I called in a bird for my dad yesterday in PA and he gobbled came in strutting on a string and after he shot him at 35 yards I noticed he had a 9 1/2 inch beard and no sign of a spur ever growing. Just how common is this? Let me know your thoughts.
I've never seen one before heard guys talking about them. Congrats on geting him.
I shot one in Kansas like that last year and my son shot a jake this year that had no spurs-not even the nubs. Of the 25 or so dead toms I have personally witnessed, 2 so far were spurless. Not sure if that would be a representative average.
While doing research on double spurred birds I read that no spurred birds are about 2% so that's about 1 out of every 50 gobblers but honestly that seems high to me.
I've killed a couple longbeards with no sign of a spur and a handful with just one spur. From what I've seen it seems to be more prominent in certain areas. Here's one I killed a few years ago. Have also killed a couple with just one spur in the same area so I'm guessing it's a genetic trait.
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v395/olesixbeards/Nospur1.jpg) (http://smg.photobucket.com/user/olesixbeards/media/Nospur1.jpg.html)
My BIL and I shot two on different farms with no spurs on the same day a few years ago. I've also shot one with a spur missing on only one side...not broken off or anything, just nothing at all.
Shot one in FL a couple of years ago that came in double and triple gobbling like he owned the place. Nice full fan, 10" beard, no spurs.
I killed a real nice spur-less gobbler a few years back. 9 inch beard 21 pounds. Not common in my area but ive heard of a few others over the years.
killed one on opening day this year that had no sign of any spurs....he was 23 1/4 lbs with a 9 1/4 inch beard
It's definitely not Uncommon.
I have killed 3. It's a Bummer!
Killed prettiest and most Hooked Spur in
kS day before yesterday.
1 & 5/8" Sharp Hook!
Trauma to left foot and leg with only a hard
Raised knot.
BUMMER!!!!GRRRRRR!!!!
Happens, called one in for Dad this year, not a sign of a spur on either leg. Last year had a buddy who killed a spurles bird only to kill a double spur tom a couple weeks later.
One of my birds this year had a good spur on one side and a slick leg on the other. I even peeled the skin off the leg and even the bone was smooth, not even a bump.
Killed 1 slick. Also one with a hook and other side was a nub. Uncle killed one this year with a 10" beard but only nubs
Only killed jakes with nubs and gobblers with broken spurs, never a spurless. At least not yet
Sent from the talk of tap
I've shot one or two adult toms with little bumps for spurs. This year, I shot one with one 1.25 inch spur and one 7/16 inch bump.
Killed one last year in Kansas with no spurs. He was a boss with 6 hens and gobbled his head off.
I have seen 200 plus dead turkeys and never a spurless one!
I killed 2 last year that was spurless. I have killed several others with no spurs also. Could be a genetic trait not sure but most of them have came from the same property.
I had one on my hunting lease that had no spurs. I got some great close up shots of him, he actually would chase my truck! Got some pics at 6 feet as he strutted around my pickup, not a spur one.
He had lots of girlfriends, I expect to see more spurless birds since he probably passed those genes on. I know he made three years old, maybe older. I didn't see him this season, figure he bought the farm somehow.
Quote from: Gooserbat on May 24, 2015, 03:18:52 PM
Last year had a buddy who killed a spurles bird only to kill a double spur tom a couple weeks later.
Sounds fair! If that's the case, I'm due a couple double spurs!
"I killed 2 last year that was spurless. I have killed several others with no spurs also. Could be a genetic trait not sure but most of them have came from the same property." wbpc
Yeah, I'd say that's genetics, BAD genetics!
I killed a spurless bird in South Dakota a few years ago, but he was banded, so that made up for it. Our group killed another bird that same week that was spurless, and we've killed a couple others from the same location.
Killed a bird this year with 1 spur, but the other was broken off flush with the leg and healed over. That had to hurt!
Wow. I never experienced that one, but I did kill a double spur on both legs once. Congrats.
this big ol Gould's we took in Arizona this year had no signs of spurs on either leg.
(http://i1166.photobucket.com/albums/q605/larswildu/IMG_0106_zpssv6reinl.jpg) (http://s1166.photobucket.com/user/larswildu/media/IMG_0106_zpssv6reinl.jpg.html)
(http://i1166.photobucket.com/albums/q605/larswildu/IMG_0110_zps5rkdtolw.jpg) (http://s1166.photobucket.com/user/larswildu/media/IMG_0110_zps5rkdtolw.jpg.html)
I've seen it quite a few times but honestly the place I've seen it most is FL nothing to it I'm sure.
I've killed a 2 or 3 spurless merriams on the same farm. I assumed it was genetics. But this year I shot one and you can wiggle the spurs like a loose tooth. I feel like I could pull them right off the leg.... I've also killed one with a pretty large spur and another with a very small spur that hadn't been damaged off this same farm. Maybe there's something to do with a nutritional deficiency or something? I'd lean more on genetics though.
wow that is a beautiful goulds!!
Thank you for all the feedback. Regardless it was a great hunt with my dad and one I will always remember. Great year and can't wait until next season already!!!
Quote from: PASTRUTTER21 on May 29, 2015, 09:42:23 PM
Thank you for all the feedback. Regardless it was a great hunt with my dad and one I will always remember. Great year and can't wait until next season already!!!
That is the right attitude! Couple stories if you don't mind...
My first one was memorable as well. I had come back North to our hunting camp in VA and my wife had come South to meet me with the kids. I took my oldest son, 6 at the time, out scouting on a Sunday morning since we couldn't hunt Sundays in VA then. I got a gobbler to respond way across a clear cut, creek, up on a ridge. My son (whitelightning or something like that on here) and I closed the distance and I told him to call while I videoed. I had had him practice with one of those Ben Lee Aluminum Groove friction calls. He hit that high pitched thing and that bird lit up! He let me coach him while calling and he got that bird so close that when we went back to the cabin and looked at the video, I realized that bird had NO SPURS.
Next day, took a cousin of mine from CA. He borrowed my gun and I tried to tell him where it shot, (pretty much straight!) but he had no chance to shoot it before the hunt. Back to the same area, call a bird in and he whiffs. Regardless whether it looks like a clean miss or hit, I HAVE to do my CSI s$&t. After a little while my cousin comes up "Did you hear that bird gobble?" "Uh, no." (Skeptical)
We move back to the area he shot and sure enough, that bird or another is gobbling. I proceed to call that one in, right in front of his gun and for whatever reason he does not see it! It freaking gobbling and directly in front of us! I'm on the right, it goes to my right, but my gun is in my lap as I wasn't planning on shooting. Finally it sees me broadside on the tree and flushes, I struggle to get the gun up left handed and fold it. Turns out it was the same spurless bird my kid had called up the day before! I'll be honest, I didn't feel cheated by the no spurs as I had just finished what my kid had started the day before.
The other spurless one came to calling in a creek bottom in my favorite place in SC. I was leaning up against the most comfortable root ball ever. This one (like most) got to my right and I was practically laying down on my right side when I shot...never thinking how this might affect where the shot goes. All I can tell you is it is best to have your gun vertical if that is how you patterned it! He took off to my right and got down in a creek. I took off running and when I got to the edge of the creek I saw him laying on the sand. I bailed off the bank and dropped about 10 feet (I was younger then) and landed right beside that bird. He jumped up and spurred me hard right in the chest knocking me backwards! Again, I was not bummed the bird I had shot had NO SPURS!
Long Spurs and Beards and Heavy Birds are cool, but they aren't necessary to make a hunt memorable.