The Whats a good bird thread got me thinking..

[Solid Snake]

He's dead.

They all taste good fried up crispy!

[NYbassman]

He's dead. Beard and spurs don't mean much to me after I know he is a 2+ year old. I am out for the experience of calling up and taking a mature tom, not for his beard and spurs.

[jshively]

Full fan = full load of whatever I am shooting that day. 

[vaturkey]

This thread reminds me of opening day of the very first youth day here in VA. My nephew had never ever turkey hunted. He had squirrel hunted with his dad but thats about it. He lives about an hour & a half away so he spent the night with us. I had already found some birds earlier so we knew about where they would be. Well on opening morning it was 26 degrees & blowing snow. My nephew still wanted to go so we bundled up & took off.
Daybreak rolls around & we aint heard squat. We decided to go out on top of a big ridge and sit for a spell. I had just run a series of yelps when I heard a gobble. Within a few minutes I spot 5 strutters coming fast right up the ridge to us. I told my nephew to get ready and dont shoot until I say so. I could tell by the fans that 4 of the gobblers were jakes , but the other one had a big full fan. I told my nephew to shoot the one with the full fan. Boom, bird down. It was also a jake with a 4 inch beard & nubs for spurs.

   

[swampy]

I'd smoke him. Here's why called in a bird on public land came in strutting full fan no beard. I told myself thats a big bird so i whacked him. Still today he's one of my top three rewarding birds and had nice 1 in hooks to boot. Wax that head i say.

[chatterbox]

Dead tom.

[earlybird]

A long time ago i would have whacked him but its all about the beard and spurs for me.

[guesswho]

No free pass here.   If he played the game and lost I hate it for him!

[BrowningGuy88]

I hunt for the rush of getting him to me and me sending good ole fashioned lead his way. I only keep the largest set of spur/beard combo for the year and throw the rest out.

I hunt for the meat though. I enjoy it don't get me wrong, but if he's legal, he's dead!



Daman

[blgoose]

Situation happened a few years back on public land, full fan noticed no beard but body size and his big ole head was a no brainer he was a good one.  Layed him out, joker weighed over 22 lbs and had 1 5/8 spurs.  Would have had a paint brush but the beard rot got him.

[turkeyfuneral]

Easy No Brainer, Dead Bird Walking

[ericjames]

I have let good birds go where I hunt just because it is my home land that I hunted for years and i would rather have alot of birds on it rather than just have a kill  for the year.Thats just me,i have heard it time and time again that you cant eat beards or spurs I might not can but a butterball dont cost but the price of 2 shells a lot of people on hear shoot

[Shotgun]

Full Fan + big head= dead turkey

[Muskie03]

Strutting HEN.

[TANK]

KA-BLOOOOOOOM!