Tennessee hunter nabs unusual 7-bearded turkey

Published 1:12 pm Sunday, April 23, 2023

Wild turkeys are generally elusive for those trying to hunt them, but one Tennessee hunter not only nabbed one recently, but he managed to harvest an unusual, multi-bearded turkey.

Turkey hunter Cameron Freshour harvested a 7-bearded turkey recently in Greene County, Tennessee, state wildlife officials said.

Freshour’s turkey had more than 46 inches of total beard length and weighed 18.5 pounds with 1 1/6-inch spurs.

Turkeys with more than one beard are uncommon, Tennessee officials said, with estimates of less than 10 percent of all turkeys having more than one beard.

And as unusual as Freshour’s bird was, it’s not the record.

The National Wild Turkey Federation records said the world record was 13 beards.