Long Spurs, are they rarer than we think?

[mgm1955]

I think spur length is similar to any other trait that you would want to discuss. The individual has a genetic potential that will allow a certain trait to be expressed. The amount that this trait is expressed is determined by other factors. Nutrition, environment, disease, etc. will effect the degree to which the genetic potential is ultimately realized.

[davisd9]

A bird I killed in 2013:

[RemingtonRules]

My thoughts:

Age Yes
Genetics Possible

Nutrition No
Environment No

If everything was fully understood we would have nothing to talk about. 

Davisd9, That would qualify as a juvy in my record book.  Early hatch boyd.

[davisd9]

My thoughts:

Age Yes
Genetics Possible

Nutrition No
Environment No

If everything was fully understood we would have nothing to talk about. 

Davisd9, That would qualify as a juvy in my record book.  Early hatch boyd.

I believed it to be a late hatched bird from a hen who lost a nest or was bred late, say 21-24 months old, but I can honestly see that argument for early and late hatched. I am honestly not sure, haha.


Sent from the Strut Zone

[Hook hanger]

In MO i have seen plenty of long spurs shot. I have also shot birds in KS with 1.5" spurs. I would Have to guess part is in region you hunt and species. I dont call a spur long unless its 1.5" or longer. I have seen 2" spured bird get shot and my largest is 1.75" both were easterns. Last year I shot 2 birds that had 1.5" spurs they are pretty regular occurance around my area. Most hunters around me have at least shot birds with 1.5" or larger spurs. 1 1/8-1 3/8 spurs are regular in my opinion unless its just one of the dumb 2yr old birds with 7-9" beard those will be 3/4"or 7/8" spurs on average. maybe my area they are just less pressured and are able to grow old and long spurs either way i do believe genetics has a part to play in it.

[Marc]

I am hunting the foothills in Central California, and cut my teeth in the foothills in the Sacramento valley...

Our birds for the most part are considered Rio's, and I know of nobody that has killed spurs much longer than 1 inch...  I have been told that the reason for this is that the country we hunt them in, is rocky, and the those spurs get chipped or knocked off before they can reach any length.

I killed a bird with just under a 12 inch beard, and the spurs were still less than 1 inch...  My longest spurs have only been just at 1 inch, which is considered pretty good for our area.

I have always been a bit jealous of others who have access to such long-spurred birds...  I have always wondered about Rio's and average spur length as compared to easterns as well...

We get some nice looking beards on our birds, but we certainly do not get those spurs...

[mudhen]

Our group has 500+- worth of male turkeys to research...

We have 4-5 full fan toms with zero spurs, no trace of a spur, the spur scale not visible...

We gave 7-8 super jakes, full fan except for the outer end fan feather or two....

We have maybe 10 toms with at least one 1.5" spur...5-6 had both spurs at 1.5"....

40-45% are clearly Terrible Twos...candy corn spurs...

The rest are most likely 3-4 years old, pointed, about 1", not much curve...

And a couple of dozen 1.25" curved hooks birds that could be anywhere from 3-5+-.....

We think you can only be fairly sure of a few things, and sure is probably not the right word:

Any tom needs to have a full fan...

A sharp spur point in the 1" range means 3+...

Under an inch & rounded, probably a Terrible Two...

I know lots of guys get those 1.5", but I think it's pretty rare....



Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[nativeks]

I've shot 2 that were 1.5". First bird my brother ever shot was an 1 9/16" beast. After telling him that was the bird of a lifetime he killed another of equal size a few years later. These rio/eastern hybrids round here pack some Spurs.

[RutnNStrutn]

I'm certain that genetics play a role in spur length, as they do in any features of any animal. Just like Guess Who's multiple multi-bearded gobblers. He has a few areas he hunts that he harvests a lot of multi-beards out of. That has to be genetics.
I am far from an expert. This is a great topic, and I wish Lovett was still around to put in his worth. I do know two things for sure though.
Florida is known for long spurs, and most of my gobblers are Osceolas. I've killed many 2 & 3 year old Osceolas that had longer spurs than an Eastern, Rio or Merriams of the same age would have. I've killed a lot of Osceolas that have long sharp spurs, many of them limbhangers, when my Easterns, Rios and Merriams haven't had the quality of spurs to match that.
I've only killed 40 turkeys, but two of them had twin 1-1/2" spurs each. One was an Osceola, and the other was a Michigan Eastern.
So what do those two facts mean? Beats me!!! But I think genetics play a factor, and I think Osceolas grow longer spurs. Who knows? I could be wrong.

[Hooksfan]

 I believe the region of the country has a big impact on the chances of killing a really long spurred turkey.
I have a string of spurs that have to be 1.25" or better to make the cut. I usually have to kill 10 or 11 to get one to add to the string. My longest was 1 15/16" and I killed it the first year I moved to Missouri. Two years ago, I called in one for my brother that was pretty much identical. Now we argue over who has killed the bigger bird.

[Blong]

 

I believe the region of the country has a big impact on the chances of killing a really long spurred turkey.
I have a string of spurs that have to be 1.25" or better to make the cut. I usually have to kill 10 or 11 to get one to add to the string. My longest was 1 15/16" and I killed it the first year I moved to Missouri. Two years ago, I called in one for my brother that was pretty much identical. Now we argue over who has killed the bigger bird.

lets see a pic of those daggers!

[wvboy]

I agree.. a combination of Genetics, Terrain, and nutrition.. just like a deer ..

I typically find that two year olds weigh more than a three plus year old gobbler because of less breeding activity.

[TauntoHawk]

The long spurs continue to elude me, I've killed a double beard that had 1-1/8th and I've killed two mega weight birds (for our area) that had chipped broken spurs. Think my largest spurs is still 1-3/16

I've called in better birds for others but when I pull the trigger they never seem to be limb hangers.

I can say thing, my first one that hits that 1.5 mark is going straight to the taxi

[Uncle Tom]

Killed one couple years ago in central N.C. had 1 5/8" & 1 9/16" with 11 1/2" beard and I know he walked same ground the year before...saw him year before at 10 yds on my wrong side and gave me the slip. Watched how big, tall he was for least 5 minutes and those spurs looked like 20 penny nails hanging off back....will never forget it. Like looking at a monster buck at a few yards and seems like they are so much bigger than real life. Next year about mid season when hens were going to nest about 11:00 one morning he was following behind and walked right into my set up and game over. Believe they have to be hunted less, get some age on them, and have good gene pool to get to be a true limbhanger. Just like bucks, they are out there but few and far between.

[Hooksfan]

I believe the region of the country has a big impact on the chances of killing a really long spurred turkey.
I have a string of spurs that have to be 1.25" or better to make the cut. I usually have to kill 10 or 11 to get one to add to the string. My longest was 1 15/16" and I killed it the first year I moved to Missouri. Two years ago, I called in one for my brother that was pretty much identical. Now we argue over who has killed the bigger bird.

lets see a pic of those daggers!

I tried and I couldn't do it through the site. Let me try to do it through photobucket, but I ain't real computer savvy.