Big Toms

[stevemiller]

I looked through past threads here and couldn't find anything on it so I want to ask,I'm going on only my 3rd turkey hunt this spring so still learning as I go,How do you estimate the age of a turkey?

[RadSav]

I'm no turkey expert, but I have killed quite a few.  I've gotten the impression from my turkey nut friends that spur length, shape and sharpness is the best estimate of a turkeys age.  But that has never done me much good when watching one come in or walk past.  So if multiple toms are coming in I usually go after the one with stankiest attitude   Not sure if he is always the oldest, but I sure like whacking the bully!  In most cases that's the bird with the largest diameter beard and the thickest waddle too.

My biggest birds were always alone with the hens and the smaller toms I could only hear in the distance.  In those instances there was no question I had a big boss tom in front of me.  But honestly, about the only thing I confidently know about turkeys is how to kill 'em.  Their just a dumb, big, stinky, barely edible bird to me.  So I never worry too much about age or size when I cut that arrow loose!  I'm sure there are a whole lot more guys on this forum with way more turkey knowledge than me. 

[RadSav]

I'm sure by this time tomorrow the Big boys of Turkey hunting on here will school us both.  Some of these guys are Really good!

[buglebuster]

If its not a jake, and a mature tom I shoot.

[packmule]

Here's a good link with some of the information you're asking about, and that RadSav touched on.  The spur photos are helpful.

http://wildturkeyzone.com/articles/aging4.htm

[turkeyfeather]

I never really cared how old it was to be honest. As long as it had a full fan and a good beard it was mature and on the hit list. And I agree with Radsav, I go for the leader of the bunch.

[MerriamMagician]

There is several things you could go off. Like RadSav mentioned, the mature toms will tend to be the most dominant. They will likely strut more, gobble more, and keep the other toms at bay around their lady folk. Beard length can also give you an idea, although merriams really dont get the thick paintbrush type beards that Easterns usually have. And of course spur length, but that is difficult to tell unless you have a bird hanging out 10 yards away or you can sneak a peek with your binos while hes not looking  I have also heard birds that have an extremely raspy gobble that turned out being old birds after I harvested one bird. For example, this coming spring will be the 5th year I have hunted one really old and smart bird on a private dairy property. I know its the same bird because he has a very distinctive tone and length to his gobble. When I hear him gobble, its a dead giveaway.  He's also got a beard that would put most Eastern beards to shame. Maybe this is the year he finally makes a mistake...

[turkeyfeather]

There is several things you could go off. Like RadSav mentioned, the mature toms will tend to be the most dominant. They will likely strut more, gobble more, and keep the other toms at bay around their lady folk. Beard length can also give you an idea, although merriams really dont get the thick paintbrush type beards that Easterns usually have. And of course spur length, but that is difficult to tell unless you have a bird hanging out 10 yards away or you can sneak a peek with your binos while hes not looking  I have also heard birds that have an extremely raspy gobble that turned out being old birds after I harvested one bird. For example, this coming spring will be the 5th year I have hunted one really old and smart bird on a private dairy property. I know its the same bird because he has a very distinctive tone and length to his gobble. When I hear him gobble, its a dead giveaway.  He's also got a beard that would put most Eastern beards to shame. Maybe this is the year he finally makes a mistake...

That's awesome. Last year was the first time I hunted one bird exclusively all season. It was like a great chess match that he won, but was a blast playing the game with him. 

[jblackburn]

The only sure thing is telling a mature tom from a jake by their tail fan and spurs.  Jake fans will have longer feathers in the middle of the fan.  These are the first mature feathers to come in, the shorter ones will be on the side and are juvenile feathers.  Jake spurs will be rounded nubs less than 1/2 inch.

Mature toms (2 years and older) will have full fans, meaning the feathers are basically the same length.  Spurs then become the best aging identifier, but depending on subspecies and terrain, there is a lot of variation.  In general, a two year old will have spurs an inch or less that are beginning to sharpen.  After that it is very hard to judge, but spurs over 1 1/8 that are sharp and beginning to hook are signs of a bird that is at least 3 years old.  It is just about impossible to accurately judge age of older birds.

