• Help Support TNDeer:

Spur length vs age?

JAY B

JAY B

Well-Known Member
Joined
Jul 9, 2007
Messages
2,210
Reaction score
1,216
Location
Meigs Co.
Ok guys, I have always assumed that 3/4" spurs was a 2good yr old and 1"spurs put him at a 3 yr old! I am on the fence on the 7/8ths spurred birds, what age would you place on that bird?
 
My rule of thumb is sharp pointed 7/8" spurs gets 3 yr old nod and the more rounded blunt 7/8" spurs get 2 yr old nod. Remember that correlating length of spurs and age is not an exact science. See the link below for some sound biological data that was collected in Missouri back in the 1970s by Kelly. One thing to note is he had 19 old birds that were known to be 5+ years old and their spurs averaged 1.18" in length.

Spurs and Aging
 
I think my bird must have been a 3 year old. 7/8 inch slightly chipped on the left, 15/16 or I guess you could say 1 inch on the right. Sharp but not like a thorn. First longbeard so I'm new to aging turkeys. But I'm pretty sure he was 3.
 
Only personal limited observation, but I more or less discount length, because sharpness, IMO, trumps the need to be overly concerned about length, because it speaks for itself that as sharpness increases it is as a result of increasing length, and therefore age. In other words, if its cone shaped and not sharp its a 2 year old, if it has a sharp point its 3 and if its very sharp and started to curve its 4. I don't know beyond 4(the few, if any wild birds that are beyond 4). That's good old boy criteria, but I think a fairly accurate way to age them. Certainly a good enough way for us non-biologist types.
 
4onaside said:
Only personal limited observation, but I more or less discount length, because sharpness, IMO, trumps the need to be overly concerned about length, because it speaks for itself that as sharpness increases it is as a result of increasing length, and therefore age. In other words, if its cone shaped and not sharp its a 2 year old, if it has a sharp point its 3 and if its very sharp and started to curve its 4. I don't know beyond 4(the few, if any wild birds that are beyond 4). That's good old boy criteria, but I think a fairly accurate way to age them. Certainly a good enough way for us non-biologist types.
Click to expand...
x2
 
I hunted a Farm in 08 that had 9 jakes using the same ridge.Let them walk.The next year the same 2 year olds were tearing up the same ridge.Shot 4 the first two weeks and took a couple buds and killed 2 more.All these toms had 7/8 to 1 inch spurs.This was in clay and sand soil in west tn which may be different than the rocky hills east of here and 99.9 percent certain of the same birds from year before.
 
I copied this from another site because I thought it was relevant, educational and because I think it happens more than us hunters like to believe.

From a Louisiana Biologist: "I have seen a known age wild gobbler (caught as a jake, banded and released) that would have been a 3 year old bird by the beard and spur measurments. It was 9. I dont believe it is very accurate to age beyond 2 years. To me there are two age classes. Jake and Adult."

Here is the link. http://oldgobbler.com/Forum/index.php/t ... 12.15.html
 

Latest posts

Back
Top