Spurs or beard?

[SWAMPFOX]

Definetely spurs. I hope to do battle with a particularly longspurred warrior at farm I've tangled with once or twice for three years. I only know him by his hooks and he is not your average 2-3 yro.

[Clay]

a big rope beard sure gets my hear pumping, but spurs are definately the ticket, although I rarely know what I have there until he's on the ground... 

[turkeywhisperer]

I generally look for the thick, full paintbrus of a beard.  I usually cant tell anything about the spurs until they are on the ground...

[MO3TOE]

For me.... I love BIG spurs!!!

[timbrhuntr]

You tell me!

This one?



This one?



Or maybe this one?



Okay then this one !

[jblackburn]

timbrhuntr, I see you have a problem.  Just too many awesome gobblers to choose from.  I will do the only responsible thing there is and volunteer to help you out by thinning them down!



Great birds!

[redleg06]

I LOVE a paint brush beard swinging the ground but man....it's so nice to ground check one and find a big ol pair of hooks.

I guess if i HAD to choose one or the other, I'd go Hooks.

[redleg06]

A full fan and longbeard qualify for getting ready for a shot. I admit having choosen a bird by beard size when several have approached before. I've also switched off and shot the closer but smaller bird because I sensed I was about to end up empty handed if I remained greedy. I've shot those subordinate toms on multiple occasions, you know, the one's that come in like strung out crack heads with binos strapped on their heads while the dominant bird brings up the rear strutting his stuff. Those crack head bino birds have busted up more than one hunt for me so they are at times preferred. Other than that, I can honestly say I've never been able to see spurs while hunting and trying to choose which bird to shoot, those glorious but infrequent times when works out that way. I've always said "The spurs are the pearl you find when you are standing on a toms neck."

100% agree.

If given the chance, I'll try to pick out the big beard when a group walks in together but if a group of mature birds are standing together, it's usually the first one that presents the best shot... especially early in the season when I'm needing to pull the trigger.

[wbpc]

Love the spurs!

[tyelper]

full fan for me after i see he is a mature tom then i look at beard and hooks after he is flopping!!!

[coyotetrpr]

I look at the beard when they are coming in, but I get more excited by big old spurs.

[FttFttVroom!]

Full fan, then beard....after shot, I check the spurs

[TNTOM]

Full fan and check the goods after he's down.  I'm a spur guy if I have to pick. 

[MarkJM]

Honestly, my biggest concern is a full fan (not a jake).  I have never focused on a bird's spurs or beard when getting ready to pull the trigger. 

That being said, I LOVE hooks!!  But, I also love a long paint brush beard!

I really just love turkey hunting!

i'm with blackburn, I do like a nice full fan

[HOOKS1]

Yep. HOOKS are 1st.