1.5" spurs?

[JeffC]

Thanks Turkeyfool for the pictures and story, Congrats again on a fine Tom.

[Gooserbat]

This was my 37th season and I'm way past 100 birds.  I've never gotten more than 1 7/16"...done that twice. 

[Wvdanimal]

Everything is bigger in Florida in my experience.   For years every Osceola we took on the place had over 11" beard and 1 1/2" spurs were par for about average.   Somehow I've also managed a few that size in the WV mountains as well.  Either way, impressive when you take one with hooks like that anywhere.

[deerhunt1988]

Social media sure has created a lot of internet turkey biologists.

But back to the original topic. Extremely rare for true 1.5", like everyone else has said.  Have yet to hit it myself, can't seem to get past 1 3/8". I've made quite a few trips to Florida and see 1.25"+ there more often for sure.

I can only recall laying eyes on two true 1.5"+ on a dead turkey in front of me. Both were killed the same year, a couple days apart, in the rocky MO Ozarks.

[btodd00]

only one I have ever gotten

[dublelung]

Outside curve. 

And spur length does have something to do with age.   You can't pin point their age but you can eliminate jakes, two year olds and probably three year olds from the equation if you have a 1 1/2" spur.  I'd say the majority of 1 1/2" spurred turkeys are 4 years of age minimum.  I'm sure they're are a few exceptions

This is incorrect per turkey biologist like CHamberlin that have seen way more turkeys then me. No/Short spurs doesnt even mean its for sure a jake, the Drurys just shot one with full fan/full beard and it had little jake bumps for spurs.  Spur length has zero correlation to age even though folks really want it to!

Why does it bother you that folks measure spurs? I've been killing turkeys 40 years and been measuring spurs 40 years. Up until the past few years spurs were considered the gospel on aging gobblers. Yeah, recent research has proven that to be a myth but a long spur is still a long spur and it won't cause you lost sleep over what another man's gobbler measures.

[FLGobstopper]

Maybe common in an Osceaola?  But 1.5 spurs are no joke.  I have killed my share(Easterns) but they are few and far between!

I would not say common. Sharper spurred and hooked a lot of times, yes. I live in FL and killed my fair share and 1 3/8" is the mark I haven't yet broken. Killed a good amount of 1 1/4" but probably 1" to a little over is most common. My best was a long spur Eastern in other state and I got a really nice Rio as well a few years ago but one spur broke about 1/3 off.

[Tail Feathers]

A friend saw this post and reminded with photos of one he killed some years back.  1.5" spurs and a heckuva Rio.

A board member here just got one this morning with spurs bigger than 1.5".  I hope he will post up pics soon, it is a most impressive gobbler!

[ChesterCopperpot]

The one I killed up here in the North Carolina mountains last week one side is just a fuzz over 1.5" (probably 9/16) and one side is just a fuzz under (probably 7/16). And what's odd is that there's very little curve to them at all. Most the ones posted above are curved and thin as scythes. These were more like big, thick spearheads. The second I showed it to my buddy who's got 25 years age on me and probably 35 years more experience he said flat out I'd never kill another bird that good here at home again and I'd say he's right. I like the crazy curved ones better but honestly if this bird's hadn't been as thick as they were he'd have surely busted them off someplace.


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[tbowers]

Outside curve. 

And spur length does have something to do with age.   You can't pin point their age but you can eliminate jakes, two year olds and probably three year olds from the equation if you have a 1 1/2" spur.  I'd say the majority of 1 1/2" spurred turkeys are 4 years of age minimum.  I'm sure they're are a few exceptions

This is incorrect per turkey biologist like CHamberlin that have seen way more turkeys then me. No/Short spurs doesnt even mean its for sure a jake, the Drurys just shot one with full fan/full beard and it had little jake bumps for spurs.  Spur length has zero correlation to age even though folks really want it to!

Why does it bother you that folks measure spurs? I've been killing turkeys 40 years and been measuring spurs 40 years. Up until the past few years spurs were considered the gospel on aging gobblers. Yeah, recent research has proven that to be a myth but a long spur is still a long spur and it won't cause you lost sleep over what another man's gobbler measures.

Not bothered, but clarifying that spur length has nothing to do with age. Measure them all you want!!!!

[Howie g]

If they look over a inch ? I usually put a soft tape on them , but the true trophy when it comes to spring gobblers is the memory etched solid in your mind . IMO .  Saying this , I've been lucky enough to get a few with 1 1/2 or better . But they are few and far between for certain!

[ol bob]

For most you have a turkey of a life time. Enjoy!!

[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

[makestomstremble]

In 39 seasons I have only killed one bird that had 1.5" spurs. That is an incredible trophy, I am sure he was 4 years old at a minimum. I would imagine the best spur growth could be expected from the osceola and eastern strains, followed by the rio and lastly the merriams.

[Marc]

No doubt that 1.5" spurs are a trophy on any turkey!

Lots of factors in spur length: Age, genetics, diet, habitat, etc.

Spurs are not shed yearly, so the older the bird, the more likely he is to have longer spurs...  Just like people, traits are passed on to offspring genetically; if mamma and daddy have genetics for longer spurs, the offspring is more likely to have longer spurs.  Diet can certainly influence spur length as well, and it is my understanding that certain types of proteins can promote better and longer spur lenght.

Here in California in the rocky foothills, long spurs are rare...  They get chipped and knocked off on the rocks before they get very long, and anything over an inch is noteworthy.  I have killed some birds with squared-off spurs that were obviously recently knocked of, and over time these squared off tips will wear and become rounded.

The majority of birds I have killed were in taller grass, and I have not put eyes on the spurs...  Even in cattle country (where the grass is eaten shorted by cattle) the hill terrain often does not allow for a good view of their feet.  If I had several toms come into range, I will look for beard thickness and lenght, as I rarely get a peek at the spurs...  Pure luck if I harvest a bird with good spurs....