Let’s talk spurs

[Chief44]

Let me start this conversation by saying that I believe any ethically killed gobbler is a good bird and something to be proud of. With that said, my question is this. What do you consider to be the best characteristic or feature that makes a gobbler a "trophy" in your book. To me and everyone in my hunting circles it's always been spur length. However, I run into guys from time to time who are talking about a bird they killed and have no idea how long the spurs were, they only seem to be focused on the beard and some believe that beard length is an indication of age. I've killed a number gobblers with long thick beards that had spurs indicating they were 2 year olds. I've also killed 3-4 year old birds that had thin 8"-9" beards. I'm not looking to start a big debate on what makes a good gobbler because they are all good. Just wondering everyone's opinion. And while we are at it. What is your longest spur length. My daughter killed a bird with 1"1/2 spurs a few years ago and I got a couple just shy of that but I can't seem to break that mark.

 

[PalsPal]

What do you consider to be the best characteristic or feature that makes a gobbler a "trophy" in your book.

How he played the game, and made me earn him.

I rarely measure spur length, because it doesn't matter to me. If he's the boss bird in the flock, then that's what I'm after no matter any of the measurables.

I have often wondered though, what call someone uses to kill a long-spurred bird?

If someone isn't using binocs to check out spurs prior to puling the trigger; then it's just luck of the draw, after the fact, bragging.

 

[TN-Hunter]

Here is a good article to read from NWTF:

https://www.nwtf.org/hunt/article/can-you-accurately-age-gobbler

 

[REN]

I don't personally care much about the spurs. Don't get me wrong I'd rather at 1.5 over a 1 but for me I don't consider a huge difference there.

Trophy is tough. For me personally how I killed him has a much bigger meaning then a physical characteristic. Any of them with a full fan and I'm all in.

Having said that the only other aspect I would add excitement too is multi beard birds and any color phase. However a pencil think multi beard bird wouldn't fit into that category.

A trophy above all others to me would just have to be something that's more rare like double spurs, a thick multi beard bird especially if more then 2 or a colo color character to it.

But at the end of the day if he has a full fan and plays the game they are all pretty much on par for me

 

[AT Hiker]

I dont put much faith in spur length and age, I suppose it is the best guess scenario available.

Ive never killed one with super long spurs, 1.5"+.

I would guess 11" beard, give or take a bit, is the longest bearded turkey I have killed. Oddly, I went through a spell where I was killing at least one multi beard bird every year. I always thought multi bearded birds were cool and more of a "trophy" just because they were rare, then I killed a few and thought other wise, now I think they are rare again because its been a while since Ive killed one, haha.

Weight was never a big deal for me. I spoke with a biologist once at Ft Campbell, we had killed some turkeys and he weighed them at check in. We talked and thats when he informed me that turkeys, like deer, loose weight throughout the breeding season. Made sense and I suppose he is correct.

As for trophy, like Palspal, its how he played the game and the overall experience. Honestly, most turkeys look like turkeys to me. One may be colored up or have an abnormally large/thick beard but I rarely get a look at the spurs while hunting and I sure as heck wouldnt pass one up because he had short spurs.

 

[megalomaniac]

2in on one side and 1 7/8 on the other side (TN bird). Those get your eyes popping even if you don't care about spurs.

I like a thick beard, but length doesn't matter (as long as it isn't a jake)

 

[Knothead]

Longest spur for me is 1.5" and he sported a thick 12 1/4" beard. But it was the game we played that made him a trophy. i had to chase that one for a while and then coax him into crossing a fence to come in….
In my book, sweet talking and outsmarting a mature Tom and taking him for a ride in the back of the truck…..THAT makes your hunt a successful trophy hunt.

 

[paboom]

I don't honestly care about spur or beard length. As long as the hunt was enjoyable, I am tickled!

If I was forced to define a "trophy", then it has always been a dream of mine to kill a color phased bird.

 

[LenS]

Last year I killed my largest spurred bird ever, at 1.5 inches. Heard him and a buddy gobbling about 8, set up, called, and he was dead in less than 10 minutes. The next week I worked a bird from fly down until 10:15 before I finally pulled the trigger. He gobbled all morning but would never seem to come in. 9 inch beard, not quite 1 inch spurs......but a much better trophy to me because of the awesomeness of the hunt.

For me, and most guys I know, spurs come down to luck of the draw. And, honestly, beyond making sure it's an adult gobbler, I don't think too much about the trophy aspect until after I shoot. I will, however, pick out a substantially larger bird or a thicker beard if more than one gobbler come in.

 

[DoubleRidge]

I appreciate and enjoy a good hunt with a mature tom...full fan....gobbling....making memories....long thick beards are impressive....and I consider long hooked spurs a bonus to a great hunt!
My longest spurs are 1⅜.

