Spurless rooster

[OntarioHunter]

Haven't seen this before. First year roosters have a nubbin sharp enough to slash a thumb to the bone (ask me how I know!). This bird has no spurs at all but doesn't appear to be terribly young either. It's fully feathered and body size is about average. If checked by game warden it may be tough to prove it's a rooster (regs require one leg attached). I think I'll leave a wing on this guy.

 

[Elktrack]

It’s prolly gender neutral or confused.
Lol

 

[okie archer]

I've seen that twice on wild turkey toms. I was with a buddy in S. Dakota and his Tom was mature with full fan and long beard just no spurs. I mean slick, no nubs or anything. Same as the Tom my daughter killed in Oklahoma a few years ago.

 

[OntarioHunter]

I've seen that twice on wild turkey toms. I was with a buddy in S. Dakota and his Tom was mature with full fan and long beard just no spurs. I mean slick, no nubs or anything. Same as the Tom my daughter killed in Oklahoma a few years ago.

Just as well get them out of the gene pool. No spurs is a significant handicap for reproduction.

I'm wondering if the state didn't dump a bunch of their jailbirds here on the federal refuge. NOTHING would surprise me under the present mismanagement. I can tell from the condition of the cover (the cover that hasn't been grazed bald or stomped into muddy mess by cattle) that the place has hardly been hunted. Nevertheless, the birds that I was finding were very spooky ... until the dogs put up one bunch of around forty near the main boat launch (now unusable because the lake has been drawn down to where water is no longer visible on the horizon). Those birds are so stupid the dogs almost catch them now that they're broken up. I'm also seeing a lot of squawking roosters with no tails to speak of on that end of the refuge. Yesterday I shot a young rooster with some pure white feathers on its chest and neck. Then this spurless weirdo today. Back thirteen years ago I shot a squawking brown rooster on Thanksgiving Day that should have been wearing an eggshell helmet but it still had spurs. We've all seen those freaky late hatchlings but it should be more uncommon, not commonplace.

 

[wa_archer]

I've seen is fairly common on pen raised birds. My dog would like to see it she caught a spur right below the eye opening weekend. got damn lucky didn't get her eye.

 

[MNElkNut]

I have shot 2 like that. Totally wild birds. Just lost out on the genetics for spurs I guess.

 

[Trailsend]

See it periodically, not completely uncommon.