Fan Diameter for Aging

[Turkeyman]

Recently, I read elsewhere whereas a turkey's fan diameter is the best way to determine age. Quite frankly, I've never measured them but I'm from Missouri (figuratively) on this one. My thinking is that a gobbler's overall body size and fan diameter would go hand in hand, regardless of age. Does anybody have data to support this?

[Tail Feathers]

I don't know if the measurement is an indicator of age, but I've heard that the black band near the outer edge is somewhat of an age indicator. 
I've been told a 2 year old bird doesn't have the full band, it fades out before closing in the middle.
Not to hijack, but has anyone else ever heard this?

[Happy]

I have killed two year old birds that had full bands. Still had amber on the beard tips. I killed an older bird this year with 1.25" spurs and he has one or two feathers without the black band in the center of his fan. Compared to a 2 year old fan it is noticeably larger. Coincidence? I don't honestly know.

[Tommy Strutsalot]

All I know is the guy who I heard that from and likely you heard that from, "Fullfan", is basically a turkey himself so I believe him.  After reading that originally, I went around measuring all of my tailfans, and I do buy it that there's a correlation.  I find that there are too many factors that impact beard and spur length to rely on them across the board.  This is strictly hot air, but to me the diameter of the tailfan would be the only feature that one could measure that couldn't arguably be impacted various environmental conditions, therefore assuming they grow at a predictable rate it would be the most reliable way to age the bird. 

[stinkpickle]

I think it's all nonsense.  Only the 2+ year old toms with bands on their legs can be accurately aged.

[jblackburn]

I don't think so. I also think it's subspecies determined. I've killed long spurred Rios in OK and KS with very small fans compared to two year old (3/4-7/8 spurred) birds from Missouri. Nutrition is likely a factor with feather length, but I'm not a biologist.

[BowBendr]

Not sure what I think about this. I killed 2 toms this year that were located 1300 miles from each other. Both were heavy, both had long beards, both had spurs over an inch. Neither had any amber tips on their beards. One bird had the smallest full fan I'd ever seen personally.


2015 Old Gobbler contest Champions

[TauntoHawk]

If you shoot one that doesn't have any teeth left, then he's old enough to shoot.


jokes aside there's no 100% way to age turkeys, only make assumptions. We can try and make some sure fire way to create levels of trophy status but really there's just jakes, toms, and bigger toms and you go hunt the ones that make you happy.

[derek]

I don't think fan diameter has anything to do with it. 

I've noticed certain areas just have smaller fans, despite the age of the gobbler.  Those birds also have shorter beards on average but I'm not sure that's related.  I would guess it depends on where the population derived from and what genetics came with.  I've theoried that its an adaptation to habitat - i.e. a Mountain bird may need the longer tail feathers to be able to glide the distances they do, where a flat land bird doesn't. 

[Fullfan]

Heck after this season I'm not sure which way to go. Son killed a bird here in Pa, bird weighed 17 pounds had a great beard and 1 1/2 daggers. The fan measured at 30" Week later the daughter killed a gobbler 20+ pounds great beard with 1 3/8 daggers. Her bird had a fan that measured 31 3/4".  Both birds were killed within 3 miles of each other living in the same habitat and terrain.  I have 37 fans that I have kept and dried, all eastern from Missouri, Ohio, New York and PA.
Most are from 28-30" range. And several of them had 1 1/4 and 1 3/8 spurs. One was killed within 100 yed of where my son shot his this year. And it had 1 1/2" spurs.

I am thinking the only true way to know a gobblers age is, A being a Jake, Or B having a band that was placed on him the year it was a Jake..

I was told by a Turkey biologist many years ago, the fan measurement on a mature gobbler is the best way to age a turkey. At that time he did mention the size and age correlation, But I don't remember things that do not seem important..

[jblackburn]

Heck after this season I'm not sure which way to go. Son killed a bird here in Pa, bird weighed 17 pounds had a great beard and 1 1/2 daggers. The fan measured at 30" Week later the daughter killed a gobbler 20+ pounds great beard with 1 3/8 daggers. Her bird had a fan that measured 31 3/4".  Both birds were killed within 3 miles of each other living in the same habitat and terrain.  I have 37 fans that I have kept and dried, all eastern from Missouri, Ohio, New York and PA.
Most are from 28-30" range. And several of them had 1 1/4 and 1 3/8 spurs. One was killed within 100 yed of where my son shot his this year. And it had 1 1/2" spurs.

I am thinking the only true way to know a gobblers age is, A being a Jake, Or B having a band that was placed on him the year it was a Jake..

I was told by a Turkey biologist many years ago, the fan measurement on a mature gobbler is the best way to age a turkey. At that time he did mention the size and age correlation, But I don't remember things that do not seem important..

If that's the case, they likely have a statistical formula that ages birds based on fan diameter that is able to denote differences based on a 28 inch vs. 29 inch vs. 30 inch fans. Perhaps feathers get slightly longer with each year's molt.  As someone who works with statistics nearly everyday I don't think these differences would be great enough for you or I, as turkey hunters, to tell the differences.

Personally, I think a full fan is the only real measurement needed, spurs and beards are bonuses after the shot for me.  But, I've killed my fair share of jakes and if I get in a funk again I'll kill another! 

[larry9988]

I think it has more to do with the size of the bird. I killed a turkey with 10" beard, 1 1/4" spurs this year that only weighed 17 pounds. He was obviously small for his age if you go by spur length as an indicator of age. When I compared his leg length to a bird I had gotten earlier in the season, his legs were 1 1/2" shorter. He was just a smaller bird genetically, I think. The heaviest bird I have ever taken weighed 23 pounds and was only a two year old with 7/8" spurs and a 9" beard if that is an indicator of age as we have always thought. Most of the turkeys I have killed weighed from 17-20 lbs, so 23 is big for me here in Georgia.
I have also killed birds with 1 1/2" spurs that weighed as little as 17 pounds. Time of kill during our long season has an effect on body weight as birds spend so much time strutting instead of feeding. So I guess what i am trying to say is I thinks turkeys just come in several different sizes genetically and that effects the size of the fan along with other bodily dimensions. Just an opinion and not scientifically proven based on 30 years of turkey hunting and working in the taxidermy business mounting fans for almost that many years. I will start paying closer attention at banding and tail size as it relates to beard and spur length. I would like two hear more about this as I am always wanting to learn more about the birds I love to see and hunt.

[Jacobson]

Most birds we kill here in Wisconsin are 25" and 26" across. One shot last year that was 30" and one this year was 30" the birds were 25# and 26-1/2# with 1-1/2 and 1-3/8" spurs. So this tells me that the older the bird the bigger he has an opportunity to grow. Just like I have not seen long spurs on a young gobbler, I have also not seen a large diameter fan on a young bird. 

[Happy]

Honestly I am happy not knowing exactly how old a gobbler is. Turkey hunting is already becoming more like deer hunting every year. Full fan= dead turkey in my book.

[Swamprunner]

Honestly I am happy not knowing exactly how old a gobbler is. Turkey hunting is already becoming more like deer hunting every year. Full fan= dead turkey in my book.

No kidding.  Do you not know older people who are shorter than 20 year olds? or fatter? or uglier?  Turkeys have genetics that make them what they are.  Enjoy the gobbling and strutting, and shoot the full fanned ones.  Next, throw em over your shoulder and tote em out.  Repeat.