Wife's First Turkey--Oldest Turkey Ever?

[gatrapper]

Hey Y'all,

Last Saturday my wife was able to shoot her first turkey. I have been seeing this bird in our pasture for a few weeks now. He is always limping and he is usually alone.

This bird popped out of the woods Saturday evening around 6:30 and it took about an hour for him to work his way into range.

The bird couldn't have weighed more than 15 pounds. His 1 1/4 and 1 1/2 inch spurs looked highly aged and he only had a 7 inch beard. When we went to breast him out, the meat was almost peanut butter in color and consistency.

How old do you think this bird is?

[Happy]

As old as he is gonna get! It's a hard call but spurs are deceiving on age. If I would guess I would say around 3-4 year old but it is purely a guess.

Sent from my SM-G800R4 using Tapatalk

[gatrapper]

I was thinking four, but this bird just doesn't look like a typical 4 year old bird.

[Happy]

Four is the number that seems right to me but short of a birth certificate it impossible to prove. Some claim to be able to tell from the roost bone but I have yet to see a solid way to age a bird once they get past two. Congrats to you both by the way.

Sent from my SM-G800R4 using Tapatalk

[spaightlabs]

Only way to age a bird with certainty is if it was banded.

Tree Rooster on here has harvested some 6 and 7 year olds if I recall correctly.

If spur and beard length were a true indicator those birds woulda had 4 inch spurs and 20 inch beards.   

How'd ya get the little lady to wear poo face makeup?     Facemasks work pretty good...

Congrats to her on a nice, but not the oldest ever, bird.

[gatrapper]

Our only option was to setup in a blind. The field is surrounded with a barbed wire fence and the grass is shorter than your lawn haha. She prefers the face paint versus a mask too.

[tha bugman]

Congrats to your Boss Hen on getting it done!

[Wrangler95]

Very nice gobbler,congrats!!

[TauntoHawk]

old probably, without a band on his leg there's no way to tell but I think birds can be older than some think. I know of a 2 banded bird that were shot at 7yrs and 8yrs old with not much more than beat up 1 1/4 spurs with fat bases but field aging those birds anyone I know wouldn't have gone higher than say 4yrs old

[renegade19]

 

[jv]

No matter how old it is its a pretty bird, congratulations to her.

[Cottonmouth]

Hard to guess but a trophy for sure. Those old birds are tough to kill. Didn't get old being dumb. Give her a pat on the back for me.

[Tail Feathers]

Hard to say the age with any certainty, but congrats to her on taking a wary old warrior bird.

[Lucky_Strutter]

Awesome, congrats!

[Dr Juice]

Congrats. He was a 4-yr old IMO.