Turkey hunters support the Game Bird Program

GA-FL Turkey Invitationl logo

On April 14th, the annual Georgia-Florida Turkey Invitational Kick-off Dinner was held for the eleventh year at Osceola Plantation, Thomasville, Georgia thanks to our hosts the Williams and Parker families. Todd Bevis, Director, Professional Development Programs, Office of Science Teaching Activities, Florida State University  presented the evening’s program, which focused on the beauty and majesty of the wild turkey and the control of hunt variables when attempting to take a mature gobbler. Proceeds from the event benefit the Game Bird Program at Tall Timbers.

The next morning, over 30 teams took to the woods in search of a winning gobbler. Two-man teams hunted their own lands and returned for the weigh-in at noon. Judge Ricky Lackey, National Wild Turkey Federation Biologist, conducted the weigh-in. Team Walter Hatchett/Tim Pirrung won the overall invitational; the gobbler had a 14-1/8″ beard and 1-7/16″, 1-6/16″ spurs. They were awarded the perpetual Georgia/Florida Turkey Invitational trophy, as well as a Stoeger Model 3000 – 12 gauge shotgun, donated by South Georgia Outdoors, and a custom wooden box containing Lynch Since 1940 turkey calls. Father/son Team Todd and Cayde Bevis took second place, and third place went to Team Gordon Mooney and James Groover.

Winners Group

Pictured left to right: Gordon Mooney (3rd place), father/son team Todd and Cayde Bevis (2nd place), Charlie Ward, Grant Gaston (2nd place youth division) and Greg Gaston and Reagan Sherman (1st place youth division).

First place in the Youth Division went to Reagan Sherman, who was awarded a custom wooden box with a Lynch Since 1940 turkey call, and second place went to Grant Gaston.

The Calcutta was also won by Reagan Sherman with a whopping 20 pound 9 oz. gobbler. Second place went to Team Eric Cohen/Donnie Richards and third place went to Team Gordon Mooney/James Groover.

Thanks to Osceola Plantation for their hospitality and to steering committee members John Daniels, Bryan Knox and Robbie Green for helping pull together a great year!

And, we couldn’t do it without our sponsors.

 

THANK YOU SPONSORS!

 

Location Sponsor:

Williams and Parker Families

 

Dinner and Lunch Sponsor:

NFL Animal Hospital logo

 

Red Hills Sponsors:

Kohler logo          JMJ Group logo

 

Gobbler Sponsor:

SGO loho

 

Jake Sponsors:

BCG logo

 

Bird Dog bottle co logo           

Lynch logo

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