Measuring Spurs to age your bird picture

[Skull Point]

I was delivering stuff to the DNR today and seen this as I had a few minutes to spare ;)in a Spring Gobbler Survey pamplet..So I got us one..
Jeff

[Bulldogmikey]

Never saw that!

[3CB]

This is from the NWTF how to score a turkey.
Measure each spur. Spurs must be measured along the outside center, from the point at which the spur protrudes from the scaled leg skin to the tip of the spur.

This is done using a soft tape!

[wiltznucs]

This is from the NWTF how to score a turkey.
Measure each spur. Spurs must be measured along the outside center, from the point at which the spur protrudes from the scaled leg skin to the tip of the spur.

This is done using a soft tape!

I've seen them measured all sorts of ways.  Some measure like in the photo and some measure the longest axis from the tip of the spur to underside of the base.  Some use soft tape, others use a hard tape.  In any event, the spurs are a pretty shoddy way to age birds and spur length varies by subspecies and region.  A good 2 year old Osceola will easily push 1" or more in my area.  A Merriam, Rio, or Gould from rocky country like the Dakotas or Utah will have spurs so wore off that they are useless for aging.

[GR8CALLS]

 Bunck.......! I'm w/ Chad on this one. My wife shot an Osceola a few years ago that had  13 1/2 inch beard......and no spurs! Not even a bump on either leg! A gobbler in my part of the counrty will wear his spurs down to a blunt 1 inch, due to all the rocks they work around scratching. He could still be three or four.

Bill

[Silverspur]

Here is some info on spur measurement and aging gobblers I received from our NWTF biologist.   "Aging gobblers by spur length is a little subjective but is reasonably reliable. There is some variation in the growth of spurs. The only truly accurate way to actually age a gobbler is using an x-ray of the bone inside the spur and measuring the bone length. Measuring the spur is not as accurate but it’s close enough!"