 

[MickThompson]

I killed a bird a few years back that fell on its chest after the shot. When I got to it the first thing i noticed were the spurs- the long one was maybe 5/8". I couldn't believe I'd missed and somehow dumped a jake but rolled that bird over to find a 10" rotten banana beard hanging off it

 

[CATCHDAWG]

This is like asking if your a boob man or butt man Lol. I'll pick spurs over a beard but mostly agree with the others on the fact that what makes a trophy is how well the game was played (on a mature bird).
And I'm thinking 1 1/4 on my best spur length.

 

[woodsman04]

Spurs are my favorite, but I don't care, I hunt them for fun. I've shot big spurred gobblers on 5 minute hunts and so called two year olds on 5 hour hunts.

I don't know if spur length is any correlation with age. But being around poultry my entire life I do know that they never stop growing.

But for my own fun I age them anyways and don't care what no one says.

Nubs-1/2" plus a stubby beard and juvenile feathers is a jake……

5/8"-7/8" or so dull spurs 2 year old
1"-1-1/8" or so curved and pointed 3 year
1-1/4" to 1-1/2" curved and sharp 4

Not science but it's how I do it for fun.

 

[tickweed]

I've been very fortunate. Have harvested a lot of gobblers. I have three sets of legitimate 1 1/2s. My best is 1 5/8.

 

[Popcorn]

Having raised poultry all my life I know that a spur never stops growing but the harder a bird works for his food the more wear he puts on them. Walking through bramble and rocks and crossing sticks also wears them away. So with that know that a longer spur likely denotes a bird that has had an easier go of it. My pen raised gobblers that stand at a feeder grow some pretty big ones and that can be devastating to a hen when he slips off during mating and cuts her back and thigh. The spur is porous and is filled with bad bacteria that is why a battle wound often sets up a canker, a pocket of puss or causes a slow death. I measure spurs cause it has been "the way" since before I turkey hunted but its never done anything for me. 1.5 on one side and 1.25 on the other is my best. I did take a one spurred bird two years ago.

Beards never stop growing either, beards and spurs are essentially the same just in different form. They constantly wear and break off easily and like spurs can be an indicator of how easy the bird has had it or how rough it has been. Birds that strut a lot wear their beards more than those that dont. Birds that live in open timber and clover patches will have longer beards than those that live thick and scratch out overgrown edges and gravel bars. hens will pick at a beard, some gobblers tolerate it others do not this may be related to how thick some beards appear, Then there is beard rot which really throws a kink in it all. I have killed 2 with multi beards, neither was very impressive as they had less total beard than most single bearded birds. I have a 4 year old pen raised gobbler who keeps his beard broken off about 4 inches on the feed trough and a 2 year old with a lower feeder that has what looks to be 8 inches so it is what it is.
The hunt experience has always been my gage, that and weight, a 25 pound wild gobbler is a big bird but I have taken older ones that didnt make 20 lbs

 

[Chief44]

A lot of good responses here and I have to agree that it's all about the hunt and the way each gobbler plays the game. A 2 year old that takes time and makes you earn him can be much more rewarding than an old bird that comes in on a string. However, there is just something about picking up that bird and seeing those long hooks that gets me going.

 

[redblood]

Full fan, full gobble. All that matters to me

 

[Gravey]

Full fan, full gobble. All that matters to me

Same but I do like sharp spurs and a thick paintbrush to go with it. LOL

 

[ROVERBOY]

My best spur length is 1 3/8", and best beard length was 11 1/2". That was 2 different birds.

 

[poorhunter]

I've never measured spurs or beard or weighed a turkey. Check stations used to back in Indiana but I never kept that data. I remember different things about different kills…where I killed them (maybe specific tree or just the farm or area), who I was with, how he worked the calls, what calls I used, weather…just a ton of different things come to mind as I think of different birds I've killed. All of those things far outweigh how long spurs or beards were.

 

[Willysman]

Beard length for me. Like long spurs but I never look before I shoot. 1 and 1/2 inch my longest. 12 inch mountain bird my best beard.

 

[tickweed]

Weight usually means good winter diet, killed early, before breeding really gets going good. Beard length doesnt mean much to me, gets worn off by dragging. Spurs are what truly makes a trophy. I have taken three legit sets of 1 1/2 sets, my best is 1 5/8. I'd say in west Tn., any over 1 1/2 is a true trophy.

 

[Big Gun]

Since I suck at turkey hunting, anytime I can get a mature tom to come in and kill him, I consider that a trophy. My first bird took about 5 years to kill and I think of him as my best trophy. 24lbs, 10" beard and 1.25" spurs.