Question about spurs

[meatmuzzy]

I noticed on the Tom I shot that his spurs were a cream/white color fading to black on the tip.  Has anyone seen this before?  Is that any indication of age?  They were 7/8" but this bird was one of three that never broke strut and appeared to be the dominant bird.  I will post a pic when I can.

[WNY Bowhunter]

Spurs tend to range in color from solid black to brown to gray.  I've killed a few that were clear colored with black tips. They're my favorites.

 

Some examples of color variations in my area...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited May 7, 2013 by WNY Bowhunter

[WNY Bowhunter]

I would say that your gobbler was most likely a two year old.

 

If you are undecided about a turkey's age...hold it's beard over a light source you can instantly tell whether he is two years old or if he's 3 years plus. On a jake, the tips of the beard strands will have a distinct orange-amber color to them due to a lack of melanin. At two years old, the beard hasn't grown long enough yet to wear these "jake tips" off and they still show the orange coloration. By the time he is three years old, a gobbler has grown over 15" beard and these amber tips will have broken off. Thus, a turkey with a 10" beard with orange tips is a two year old. If you have a 10" beard where the tips are jet black when viewed over a light...he is at least three years old. This may sound like a load of BS (I didn't make it up) but it you candle the beards of a bird with 1.25" spurs versus one with 3/4" spurs the contrast is extremely evident.         

 

 

The beard on the left from a turkey I killed last spring (10 3/8" beard & 7/8" spurs). Notice all of the orange coloration on the tips = 2 year old.
The beard on the right is from another bird. He had 1.25" spurs and was definately 3-4 years old. Notice there is no orange tint at all beacuse his beard has had an extra year to grow and the intitial "jake tip" portion of his beard has been worn off.         

[meatmuzzy]

Damn you shoot some big spurred birds bro!  Thanks for that info Im going to check the beard out later.

[WNY Bowhunter]

Damn you shoot some big spurred birds bro!  Thanks for that info Im going to check the beard out later.

 

I didn't shoot all of them...a few are from family members too.  They're not all this big; I just don't take pics of the smaller ones...lol.

[josephmrtn]

LOL nice nice!!

[meatmuzzy]

spot on about the orange tips....mine was a 2 year old.  Thanks for that tip!

[josephmrtn]

mine was 2... thanks for the tip

[Water Rat]

Spurs tend to range in color from solid black to brown to gray.  I've killed a few that were clear colored with black tips. They're my favorites.

 

Some examples of color variations in my area...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

With the risk of sounding ignorant , is that a photo of a banded turkey released by the DEC at one point. That's pretty cool.

[hunter49]

     Good info. thanks,  Nice birds!

[josephmrtn]

With the risk of sounding ignorant , is that a photo of a banded turkey released by the DEC at one point. That's pretty cool.

If I remember correctly it was one done by Penn State that he shot and also his bro or friend shot one on the next farm over...

(if I remember right) I think there was a thread on it sometime ago

[Fantail]

Turkey Porn Detected.

[WNY Bowhunter]

I've killed two banded birds...one in 2008 and the other in 2012 (consecutive band numbers).  They were banded together in 2007 on a neighboring farm.  The one from last year was unofficially the oldest harvested turkey on record in NYS.  He was 8 or 9 years old. 

 

Here's the thread from last year...

 

http://huntingny.com/forums/topic/9874-great-weekend/

Edited May 8, 2013 by WNY Bowhunter