys; Longest Beards; Longest Spurs; Heaviest Bird; Top Scoring Non-Typical American Wild Turkeys; and Top Scoring American Wild Turkeys by Archery.