What is the Oldest Tom You Have Known?

[tlh2865]

I have a history with a certain bird, and based on camera pictures recently I am hoping that we get to go at it agin in a few weeks. This bird was at least 3 years old when I first got pictures of him 4 years ago. Anybody ever had a bird that they knew was old, and had an idea of how old he actually was?

[GobbleNut]

The only birds that I was positive of their (minimum) age were turkeys that were banded (wing bands) as part of a study in the area I hunt.  I think the last banded turkey I saw was seven or eight years after they were banded as I recall.  I'm sure they were banded as adults, but I have no idea how old they might have been when they were captured to start with.  That was back in the 1980's. 

I am fully confident that there are turkeys running around just about everywhere they exist that live to be eight or ten years old pretty regularly. 

[Gentry]

I have a history with a certain bird, and based on camera pictures recently I am hoping that we get to go at it agin in a few weeks. This bird was at least 3 years old when I first got pictures of him 4 years ago. Anybody ever had a bird that they knew was old, and had an idea of how old he actually was?

How do you know that it's the same turkey?


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[hotspur]

8 years estimated, Ihhaven't seen him in his tree this year but I haven't looked . ole tight lip lives behind my buddies house  but

[Greg Massey]

I don't necessarily judge the age of turkeys, but i think the oldest i have encountered was 3 or 4 year old , i would think 4 is really pushing it .. Think about it , most of the time we all kill 2 year old birds. 2 year old bird will almost always weigh more than older birds in my area. I think breeding active plays big part in his weight.

[Tom007]

Great thread. Maybe you guys can let me know how old this guy was. In early 2000's, I harvested this NJ Gobbler. Very unique hunt, started him at 7:00 am, got him at 10:00 am. He had a very weird gobble, kinda of Jake like, high pitched. Very reluctant to show himself, I chased him 1/2  mile or so, repositioning several times. Finally, I got him to 30 yards. He weighed 22 pounds, the picture shows the beard and spurs. His feet were very prehistoric, crusty looking. His waddle has that brown spot. He looked different than any Gobbler I have ever seen. I welcome the forums thoughts on his age, thanks.... be safe

[bossgobbler]

We have a bird here at home that I named Tom Whitehead. I believe him to be 7-8 years old this year. The first year we had him here he was 4 at a minimum I think. He had long 1.25-1.5 spurs with a nice hook to them. When we first got to know him he had a solid white head at all times of day whether he was strutting, relaxing, feeding, standing in the rain or sunshine. I've never seen another turkey like him. Maybe someone here might know why he was like that. There was no other color variation whatsoever. It was a solid pale white. He also has solid pink spurs. He has a very distinctive beard that has a certain kink to it. It's long and thin and has a bend in it. I have no doubt it's the same turkey. They live here year round day after day. We watch them very closely. He is the only turkey I know of for sure that is 7-8. There are a couple others here that are a minimum of 5-6. This is an interesting thread. I like it.

[Tom007]

Wow, interesting....

[wvmntnhick]

His name is Tom Shone. He used to come in with my uncle to bow hunt our farm every year during the last week of October. Haven't seen him in years. I guess he's still alive. Gotta be in his late 60's I'd imagine. Maybe older.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Greg Massey]

Great thread. Maybe you guys can let me know how old this guy was. In early 2000's, I harvested this NJ Gobbler. Very unique hunt, started him at 7:00 am, got him at 10:00 am. He had a very weird gobble, kinda of Jake like, high pitched. Very reluctant to show himself, I chased him 1/2  mile or so, repositioning several times. Finally, I got him to 30 yards. He weighed 22 pounds, the picture shows the beard and spurs. His feet were very prehistoric, crusty looking. His waddle has that brown spot. He looked different than any Gobbler I have ever seen. I welcome the forums thoughts on his age, thanks.... be safe

I think this bird had some kind of fungus, like gobblers have beard rot...

[Tom007]

Thanks Greg. He was a weird bird...... but he gave me a thrilling hunt.... be safe

[Greg Massey]

Thanks Greg. He was a weird bird...... but he gave me a thrilling hunt.... be safe

From the picture's he sure was ..Did you eat the bird ? How did he look after dressing him ?

[Sixes]

I killed one in the 4th or 5th year we hunted him and he seemed to be the mature gobbler on the property during the first year we hunted him, so I don't know how old he could have been.

The reason that I know he was the same bird was he stayed in the same area to roost the whole time and he had a very unique gobble. He was nicknamed the clacker because his gobble was like  clicking noise.

It started out normal then ticked down. It was odd but he kept the others quiet. About 3 days after I killed him, the woods were wide open with gobbles and in years past, you might hear one other bird gobble until clacker  started and then they would shut up.

[Tom007]

The breasts were fine, I am still alive. The funny thing, he did not have a lot of that yellow fat like those bruisers do. But the meat was fine. Thx

[tlh2865]

I have a history with a certain bird, and based on camera pictures recently I am hoping that we get to go at it agin in a few weeks. This bird was at least 3 years old when I first got pictures of him 4 years ago. Anybody ever had a bird that they knew was old, and had an idea of how old he actually was?

How do you know that it's the same turkey?

He has a very distinct Beard that has allowed me to identify him since I first saw him. Far and away longer than any other bird I've seen personally, and with a very unique form. It comes off his chest and then curves back towards his body in a wide arc.
Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk