Long Spurs, are they rarer than we think?

[jordanz7935]

Up here in upstate NY from my experience we probably have shorter spurred and shorter beards than the easterns down south. From what ive seen, 3+ year old turkeys in my area average between 1"-13/8" spurs. Now i have seen the occasional 1&1/2"-1&3/4" spurs around here but IMO,those are a rarity in these parts. Yea i think genetics play a part but i think the the environment the turkey lives in plays just as important of a roll on spur and beard length. Winter not only wears down there spurs and beards from the snow but im sure those spurs or beards arent growing as much in the winter as their cozy cousins down south. Me and a buddy hunted North Ga. about 5 years back and i got lucky and bagged a nice gobbler. It was my biggest spurred turkey,not by much though, @ just over 1&3/8" on both sides and to this day it is my still my longest bearded gobbler @ a true 10&1/4". That bird was probably less than average in body size ,19.5 lbs, by our standards up here in NY though. Every bird ive killed up here that had 1&1/4" or larger spurs were 21lbs+. Just my experience in my area.

[Chilly]

I think spur length isn't a great method of aging a tom.  I read the snood may be a more reliable indicator of age but I've never measured the snood on one I've killed.

I shot a Kentucky bird last year that was 25.5 lbs, 10" and a 10.5" beard (both thick) 1-3\8" and 1" spurs and also had a split snood that is pretty cool looking on the mount.  The taxidermist said he has never seen anything like it.  When I get back from Mexico I'll post a picture.  He might be ancient.

[Hooksfan]

Here's my brothers bird if the upload works....

[Struthunter]

Ive killed a few or more Osceola's with 1 3/8" spurs, And One with 1 1/2" & 1 5/8" spurs

[smalls]

James Dickson cites in his text studies that show spur length correlated to age.  Lovett also states the same in "Wild Turkey Hunting and Management".  He also uses the Gould's turkey as an example of genetics "selecting" against longer spurs.  And he mentions soil characteristics having an effect on sour length due to the abrasion basically grinding the spurs down.

So right there you have Age, Genetics, and Environment.  Because a spur is a bone, just like deer antlers, I think nutrition could play a hand in it as well.  You need proper nutrition to enable growth.  However, I think it only plays a small part in spur growth; otherwise, spurs would grow infinitely with the turkey.

Seeing as how you don't see any turkeys with 4" and 5" spurs, I think that's a pretty safe hypothesis.

But, I think Age, Genetics, Environment, and Nutrition play a role.  Depends on the subspecies as to what order.