Can you age a turkey by it's spur length?

[Mossberg90MN]

Spur length is not a reliable way to age a turkey. Here is an example. These 3 birds are all from the same study and same area/habitat.

1st pic the tom had 1 1/4" spurs. Banded as a jake and was 3 years old.

2nd pic the tom had 1 1/8" spurs. Banded as a jake and was 6 years old.

3rd pic the tom had 1 1/4" & 1 3/8" spurs. Banded as a jake and was 7 years old. I believe the growth of this tom's one spur was affected by the band sitting on top of it. Most bands are resting on the turkey's foot, this one must have slipped above the spur somehow and got stuck up there. You can see the spur on the banded foot is a bit deformed as comparing it to the other one.

An interesting note was the 1st and 2nd picture birds were banded on the same day at the same trapping. They were in the same winter flock. Not only that, those two birds were killed within 100 yards of each other. One was killed 3 years later.

Very interesting.... Appreciate you doing your own study on this.

I have looked into this myself and from what I gather, it's seems that once a bird gets to about 3 years old, it's hard to really guess after that. Clearly from the examples you have shown, it seems to be the general consensus on using spurs to age them.


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[ChesterCopperpot]

The only advantage I could see to aging birds is maybe we could convince folks they really needed to pass on the two and three year olds, you know build that whole, "He would've really been something next year," culture like deer hunting has become, and then I can keep all those hard gobbling two year olds for myself


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[DMTJAGER]

Hope this uploads here is one of the spurs.
I can not say how many turkey spurs I've seen going to Deer & Turkey classics in IL, IN and WI but it's certainly close to if not almost certainly over 1000, my friend and I alone have over 80 sets and I do not recall ever seeing a set of spurs this big and definitely not any bigger.

Quite a trophy.

[ChesterCopperpot]

Hope this uploads here is one of the spurs.
I can not say how many turkey spurs I've seen going to Deer & Turkey classics in IL, IN and WI but it's certainly close to if not almost certainly over 1000, my friend and I alone have over 80 sets and I do not recall ever seeing a set of spurs this big and definitely not any bigger.

Quite a trophy.

Shoooo I'd have left him flopping till the rapture before I'd have reached down and tried to grab ahold of them legs!


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[DMTJAGER]

Spur length is not a reliable way to age a turkey. Here is an example. These 3 birds are all from the same study and same area/habitat.

1st pic the tom had 1 1/4" spurs. Banded as a jake and was 3 years old.

2nd pic the tom had 1 1/8" spurs. Banded as a jake and was 6 years old.

3rd pic the tom had 1 1/4" & 1 3/8" spurs. Banded as a jake and was 7 years old. I believe the growth of this tom's one spur was affected by the band sitting on top of it. Most bands are resting on the turkey's foot, this one must have slipped above the spur somehow and got stuck up there. You can see the spur on the banded foot is a bit deformed as comparing it to the other one.

An interesting note was the 1st and 2nd picture birds were banded on the same day at the same trapping. They were in the same winter flock. Not only that, those two birds were killed within 100 yards of each other. One was killed 3 years later.

Very interesting.... Appreciate you doing your own study on this.

I have looked into this myself and from what I gather, it's seems that once a bird gets to about 3 years old, it's hard to really guess after that. Clearly from the examples you have shown, it seems to be the general consensus on using spurs to age them.


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Greatest of thanks as well for educating me. I had no idea how to age a turkey and guessed correctly unless banded as a Jake they're was no other accurate way.

[Tail Feathers]

I notice none of these studies ever found a two year old tom with 1 7/8" spurs.  Just sayin'...

[ferocious calls]

Spur growth varies alot after they reach 3 years. Have studied hundreds of toms and tracked spur growth on my easterns. Jakes and 2 yr olds are easy, not so much after 3. Have 5 yr olds with 1.5" and a few a bit longer.

[Sir-diealot]

Hear is a chart used to gauge the age of a turkey, this is the most used method I have read in biology books on turkey. https://ohiodnr.gov/static/documents/wildlife/hunting-trapping/wild%20turkey%20aging%20and%20sexing%20guide.pdf

[ferocious calls]

A jake has a smaller speculum than an adult. The solid colored feathers on the wing.

[Mossberg90MN]

Hear is a chart used to gauge the age of a turkey, this is the most used method I have read in biology books on turkey. https://ohiodnr.gov/static/documents/wildlife/hunting-trapping/wild%20turkey%20aging%20and%20sexing%20guide.pdf

Cool chart


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[Kylongspur88]

I notice none of these studies ever found a two year old tom with 1 7/8" spurs.  Just sayin'...

Yep. I might not be able to tell if a bird is 3 or 4 but there's definitely a difference in 2 year olds and older birds.

[troutfisher13111]

Who cares


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[Number17]

Hear is a chart used to gauge the age of a turkey, this is the most used method I have read in biology books on turkey. https://ohiodnr.gov/static/documents/wildlife/hunting-trapping/wild%20turkey%20aging%20and%20sexing%20guide.pdf

I've never shot a mature gobbler with a beard under 9".
I've shot candy corn spur gobblers with beards over 10"
I've shot 1.25" spur gobblers with beards less than 10"

Some of that chart is factual, but some of it is just filler with no substance.

[ferocious calls]

Who cares


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I do.

[Tail Feathers]

I've never shot a mature gobbler with a beard under 9".
I've shot candy corn spur gobblers with beards over 10"
I've shot 1.25" spur gobblers with beards less than 10"

I've noticed over the years that some Eastern birds that I thought were younger had the best beards.  Length and paintbrush. 
I'm talking to the ones with 7/8 or 1" spurs that I felt may be two year olds.