1.5" spurs?

[cracker4112]

Nice one OP!  Congratulations.

I've been at it a while and 95% of my experience is south FL.  I'll say that 1.25" are pretty common down here, but true 1.5" cannot be considered common.  2" are really rare.  That said, they are out there, the ones in my avatar are 2.125" and 1.938".

[zelmo1]

I am primarily a Northeast hunter and 1.5" spurs are very rare here. I have hunted for over 20 years and my best spurs are 1.25" from the smallest Tom I ever shot. He also had the longest beard, 12". The average 2 year old here is approximately 19 pounds, 9" beard and .75" blunted spurs. These are averages in my areas only mind you but I am pretty sure most of New England is comparable. My 2 birds this year had 15/16th spurs and the other had 11/16th and 3/4 spurs.  Sharp spurs over an inch are trophies in my book. Anything 1.5" or better might go on my wall, I will cross that bridge if I ever get there, LOL. Great bird and I hope you get more brother, Al Baker

[Jstocks]

I've killed several with 1 5/8 spurs , it's a combination of several things , genetics---age- nutrition , my dad killed one with 1.75 , and a friend of mine killed one with 1.875 ...and we all hunt the same areas in central and south Florida..

To do it to need old ..old birds , and that's harder to come by these days then back in the 1980's to 1990's when there far less turkey hunters

I've seen examples of 2 year old Osceola's with 1 3/8 spurs , they were living in excellent habitat , and feeding on burns that are mineral rich ...had those gobblers hit 5 years old or older they would have hit 2 inches like the gobbler Lance Vincent killed that was a long standing NWTF record ...again Florida

Florida doesn't have a monopoly on long spurs you can get them elsewhere with luck

For my own education and curiosity.....how exactly did you know those birds were 2 year olds that you reference above?

Meaning what characteristics or traits did they have that helped you determine them to be 2 year olds?

[Old Gobbler]

I've killed several with 1 5/8 spurs , it's a combination of several things , genetics---age- nutrition , my dad killed one with 1.75 , and a friend of mine killed one with 1.875 ...and we all hunt the same areas in central and south Florida..

To do it to need old ..old birds , and that's harder to come by these days then back in the 1980's to 1990's when there far less turkey hunters

I've seen examples of 2 year old Osceola's with 1 3/8 spurs , they were living in excellent habitat , and feeding on burns that are mineral rich ...had those gobblers hit 5 years old or older they would have hit 2 inches like the gobbler Lance Vincent killed that was a long standing NWTF record ...again Florida

Florida doesn't have a monopoly on long spurs you can get them elsewhere with luck

For my own education and curiosity.....how exactly did you know those birds were 2 year olds that you reference above?

Meaning what characteristics or traits did they have that helped you determine them to be 2 year olds?

9 inch beards , with amber on the tips of the hair follicles like all the 2y/o we have here

[Jim K]

I'm a taxidermist and had a 15 year old hunter and his dad bring me a turkey opening day of our (PA) season. Spurs were 1 11/16". Seen pictures of spurs like that but never laid eyes on a pair. I told him it was all downhill from here. Lol

Congratulations to the OP. That's a dandy for sure.

[Cottonmouth]

I've hunted Mississippi for 35 yrs and the Midwest for 22 years and have 3 that touch the 1.5" mark. They are hard to come by.

[Cutt]

Congrats on a very rare bird indeed, as others have stated most 1.5 spurs are stretched a bit. I killed a nice bird this Friday in PA, and when I picked him up, I would have told you 1.5 spurs. But after getting him home and measuring them correctly they were 1 3/8, still a good bird. Only a 1/8-inch difference, but a very big 1/8-inch difference to reach the very rare 1 1/2-inch mark.

[WV Flopper]

 My buddy killed one last spring with 1 1/2"-1 5/8" spurs. He brought them to the house just so I could see, real deal! WV turkey.

There was a store up South Fork road at Rough run, Pendleton County WV. In the window beside the door this older than dirt guy had a matching set of 2"ers. Said it was a WV turkey. That was probably around 1996 I stopped in there, talked to that guy for a bit that day.

I have never killed a turkey with more than 1 3/8", a couple at 1 5/16 and a bunch at 1 1/4".

I do have a turkey that had 4 spurs, man that was a big bird. If I were to ever get one mounted that should have been the one. 25#, 10.5" beard and 4 spurs. One of the few sets I have not cut from the legs of the turkey, they are still intact on the leg.

Congrats to all that have found a long spurred turkey like that!

[Number17]

I have several that are 1 3/8 and 7/16, but last year I finally got a bona fide 1 1/2" set of Pennsylvania spurs

[RutnNStrutn]

Only 2 of my gobblers have had 1-1/2" spurs. One was a Michigan stud, the other was an Osceola. I've also been on turkey hunting websites for many years, and the guys don't kill that many 1-1/2"s. So I'd say it is uncommon and you got a fine bird. Congrats!!

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