White Turkey Spurs

[BoilerBowHunter]

I killed a Tom this morning that had white spurs. Have any of you run into this before? Seems fairly unique, but I’m not finding much online other than confirmation that spurs can have varying colors including white. I assume it’s just a genetic thing. It was an Eastern, and nothing else seemed wrong with the bird although it did appear to have a broken "toe". One of them was splayed out at an almost 90 degree angle and had developed a pretty gross looking pad on top of it where it had been hitting one of the other parts of the foot.

 

[83cj-7]

Very interesting that you post this. I am not what you call a “dyed in the wool” turkey hunter, but sometimes I get good opportunities. I shot this bird this year in Pennsylvania. My buddy who is an avid turkey hunter freaked out when he saw the spurs. He said ivory spurs are pretty rare and that he has always wanted the opportunity to get a pair.

 

[Taudisio]

I’ve shot quite a few turkeys. I judge their age by the spur, never really thought about the color of them though. Last year I shot a Tom with an 8.5” beard, no spurs. Absolutely blew my mind. The photo below were the feet of a few birds me and my wife got over a few days. Pretty neat to see the spur progression. A Jake, 2 year old, 3 year old, 4+ years old.

 

[BoilerBowHunter]

I had never thought of the color before either because I’ve only ever seen black! It’s always cool to see little variations like this.

 

[fatlander]

It’s genetics. There’s places I’ve killed white spurred birds year after year, and there’s places I’ve killed black spurred burred years after year.


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[N2TRKYS]

I killed several gobblers with those tan colored spirs over the years. Didn’t know it was that rare. I’ve also got one that had double spurs on each leg.

 

[fishdart]

The first bird I killed this season had the light-colored spurs. However, after a week of the bone buried in borax, the spur is flushing to a rose pink/red color.

The off-color beard is from my 2nd tom this season. Its spurs are the normal coloration though.

 

[MannyMedeiros21]

I think genetics plays a lot into it. The last three I killed at a specific farm I hunt all had white spurs. These birds were also easterns

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[Chaser96]

They aren’t all that rare necessarily. But still common and much less rare than black spurs


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[Turkeygetpwnd38]

I’ve killed an eastern and several rios with white/pinkish spurs. I’ve never really thought much of it but can’t be that rare.

 

[jtg88]

Not to be a Debbie Downer, but I don't think white or translucent spurs are particularly rare. Just based on birds I've killed or seen killed I'd say its maybe a 75/25 split between black and white spurs. Numbers probably vary depending on a particular area.

 

[strutbuster]

i've only killed one with a set of white spurs

 

[pirogue]

I think it’s more geographical than genetic. I hunt in the hills of KY, and the lowlands of AR each year. The AR toms always have lighter color spurs, and the KY toms are always dark/black.