2025 BIG GOBBLER FUN CONTEST - Rules and Registration Thread

[Lenny]

2025 BIG GOBBLER FUN CONTEST - Rules and Registration Thread

The 2025 spring turkey season will soon be here - now is your chance to sign up.

This year I'm using simplified rules and scoring, so make sure you read it before entering. There will be a prizes for the lucky winners, for the highest single score, highest double score (for those who fill two tags), maybe more.

So far this year we have the following confirmed prize donations:

1. Box Call - donated by TurkeyJohn
2. Spur Gauge - donated by tracer at WhiteTails Crossing
3. Stoneboat Farm & Sugarbush - fresh 2025 Maple Syrup – my own homebrew!


We need more prizes! Let me know if you want to donate a prize - shoot me a PM.

Disclaimer: This contest is for FUN only. It is being run by for the members of the ONTARIO OUT OF DOORS Community. It is NOT run by ONTARIO OUT OF DOORS, its affiliates, staff, forum moderators or the O.F.A.H. All questions and concerns regarding this contest or sub-forum should be directed to me by PM on this site. The prizes are a bonus, the bragging rights are enormous, and the fame will follow you for life.......

Contest officially opens half an hour before sunrise on April 25 and will be updated regularly. You must sign up BEFORE April 25 (ie - by midnight on April 24th)

SIGN-Up by simply replying to this thread indicating your interest in participating and I will add you to the list.

Please read the Rules and Scoring Methods before signing up. I will be keeping track of scores and will update a separate thread called 2024 Leader Board periodically. Contest winners will be announced A.S.A.P.

Also please remember this is a FUN contest, and this means that it is supposed to be fun for everyone, myself included. There will be zero tolerance for any moaning or complaining. If you can't play nicely and have fun, you will be removed from the contest, period. To be SUPER clear - I reserve the right to waive, modify or reinterpret the rules as I see fit, at any time, based on the circumstances. If you think I have been unfair in running this contest in the past, and you can't accept these conditions, please do not enter and have a good season.

Scores will be determined as follows:

TO ENTER A BIRD IN THE CONTEST YOU MUST DO YOUR BEST TO POST A MINIMUM OF 4 PICTURES after you have tagged your bird:

1. Your first picture should be of THE BIRD AND WHAT YOU USED TO HARVEST THE BIRD: gun or bow. Bird and firearm used must be in the picture. You may or may not be present in your photo. I encourage you to be in your picture to show off your achievement.

2. Your second picture must show A CLEAR MEASUREMENT IN INCHES OR MM OF THE LONGEST SPUR (note: spurs are measured along the outside curvature from the point at which the spur protrudes from the scaled leg skin to the tip of the spur)

3. Your third picture must show A CLEAR MEASUREMENT IN INCHES OR MM OF THE LONGEST BEARD IN ITS ENTIRETY (note: beards are measured from skin to tip for longest length and must be attached to the bird for at least one of the pictures) I may request a second beard picture with a close up of the measurement. At least one photo must show the entire beard. The longest portion, even if it is only one strand, will be used in the calculation.

4. Your fourth picture must show the date and time notched on your tag. (Note - feel free to cover your name with your thumb in the pic - I don't want your personal info, just legal bird entires). Furthermore, each entry must be submitted the day of the harvest or the following day - this allows for the leaderboard to be updated as the season goes along, and makes for an exciting finish. Delayed entries will be disqualified.

This is how the scoring will work:

(Longest Spur Length x 20) + (Longest Beard Length x 2) + (Method of Harvest Bonus) = Total Score

Method of Harvest Bonus:

Shotgun: 0 points
Bow: 5 points

The following conversions may help you with your scores:

1/16 = 0.0625 .............. 2/16 or 1/8 = 0.1250
3/16 = 0.1875 .............. 4/16 or 1/4 = 0.2500
5/16 = 0.3125 .............. 6/16 or 3/8 = 0.3750
7/16 = 0.4375 .............. 8/16 or 1/2 = 0.5000
9/16 = 0.5625 .............. 10/16 or 5/8 = 0.6250
11/16 = 0.6875 ............. 12/16 or 3/4 = 0.7500
13/16 = 0.8125 ............. 14/16 or 7/8 = 0.8750
15/16 = 0.9375

Example:
Beard = 10 1/2" .................................................. ........................ 10.5 x 2 = 21
Longest Spur = 1 1/8"............................................. ... ................. 1.125 x 20 = 22.5
Harvested By Cross Bow .................................................. ......... Bonus = 5

48.5 Total Points

Its also not just about the score, tell us your story! Or post a video of your hunt (have you ever tried to do this, it is waaaay harder than just hunting. Help others learn what worked for you, and for those who can't get out, or haven't got a bird yet, or are stuck at work wishing they were turkey hunting, let them live vicariously through your successful hunt!

Final Note: I need to be able to see the whole beard in the interest of fairness. I may request additional pictures if something isn't absolutely clear. If there is a tie in the scoring, I will put the names in a hat and randomly draw a winner.

If you have any questions or comments feel free to PM me.

Please post your scores and pics on my other thread called (2025 BIG FUN GOBBLER CONTEST LEADERBOARD - OFFICIAL THREAD TO POST YOUR SCORES AND PICS )

Hunt safe, have fun and good luck to all who enter!

[Articcat]

Hi Lenny,
I'm in again, surprised no one else has entered yet

[finsfurfeathers]

Was getting concerned but happy to hear all is good just got busy hope you can free up some time to get out there.
sign me up

[Turkeyjohn]

Hey Lenny,

Please enter TurkeyWes and myself into the derby again…

Let me see what I’ve got on board, I could donate a box call for a prize…

Turkey john


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[tom gobble]

Sign me up. Thanks for running it again Lenny.

[genec]

I’m in!
My grandson Nicholas will be hunting with me this year, so please enter him as well.
canada Post lost his mail-in PAL application last fall in the mail strike, so he will be hunting with my crossbow this spring. I gotta try hard to get him a bird first.

Thanks for doing this again this year.

[sabmgb]

please sign me up. I do look forward to this fun event. thanks

[Thegeet]

I’m in🦃

[tracer]

Sign me up please, thanks.

[Domi]

I'm in I'm leaving this weekend for turkey.

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