IMO, for whatever it is worth, any full fanned bird is a trophy.  One of my hardest, most well earned birds was two years ago, late May in Kansas.  This bird had a full fan, 9 inch beard and 5/8 inch spurs!  He was also carrying several healed over #4s  in his neck and breast from earlier in the year!  I worked him for nearly two hours before he broke the 40 yard mark!

The same year in Oklahoma I calling in a bird for a friend that had never killed one.  The turkey marched up the hill to us gobbling and strutting like a jake, but had 1 9/16 spurs!  So it really depends on the turkey. 

[stevemiller]

Wow a lot of great information coming in,I appreciate all of it. 


 what about tracks?How long do the tracks get for a big tom?Ive been seeing tracks from this one for 2 years now and it has prints that are every bit of 4 inches long.

[RadSav]

what about tracks?How long do the tracks get for a big tom?Ive been seeing tracks from this one for 2 years now and it has prints that are every bit of 4 inches long.

Good question!  I've been told you can tell the difference, but I've never known how.  Only time I can tell for sure is if there are signs of the Tom dragging his feathers.

Hope one of these guys can share their secret turkey foot savvy!

[alwinearcher]

I have found the older toms usually aren't the ones coming to calls because they have hens.
All the birds we have killed with 1"+ spurs we have killed by patterning them.

These are 2 that my buddy Jason shot a couple years back, both over 1" spurs and they weighed 24# and 25#s.
They would never come to calls but they made the mistake of having a pretty consistent pattern.

[kevinlisa06]

If you shoot 3 1/2 shells put one down next to the track to see how big it is. My biggest bird was supposed to be my brothers but he copped an attitude and didn't like how I wanted to hunt him. So he broke off from me and it took me 2 1/2 hours to break him away from the 2 hens he had 100 yards away from me. I ended up shooting him at 48 yards. He had wide 7/8" spurs and figured he was 4 yrs old from talkin with other NWTF members a few yrs back.


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[kevinlisa06]

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[buglebuster]

I don t think spurs are to accurate of a way to tell age. It depends on the terrain the bird is living in. My biggest tom had ground off broken spurs from being in rocks. He was very aggresive and came to calls. When he showed up you could tell he was the boss. 11 3/4" beard and I never got a weight.

[turkeydancer]

Spur lenghth is usually the way most peope judge turkeys age ... but as mentioned terrain can effect the spur length ... get a bird living in rocky terrain and the spurs can really be worn down. 

As far as tracks, if under 3-1/2" it's a jake and over 3-1/2" probably at least a 2 year old.

Beards can break off sometimes due to cold freezing weather, insects or mites, etc.

Easiest way to gage whether you're getting a mature tom versus a jake, as already stated" is the length of his tail feathers .... even shaped fan, tom ... 4 longer center feathers, jake.

Nothing wrong with harvesting a jake as your first bird ... you can get more than one tag!
 

Nothing wrong with harvesting a jake

[MtnMuley]

I usually field age a bird by his fan.  Also, by the spurs if I get the chance to get good glass on them, which isn't often.

[Fishnfowler]

If you have a chance at a bunch of toms at once, but didn't have the opportunity to get acquainted with them in advance, then shoot the meanest.  I have about 50-150 turkeys in my yard every day and know all the big boys.  They act differently once the season comes and they get busted once.  That said, my biggest turkey ever was one I watched for weeks, the next biggest I've seen, my 12 y/o daughter shot all by its lonesome at the end of the season.

[buckcanyonlodge]

Big Spurs = big full fan  Late May bird

[Hangfire]

There is a formula for scoring turkeys. I don't know exactly what it is other than it is a combination of weight, beard length and spur length.  It appears to be just that, a combination of weight, beard and spurs that gives the best idea on age.