Hey Y'all,
Last Saturday my wife was able to shoot her first turkey. I have been seeing this bird in our pasture for a few weeks now. He is always limping and he is usually alone.
This bird popped out of the woods Saturday evening around 6:30 and it took about an hour for him to work his way into range.
The bird couldn't have weighed more than 15 pounds. His 1 1/4 and 1 1/2 inch spurs looked highly aged and he only had a 7 inch beard. When we went to breast him out, the meat was almost peanut butter in color and consistency.
How old do you think this bird is?
(http://i71.photobucket.com/albums/i126/gatrapper/Jessica%20Fan_zpsc2tsubez.jpg) (http://s71.photobucket.com/user/gatrapper/media/Jessica%20Fan_zpsc2tsubez.jpg.html)
(http://i71.photobucket.com/albums/i126/gatrapper/Jessica%20Spurs_zpsodup6cka.jpg) (http://s71.photobucket.com/user/gatrapper/media/Jessica%20Spurs_zpsodup6cka.jpg.html)
As old as he is gonna get! It's a hard call but spurs are deceiving on age. If I would guess I would say around 3-4 year old but it is purely a guess.
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I was thinking four, but this bird just doesn't look like a typical 4 year old bird.
Four is the number that seems right to me but short of a birth certificate it impossible to prove. Some claim to be able to tell from the roost bone but I have yet to see a solid way to age a bird once they get past two. Congrats to you both by the way.
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Only way to age a bird with certainty is if it was banded.
Tree Rooster on here has harvested some 6 and 7 year olds if I recall correctly.
If spur and beard length were a true indicator those birds woulda had 4 inch spurs and 20 inch beards. ;)
How'd ya get the little lady to wear poo face makeup? ;D Facemasks work pretty good...
Congrats to her on a nice, but not the oldest ever, bird.
Our only option was to setup in a blind. The field is surrounded with a barbed wire fence and the grass is shorter than your lawn haha. She prefers the face paint versus a mask too.
Congrats to your Boss Hen on getting it done!
Very nice gobbler,congrats!! :happy0064: :happy0064:
old probably, without a band on his leg there's no way to tell but I think birds can be older than some think. I know of a 2 banded bird that were shot at 7yrs and 8yrs old with not much more than beat up 1 1/4 spurs with fat bases but field aging those birds anyone I know wouldn't have gone higher than say 4yrs old
:icon_thumright:
No matter how old it is its a pretty bird, congratulations to her.
Hard to guess but a trophy for sure. Those old birds are tough to kill. Didn't get old being dumb. Give her a pat on the back for me.
Hard to say the age with any certainty, but congrats to her on taking a wary old warrior bird.
Awesome, congrats!
Congrats. He was a 4-yr old IMO.
One thing I do know is it won't get any older. 3+ yr old but outside that like other's have said almost impossible to tell. Did you cut off the feet and count the rings? ::) True trophy for her regardless. Memories forever. Congrats to you both. Hoping to get a bird under gun for my daughter tomorrow for her first. Youth hunt this weekend.
PS Nice job on the rock on her finger That could have bought a many a Benelli Super Black Eagles :)
I have mentioned that to her before....not a good move on my part. Haha
Old enough he needs killed. Congrats.
Old enough for her to pull the trigger and as old as he'll ever be. Congrats to Her.
Dandy! Nice work
Great bird. Congrats.
Having shot banded turkeys before and seeing a few, I'd bet he's a good bit older than 4. The banded eastern I killed had pretty normal 1 1/4 spurs and was 5 years old. He didn't have the chunky bases to the spurs that this one does.
Congratulations! :icon_thumright:
Congrats to your wife on a stud of a bird!!!!!
Congratulations! I didn't realize that Tammy Faye made camo make-up.
4+ No telling really.
Quote from: spaightlabs on April 21, 2017, 09:07:07 AM
How'd ya get the little lady to wear poo face makeup? ;D Facemasks work pretty good...
Congrats to her on a nice, but not the oldest ever, bird.
Probably a mud mask... I wear one every night to try to keep my youthful good lucks (apparently it is beginning to fail)... Just keep it on when I go turkey hunting...
OP: very nice bird... Pictures make it look like it might have a bit of "red phase" to it.... No idea how old it is... Old enough to have a long beard and spurs, without having them broken off... I would guess 3-4 years as everyone else has...
Biologists age dead birds with a bone in the ear canal , I believe it's called an otalice . It grows rings like a tree that can be counted when cut and put under a microscope. The DNR in your area may be interested in sampling it if your really interested.
Congrats, what a awesome bird... :icon_thumright:
The more I look at it, the more I think he's over 5. Look at those old split toenails and the spurs look ancient. I bet a Goodyear tire will eat more tender than that bird.
congrats to your wife on an old warrior