Friend's daughter put the smackdown on an old gobbler yesterday morning. There are a few nicely-spurred gobblers down here in these woods, but this one is on the upper end of nice!

Had an 11" beard, too.

1 3/4 spurs id say that’s a good Turkey Bird.

Dang, that's a fine bird.

Fighting rooster

Excellent

She is a hunter! She goes right by herself. Darkness, swamps, miles out in the woods, or blood doesn't affect her.

She had been after this gobbler since opening morning. She got set up on him and a little soft early calling brought him right to her.

She is in her mid-30s and has killed more bucks, gobblers, and bears than most men around here. She also owns a pack of deer hounds and a Ford F-one fitty 4x4. She also helped me trap beavers a while back when I had knee surgery.

Her daddy has kept her in these woods all her life and she is an outstanding woodswoman!

I didn't get her permission to show her face on-line, but here she is with this tom.

That is the epitome of a limb hanger. Great bird!

Very nice, congrats to her!!

Extremely fine set of hooks. You can keep the beard length and weight. I’d take those hooks any day!

5 yr old bird (or more?) for those in the know??

I've only have seen 3 wild Gobbler's w/ 1.75 or longer spurs, they are darned near once in a lifetime.

Does that mean it’s a bigger bird in general? Like more meat? Forgive me I know very little about turkeys. Congrats by the way!!!

There spurs are a very good indication of how old they and lots of wisdom comes along with it.

Very mature Smash. Like killing a really old, wise buck.

But arn't the young dumb ones more tender?

Nice bird congratulations to the young lady.

There are no young dumb ones in the spring season, some are older than others, but none will rival the flavor/taste and tenderness of a fall juvenile Jake.

That is a good one.

Very true.....they are a rare creature!

I've killed a good many gobblers and looking back I can find only 2, maybe 3, that had 1.5"+/- spurs. Never killed one that reached 1.75".

Was the GW in this multi-county area for 27 years and have only seen 2 gobblers with 1.75" spurs and this is one of them.

I'd say so on the 5 year age.....maybe 6 as those hooks are keen!

Congrats to the lady, big spurs on that old gobbler

That's one big old bird. Once in a life time most likely. Congratulations.

Huge Hooks, congrats. I shot one like that years ago, It came back to life while I was carrying it out sorta and cut my thumb wide open.

Great gobbler. I'm impressed by spurs, beards not so much.

Comparable to killing a 200” buck deer.
It’s that rare.

I killed three of them from 2000-2006 and thought it wasn't that rare and I'd surely do it again. From 2006-2025 I did not lay eyes on one. lol

I know nothing of turkeys, but those look like serious weapons. Congrats on what I imagine is fine eating too.

These mountain birds spur never that sharp.

Maybe you're only killing Young ones?? Lol


Please don't take offense to that, I'm only kidding and couldn't help myself. Lol

are they crossed with osceola's in ga?

I'm not a turkey hunter and from the comments it seems these are rare spurs for wild turkeys...... but I swear I think some of my yard roosters have bigger ones. I mean no offense by that....... just commenting.

Yes.....strong Osceola genetics here. The turkey population in the border counties in south central and southeast Georgia is a direct result of Florida Wildlife Commission's restocking efforts. They released Osceolas in the many river corridors in north Florida and the birds expanded up in to Georgia.

Georgia DNR did a lot of turkey restocking too but utilized Easterns from further upstate and did very limited releases near the Ga-Fl state line areas.

5 or 6 year old wild turkey gobbler = longer spurs.

5 or 6 year old yard rooster = longer spurs.

5 or 6 year old wild turkey gobbler = rare due to hunting pressure & predators.

5 or 6 year yard rooster = common.