OldGobbler

OG Gear Store
Sum Toy
Dave Smith
Wood Haven
North Mountain Gear
North Mountain Gear
turkeys for tomorrow

News:

registration is free , easy and welcomed !!!

Main Menu

Turkey life

Started by High plains drifter, May 17, 2021, 11:43:16 AM

Previous topic - Next topic

High plains drifter

Long live the turkey.How long do turkey live? On another note, is shooting 30 year old shells a bad idea? Maybe 40 years old.

Crghss

I don't see a problem shooting old shells. What are you shooting them at?
Time is the most valuable thing a man can spend. ...

Tail Feathers

I wouldn't shoot them at turkey because of the higher potential for a misfire.  But they are probably fine if they were properly stores.  I want to be as sure as possible of my shell when shooting at a Tom.
Seems like I read turkeys can live up to about 8-9 years but rarely make it past 4 or 5 years in the wild. 
Love to hunt the King of Spring!

Turkeyman

I googled it and came up with this:

"The maximum recorded lifespan for a turkey in captivity is twelve years and four months. For turkeys living in the wild, the maximum is less than ten years, but the average life expectancy of a male turkey is just over 2 years and just over 3 years for females."

But these are averages...we all know that we've killed birds that are four, five and beyond or such.

honker22

First bird I ever killed was in 1996 and he was an original transplant bird that was banded.  He was released in 1989... assuming he was a jake when transplanted, then he was 8 years old.  He had 1 1/4 and 1 1/8 spurs FYI
People who don't get it, don't get that they don't get it.

High plains drifter

Quote from: Crghss on May 17, 2021, 01:22:00 PM
I don't see a problem shooting old shells. What are you shooting them at?
I shot 2 old federal loads at a big old bird from around 40 yards.I thought I made a good shot. He sort of flopped over, then flew off. Looking back in hind sight,  I think those 40 year old shells were a bad choice. Thanks for the comments.

High plains drifter

Quote from: honker22 on May 17, 2021, 04:38:42 PM
First bird I ever killed was in 1996 and he was an original transplant bird that was banded.  He was released in 1989... assuming he was a jake when transplanted, then he was 8 years old.  He had 1 1/4 and 1 1/8 spurs FYI
That's interesting. I always wondered if a turkey could live more than 5 years.These raccoons kill a lot of turkeys. I called one in the other day, as well as a skunk. I guess I should have shot the coon.There are so many dangerous things out there,  plus the weather.

bbcoach

GUESSIMATION is all this is.  It kills me to see someone kill a bird on a TV show and they say this is a blank year old bird.  Unless the bird has been banded, as Honker said, it is ALL speculation.

honker22

Quote from: bbcoach on May 19, 2021, 09:31:30 AM
GUESSIMATION is all this is.  It kills me to see someone kill a bird on a TV show and they say this is a blank year old bird.  Unless the bird has been banded, as Honker said, it is ALL speculation.

I majored in wildlife biology and was taught, 3/4'=2 years, 1-1 1/8"= 3 years, 1 1/4 = 4 years+... and there is absolutely no way to age a bird past that based on spurs.  Of course, this can't be applied to birds that live in rocky terrain.
People who don't get it, don't get that they don't get it.