How long is a trophy turkey beard

Hunters score their own birds using the following formula, taking measurements to the nearest eighth of an inch: First, weigh your bird on accurate scales with witnesses. Next, measure the beard or beards from the point it protrudes from the skin to the longest bristle. Then, measure each spur from the point where it protrudes from the scaled leg skin.

Now you have the necessary measurements and are ready to calculate the score. Multiply the length of the beard or sum of the beard lengths if there is more than one times two. Then add the length of the spurs together and multiply the sum by Add the weight to these two figures for a total score.

The minimum score for a Trophy Turkey Award is Age is the real determiner of size. Determining the age of a bird is an iffy proposition and in the field it is very difficult. But, there are some things to look for that can help.

First year birds jakes are fairly easy to spot as they sport short beards. The beard of a jake is seldom more than four inches in length. Turkeys usually gain about 3 inches of length on the beard for each year of life after the first year. This is not an exact as some will grow more and some less. Once they attain three years or more the beard will be 10 inches or more in length. Birds that are less than three years of age usually have an amber hued tip and the appearance will be smooth and rounded right down to the tip.

During those first three years, birds will gradually wear off the amber tips and the beard becomes totally black in appearance. There are exceptions to this rule as well. If the bird has longer legs, the beard does not get as worn down. If the area in which they reside has mostly soft ground, it again does not get worn as quickly. Our northern birds often get a snow buildup on their beards and the individual filaments become brittle and break off prematurely.

Spur length is another factor in trophy size. In one year old birds, this is about a quarter inch in length. In the second year they tend to add about a half inch to that length. Turkeys can also sport more than one beard. Older, more dominant birds have the longest and sharpest spurs, which helps them fend off younger turkeys when vying for breeding rights.

Spurs are made of smooth, shiny keratin, and range in color from black, gray or pink. Both sexes are born with small button spurs, but the spur keeps growing after birth in males. Turkeys with spurs less than a half-inch long are likely 1-year-old jakes, while turkeys with spurs measuring a half-inch to 1 inch are typically 2-year-old gobblers.

Spurs on 2-year-olds tend to have blunt tips. After age 2, spurs grow slowly. Gobblers 3 or older wield sharp, curved spurs that are slightly hooked.