Passing on 2 year Turkey?

[WAGinVA]

Any mature gobbler (2 yo or more) is a trophy.

[bonasa]

When you guys Turkey hunting will you try and pass on a Turkey you believe to be 2 years old and wait and pray at 3 plus Turkey comes around?

I just feel Turkey hunting isn't easy, and take that first legal bird that comes in.

What are your thought?

A lot of good info on this board to shorten your learning curve in this game. At this point in your turkey hunting career the least of your concerns should be the size of the spurs/beard your bird sports. Read up, ask away and hunt smarter not harder.

[fadetoblack188]

I am new to the game. I don't know. I am just a deer hunter gone Turkey hunter now.  I shot my first bird Tuesday morning .

[Swenny]

A full fan gets the hammer regardless of beard or spur length for me.

X2

Ditto

Sent from my SM-G986U using Tapatalk

[fadetoblack188]

My first bird Tuesday morning

[RutnNStrutn]

Full fan or long beard, and I shoot.

Sent from deep in the woods where the critters roam.

[budtripp]

Good god, please don't bring trophy hunting into turkey hunting. Full fans get shot. Maybe even a jake under the right circumstances

[richard black]

A full fan and a good ethical shot. No jakes.

[quavers59]

   2 year old Gobblers make even a newbie a " worldbeater"!
    Swat him-- that 2 year old is a Trophy.

[g8rvet]

Full fan for me, in almost all cases.   I have shot a jake that gobbled hard, ran off a mature bird and strutted his way in to me. I don't know, the devil made me do it-I was shocked when he turned sideways and had a 4" beard.  I passed three slam dunk jakes this year, one was strutting like a maniac with four hens around him.  I shot him-with my iPhone video camera!  lol 

I had all intentions of shooting a jake in the fall with my m/l but he never offered a clean shot. I passed on the boss hen. 

I have had shot opportunities on bearded hen twice and did not shoot either time. 

[BigSlam51]

I'm shooting the first full fan longbeard that offers me a shot. I don't shoot jakes or bearded hens. I've had a few opportunities at bearded hens and I just can't kill a egg layer, plus they don't have spurs, I like spurs

Sent from my SM-N975U using Tapatalk

[fadetoblack188]

What classifies a full fan? Is my bird a full fan?

[guesswho]

What classifies a full fan? Is my bird a full fan?

Yes, yours is full.  Jakes will have longer center feathers.

[Paulmyr]

What classifies a full fan? Is my bird a full fan?

Yes yours is a full fan. jakes will have longer feathers in the center of the fan compared to the outside. They molt from the center out.

[roosterstraw]

What classifies a full fan? Is my bird a full fan?

Yeah, it has a full fan. For me I go by the beard and fan. I don't shoot jakes and couldn't tell you the difference between a 2 yr old bird and a 5 year old bird.