Spur Collectors Turkey Tuesday!

[davisd9]

Since we are getting down to the wire for some of the members of the team let's throw up some pictures of past trophies.  Feel free to add any details you would like.  This should help gets us in the groove for the season.

[davisd9]

My first bird entered as a Spur Collector.  2011 was proving to be a tough season for me.  Had hunted hard with some opportunities that fell short this way or that way.  Was starting to question myself pretty tough as a hunter.  We had a late Easter in 2011 and Good Friday was very good to me.  Harvested this Tom late afternoon with a group of hens.  Felt like a ton of bricks came off my shoulders.  It was April 22, 2011.  He was 17.5 lbs with a 10.5" beard and 1 1/8" spurs for a score total of 61.  Not my biggest bird but one that I was super proud and happy to finally get on the ground after a tough, stressful season!



First Spur Collector Score Sheet:

[dirt road ninja]

Killed this one 20 + years ago. He is still one of my better birds.



This is my last one I shot in  May 2014.

[WNY Bowhunter]

Great birds guys!!!

Here in NY we only have a 2 bird limit so we don't get to kill as many as you southern boys do, but I am usually in on 4-6 kills every spring...

Here are a few of the more memorable hunts from the past few seasons:

2014:

My double bearded contest entry...



My wife's first longbeard...



Youth hunt = first bird of the year down at 6:00 AM on opening day...



2013:

My 19 lb "mistake jake"...



Redeemed myself with a nice gobbler...



Cousin's first turkey...



Dad's Indiana gobbler...

[WNY Bowhunter]

2012:

KY longbeard...



Tagged out in NY with a 8-9 year old banded gobbler, the oldest on record in the state...





Killed the consecutive banded numbered bird on the same farm in 2008...



2011:

Biggest bird to date: 22.5 lbs, 10 3/4" beard, 1 1/4" spurs...

[davisd9]

First out of state bird, my Mississippi gobbler I killed while hunting with Dirt Road Ninja in March of 2012.  Was a great opening weekend of hunting.  We called some jakes in and a pair of longbeards I over called to.  DRN killed a nice tom and we had a pile of jakes come put a whooping on his dead bird and put on one of the best turkey performances I have ever seen, at 5-10 yards at that.  We finally called this bird in after locating him in the even of the last day of my hunt.  Man, we hunted hard, and it was a sweet ending.  Cannot wait to make it back out there but life keeps jumping in the way.






My Tom with the longest set of spurs I have ever killed, 1 1/4".  Had a buddy hunting the farm with me and we did not hear a gobble all day.  Messed up in the morning on three birds that ran in on the same spot, think they were the same three.  Went back out about 3:00 pm and got set up in our spot about 3:45.  He made a yelp or two as we settled in.  I look to my left and a longbeard is at full run to us!  I say, "Jeff, longbeard!  Get your gun ready!" He replies, "my gun is still on the ground so you will have to shoot him.  Tell me when to cluck."  I tell him to cluck and the bird head stretches and boom, he is down for the count.  2012 was a great year!

[davisd9]

My wife's first longbeard...

That is awesome.  Hope my wife will go out with me a couple times. I got her tags this year when I got her license to dove hunt.  She will not shoot but hope she will at least come listen to the woods come alive with me.

[davisd9]

Tagged out in NY with a 8-9 year old banded gobbler, the oldest on record in the state...





Killed the consecutive banded numbered bird on the same farm in 2008...

I remember that brute.  Just amazing he was that old, especially with as harsh as the NY winters can be.  I use that bird in my arguments that spur length cannot truly determine age.  Best we can say is it is a jake, a two year old (by the amber in the beard), or three years old or better because of no amber.

[trkehunr93]

Texas turkeys 2010

Gobbler before-



Gobbler after-



TX jake-



Here's a super jake from 2009, he had a 6" beard-



Tarheel Gobbler from 2011, from the time he gobbled on the roost to the time I killed him wasn't 10 minutes.  He came in with a deathwish-

[WNY Bowhunter]

Few more...

2010:

Hunted this bird for six straight days before tagging him...



1 1/4" hooks...



Dad's overall biggest tom to date a few days later...



1 5/16" spurs...



2009:

Killed the "trail cam strutter"...









2008:

First kill with the new Browning...



Banded bird #1:

[Turkeykiller12]

The story that goes with these two birds from last season is something I will always remember. Hope to add a good bird to the tally this season.

[WNY Bowhunter]

Gobbler after-

Beautiful mount!!!

[WV Ridge Reaper]

Still at the taxi,bird 2 from lasts year


Bird 1

[WNY Bowhunter]

I remember that brute.  Just amazing he was that old, especially with as harsh as the NY winters can be.  I use that bird in my arguments that spur length cannot truly determine age.  Best we can say is it is a jake, a two year old (by the amber in the beard), or three years old or better because of no amber.

I've shown a few "old timer" turkey hunters the aging with the beard trick...

[davisd9]

I remember that brute.  Just amazing he was that old, especially with as harsh as the NY winters can be.  I use that bird in my arguments that spur length cannot truly determine age.  Best we can say is it is a jake, a two year old (by the amber in the beard), or three years old or better because of no amber.

I've shown a few "old timer" turkey hunters the aging with the beard trick...

That bird brought me to the opinion that spur length is not just determined by age, though age is a factor, but also through nutrition, environment, and genetics.  I was talking with someone yesterday about it and they swore that age was what determined spur length. I asked how long a 8 year old bird spurs would be, they said 1 7/8" minimum so I showed them your thread on this bird and asked how a birds with a recorded age of at least 8 only had 1.25" spurs.  All they could give me is that is what they have always been told.  I am not judging as I believed the same thing for the longest time, but I have had a few examples come up where I just cannot go along with that theory any longer.