How to Age a Turkey

Turkey hunters choose a tom’s beard size, spurs, and physique weight the best way deer hunters take note of antler factors and physique measurement. And simply as a deer’s antlers don’t correlate with his age, the identical is true with turkeys. Hunters are likely to assume that longer beards, heavier our bodies, and greater spurs point out an older chook. We additionally wish to assume that we’ve outsmarted a sensible previous tom. However in fact, getting old a turkey on the hoof (so to talk) can really feel like a complete guessing sport.

Nonetheless, turkeys offers you clues if you already know what you’re on the lookout for. From stubby spurs to feather size, there are methods to inform for those who’re taking a look at a clueless younger jake or a wizened previous chook that’s been dodging shotguns since earlier than TSS hit the cabinets.

That’s why we dug via wildlife analysis and spoke to wild turkey specialists to see if there may be an correct, science-backed methodology for hunters to age a turkey earlier than (or after) they pull the set off.

Getting old a Turkey within the Area

Wild turkeys don’t dwell all that lengthy. The typical tom solely lives 4 years, in keeping with the National Wild Turkey Federation. Whereas life expectancy of any single chook will rely largely on habitat and looking strain, rule of thumb is to keep in mind that, more often than not, you’re most likely coping with a longbeard that’s only a few years previous.

“Biologists and researchers age turkeys as juveniles or adults,” Hannah Plumpton, the upland sport chook biologist for the North Carolina Wildlife Sources Fee, tells Outside Life. “There isn’t a stable technique to age wild turkey as soon as they grow to be a mature gobbler. The one manner could be to have the turkey banded as a juvenile to know for positive.” 

A juvenile chook, by Plumpton’s definition, is a one-year-old. Which, if it’s a male, is named a jake. Studying a leg band on a strutting gobbler is not possible even for a hunter with eager eyesight and a elaborate optic. Fortuitously, telling a jake from a mature tom is straightforward even for those who by accident left your glasses within the truck. 

Getting old a Jake vs a Tom

Once you’re making an attempt to age a chook at a distance or in excessive brush that obscures their chests, anticipate the gobbler to begin strutting. A mature tom will exhibit a symmetrical fan with the ends of the central tail feathers lining up in an excellent semi-curcle. Juvenile tail feathers, nevertheless, will not be symmetrical. As a substitute, the central tail feathers stick up longer than the others, making a podium-like look. 

Jakes even have shorter major wing feathers with much less put on, whereas older toms have longer, extra rounded wing feathers. 

The coloring of the final two wing feathers can be completely different. On a mature gobbler, the tow massive feathers on the ideas of the chook’s wings have a sequence of white bars that reach all the best way to the purpose. Jakes have a stable grayish part on the identical two feathers as a result of the white bars finish about an inch or so from the tip, in keeping with Bob Erikson, a wildlife biologist with the Nationwide Wild Turkey Federation. 

Beard Size and Thickness

Beard size is a dependable indicator of a turkey’s age — however solely once we’re speaking about jakes and well being bears. The quick, stubby beard of a gobbler often signifies you’re coping with a one-year-old turkey, or a jake. However as soon as he’s previous his second birthday, there’s actually no manner to make use of beard size to precisely gauge a gobbler’s age.

“The beard is made up of modified feathers that develop repeatedly. They attain a most size when the male reaches 2 years previous,” Plumpton says. “The beards don’t grow to be longer as the tip has always been worn and damaged by dragging on the bottom whereas the turkey feeds, strolling via vegetation, and different actions that trigger the ends to put on down.”

Turkeys generally develop multiple beards, however this phenomenon might be on account of genetics and has nothing to do with age. 

Spur Size

Spur size may also help you estimate a gobbler’s age, however it isn’t foolproof. As each skilled turkey hunter is aware of, judging spurs on a dwell chook is not possible in most conditions. So until your factor is killing big-spurred gobblers, take consolation in figuring out that smaller spurs don’t actually imply a lot.

A lot of the research on getting old wild turkeys makes use of banded, age-identified birds. The research measured spurs in millimeters relatively than inches. Researchers concluded that nature isn’t honest and gobblers aren’t created equal, notably relating to rising spurs.

One study confirmed that whereas a wild turkey’s spurs elevated in size as he aged, generally older toms have shorter spurs than a chook its similar age or youthful. Genetics, hatch dates, and habitat most likely play necessary roles in simply how briskly spurs develop, in keeping with Eriksen. 

“There could be a correlation between spur size and a tough indication of age, however exceptions are widespread, so it isn’t a dependable methodology for getting old turkeys,” Plumpton says. 

If a tough age estimate is all you want, you may typically inform a one-year-old male by its stumpy, rounded spurs. Jakes nearly all the time have 1/2 inch or much less spurs, in keeping with Plumpton. 

Two-year-olds usually have spurs that measure between 3/4 and 1 inch with a bit sharper level than the rounded spurs of jakes. As soon as a gobbler turns three, its curved spurs develop to an inch or extra and are even pointier, however — once more — Plumpton factors out that there are many exceptions to getting old gobblers by spur size. 

“Probably the most correct methodology of assessing gobbler age is [an X-ray] of the spur-cap apex size,” says Eriksen. That is the gap between the tip of the spur bone and the tip of the spur cap.

Learn Subsequent: Why Do Turkeys Have Snoods?

However by the point a gobbler sees its third spring, even X-rays can’t precisely measure age. 

“As soon as a gobbler hits three years of age,” says Eriksen, “there may be an excessive amount of variability to realistically separate age lessons [even] with [X-rays].” 

Ultimate Ideas

Since wild turkeys aren’t issued delivery certificates once they depart the nest, getting old an unbanded chook that’s lived into its third looking season simply isn’t doable. Too many variables, together with habitat, diet, and genetics, have an effect on how a gobbler grows its beard, spurs, and physique weight. Nevertheless, as a result of gobblers don’t dwell via a number of looking seasons with out studying a factor or two, outsmarting any chook that’s older than three ought to earn you bragging rights, regardless of how lengthy his beard or how sharp his spurs.