Short spurs

[Meleagris gallopavo]

I've been hunting turkeys in eastern NC and VA and it seems every bird my son and I kill has spurs 1" or less.  We have killed one with 1.25" spurs.  Is it the genetics of where we hunt or do we just kill young Toms?

[howl]

I would like to tell you but I never measure turkeys on account of you can't measure the grandeur of a wild turkey gobbler. Either you beat him or he beats you. Rulers can't show that.

[dejake]

What length beards?

[Meleagris gallopavo]

8-12" typically.  My son lilled one last year that had an 11.5" beard, weighed almost 25 lbs, and had 1" spurs.

[Happy]

My personal belief is it genetics and where they live. I know where I typically hunt anything over an inch is pretty good and i am not talking 2 year old birds. Now I can kill a 2 year old down off the mountains and he will have better spurs than a 3 year old plus bird in most circumstances.

[fallhnt]

I found that measuring spurs from the front of the leg has a direct correlation to length.

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[Tom007]

The only thing that I see with this in NJ is the birds I get in the big woods mountain ESS, rocky ridge area, the spurs are smaller. I have been told that the rocky terrain affects this. The birds I get in the farm areas of NJ have the bigger spurs over an inch. I am by no means a biologist, but I definitely notice this trend on the birds I take in NJ, and also NY. Hope this is helpful....

[Gobble!]

I've been hunting turkeys in eastern NC and VA and it seems every bird my son and I kill has spurs 1" or less.  We have killed one with 1.25" spurs.  Is it the genetics of where we hunt or do we just kill young Toms?

How many dead birds between you too? Whats the area you're hunting like? I'd assume flat land an agriculture fields would produce some solid spurs.

[Greg Massey]

My personal belief is it genetics and where they live. I know where I typically hunt anything over an inch is pretty good and i am not talking 2 year old birds. Now I can kill a 2 year old down off the mountains and he will have better spurs than a 3 year old plus bird in most circumstances.

x2 .. this right here , habitat plays big part in the growth of the turkeys

[Brian Fahs]

How much pressure in your immediate area? Are birds living to be old there?

[Tom007]

You guys are correct. The farm areas that I hunt have great spurs. The mountain ridge big woods birds where I primarily hunt have the rounded, shorter spurs, even the older 3 plus gobblers....

[WildTigerTrout]

I think it has a lot to do with where they live.  I hunt these mountain and ridge birds of NC Pennsylvania and the longest spurs I have are 1 3/8" and they were far from needle sharp. This bird was the boss too! In fact that's him in my avatar!

[Pluffmud]

Most of the birds I've killed have had around 1" spurs and 8 - 10" beards. My buddy shot one on my property that was near 30 lbs, had an 11.5" beard, and ZERO spurs. NONE. He had a scale where the spurs should have been. He didn't let that stop his snood from swinging low though... He came into my strutter decoy displaying dominance and went to town on it, kicking with his imaginary spurs lol. But, like others have said, any gobbler is a good gobbler. The one I shot the other day had an 8.5" beard with 1" spurs. Not the most impressive, but given the circumstances I'm more proud of that bird than any bird I've shot yet.

[ferocious calls]

Feed,terrain and genetics being equal, an early hatched Tom say May 1st will sport better spurs than a Late hatched Tom say july 4th for its entire life. Ubetcha. I have studied this in my personal flock for 5 years now. I have several 5 yr olds banded just to follow spur growth.
Beards unfortunately get abused by the hens and the frequent fights with each other in the pens.

[WildSpur]

Just my opinion: 

alot of birds harvested are loud-mouthed 2 year olds.  As mentioned, area can play a part.   If in rocky country spurs definitely get rounded off.  So will their toe nails.  I wouldn't expect great beard length either. 

If you are fortunate to harvest a bird with an 11"+ beard and the spurs are shorter and/or rounded..you shot a good 2 year old or a bird young enough that rocks and ice did not beat up his spurs and beard. 

My best birds weight and beard wise were definitely 2 year old birds.  My suspected 3+ birds (spur wise) have had shorter beards and I feel weighted slightly less. 

My experience is rocky big woods and/compared to suburbs. 

So from where you say you live--yoy guys are getting alot of 2 year olds with a 4+ in the mix. 


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