pick a preference

[dan_lais]

i was talking to a guy at work today and said to him i felt a the true trophy on a turkey are its spurs.this is what i have always been told and it makes sense to me.spurs are harder to break than a beard and USUALLY the spurs dont get shot up.he insisted that the beard was the trophy.i said well the snow ice and winter in general would take a toll on a beard and make it break and appear smaller than it might have been if it didnt break.i know spurs are used to fight and round off a bit so thats a point too.i also told him that i have killed a longbeard with a jake tail and 3/4 inch spurs.just looking at the beard would have told me the bird was older but 1 look at the spurs and i said 2 year old bird.anyways i wanna know your opinion and wanna know if there is a right answer for this debate.im sure opinions may vary but who cares let this one get crazy.

[drobertsinMaryland]

Good idea Dan, let's go crazy.  

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ij-jM8CcQIQ

[bogmanjr]

Call me crazy...... I perfer weight,that puts the helping next to the mashed potato's bigger. Can't eat those other things.

[CAPTJJ]

To me the measure of a trophy is the hunt itself, not what shows up on a tape measure or scoreboard. That only counts in competitive sports and I've had my fill of them.

As for your question about spurs they can get worn and not grow into hooks. The bigger bird I got last year only had 3/4" spurs but he was definitely more than 2 years old.  His spurs are rounded off and kind of polished, I figure it must be from all the scratching in the rocks for bugs and acorns(take a walk through the woods around here and you'd understand what I mean).

[drobertsinMaryland]

To me the measure of a trophy is the hunt itself, not what shows up on a tape measure or scoreboard. That only counts in competitive sports and I've had my fill of them.

Very true. I bet your old Lacrosse(may have been soccer) coach was competitive.

[bogmanjr]

Well said as usual JJ.

[dan_lais]

when the toms are bangin and not eating the weight can diminish, and yes 2 of my favorite hunts have been smaller birds but they were doublers with my father.he has taught me most of what i know in the woods.there is nothing like sayin 1... 2... 3... bang and it sounds like 1 shot and 2 birds are flopping.but back to the question....of the 2 options given what is your preference?or i could say this, would you rather see inch and a half spurs or an 11 inch beard when you go over to inspect your kill.i have only killed 7 longbeards 4 jakes a bearded hen and some fall hens in 5 years.so as for now competitiveness still runs through me.modesty will come with age and more kills im sure!my dad has killed a ton and he is all about me getting em and callin for people!

[upstatehunter]

My biggest "trophy" is the fan on the wall with an 11" beard....I called for my son. He was 14, kept a cool head and made a great shot with his New England 20 gauge. Thing weighed 23 1/2 lbs.
I don't count on big spurs here. To many rocks, and the beard is likely to get frozen and broken off some. Weight is the best gauge for a mature bird. My tagged bird three years ago was tagged at 1 and I killed it at two. He had 1" spurs and a 10" beard. But he weighed almost 23lbs. My brother shot the only 24lb+ bird I've seen around here. Thing came in from behind us silent. I was watching the gobbling bird come from below us. All of a sudden boom!! That was a fun hunt.
Have to agree whole heart-ed with JJ, the experience is what remains in your memory long after the tail falls apart, the beard is gone and you eat the bird.

[dan_lais]

nice thoughts upstate.but is it true that a bird can weigh 2 totally different amounts from may 1 to say may 25th?isnt their focus on breeding more than eating?i have killed a few longbeards that have had nothing but a few blades of grass in their gullet.another question for you and JJ where are you guys hunting that there is all of these rocks?where i am is all farm fields.

[upstatehunter]

I'm just southeast of Indian lake. All rock mountains..   I've watched a lot of gobblers pecking and scratching as they are gobbling. So I think they feed. Don't think they are like a whitetail that will not eat for long time periods. They may not be eating enough to gain weight, but shouldn't lose a lot.

[stka]

.i have only killed 7 longbeards 4 jakes a bearded hen and some fall hens in 5 years

And I thought I was doing bad only getting a tom and jake in three years  . Maybe things will pick up for you this year, don't get discouraged  . I agree 100% with the hunt being the true trophy. I've only killed two birds but could have shot a few more, just had reasons not to at the time. One of my favorite hunts was the first time I called a tom in, actually two. I never got the two far enough apart to take just one, so I let them both go. I wanted to leave one for my father to hunt and didn't know how many were still around. He shot one later that season, so I'm still happy I let them walk.

[Rebelfisher]

I agree the spurs say alot, but after a few years what I really remember is the beard length..and they're easier to display so Im sure that helps alot too.

[dan_lais]

maybe not i guess i just dont see alot of eating just strutting ya know.i know they dont not eat but do ya ever just check the gullets on big birds?it could be just mine but they always seem not full or even empty in most cases.i guess this question was pointless.everyone has a preference and it varies

[dan_lais]

i can also say this tails and beards are beautiful things.what do you see before you kill the bird?.....that huge tailfan and the hanging beard.there is no wrong answer here.even killing a jake is a trophy due to this creatures difficulty to kill.and make no mistake i treasure every moment of the kill.in fact i can bring you in my man cave and tell you where how and who was there for every kill.maybe the question is stupid to pick from but its a thread anyways while we wait..........patiently or not!!!!!

[beerbellybob106]

its tough to say because i shot a bird last spring 23lbs and 11inchs beard with only 1 1/8" spurs its tough where i hunt because there are a lot of rock walls that they tend to rub them on and wear them down but the northern birds where theres no farm are the ones that tend to have the biggest spurs