westcreek1

Hey All, tried doing a little research here and didn't come up with a whole lot - but is there any correlation between fan size (width) and age or is this just a diet thing? I was lucky enough to take a nice bird again this year and it wasn't until I had picked up my fan at my taxidermy shop (when he commented its the biggest fan he's ever seen) did I realize that Wow - this thing is much bigger than any I've shot in the past and any I've since asked about? So the question is to my fellow Turkey enthusiast, is this truly an oddity?
Here are the basic specs:
1 1/8" spurs
10" beard - what was left of it, thanks Hevy Shot
20 lbs
32.5" fan width as measured at widest point @ bottom of the fan.

I've read and heard the average is around 26" to 28" which is right around the width my other birds.
So how big is your largest fan?

Adrian J Hare

Just a good bird, genetics is all about the tail I would think.. Congrats

Topgun 3006

I have no idea whether it's genetics, food & easy winters or what. Of all the ones I've shot, one stood out in all categories with a weight of almost 24#, as well as the biggest fan, spurs, and beard (30" wide x 20" high, 1 1/2" on both spurs, and a 10 1/2" paintbrush beard). We figured he was 4 years old when I shot him in 2006 up here in southern MI.

westcreek1

I would also thinks genetics plays a part, but I've yet to take a bird on this mountain close to this size fan? Again, not that this correlates to anything - guess it would be like harvesting a nice buck with a big tail!
Just curious as to why and what others have measured?

Vermont_hunter

well i just checked my big bird i got this year, hes not my biggest but hes up there. 21 pounds 9.5 inch, thick beard. 1 1/8 spurs. so he was a good one, any way this tail is only 27.5 at this widest point... so im not sure what a large tail means

Todd1700

While a young bird may not have a good full fan yet I have never noticed a correlation between the age of a bird and fan size. I have killed birds that were obviously 2 year olds based on spur size that had great fans which were bigger than the fans of some of my oldest birds. I think as others have said already that it's probably just a matter of genetics.

fzo

nice birdy

Phil from Maine

Myself I feel it is a combination of things.. The first surely being the genetics.. Without good genes then it wouldn't matter much.. Next would most likely be the food source. As here in my part of the state there are few large gardens and the birds tend to weigh less than the southern parts of the state where there are more farms. The tail I believe would depend on it's environment. Meaning is he apt to be in more open country or is it more of a wooded area?

Now this is just in my opinion for what ever it is worth and not any kind of a survey or study on this subject.

westcreek1

Yeah, I guess it's a bit of a Turkey mystery? These are mostly woods birds, so if its truly genetics - hopefully they keep gettin' bigger!

superstrutter

After reading this thread, I measured a few of my larger fans. I picked both Easterns and Rios. The largest was 28 1/2" wide. Most were 27" to 28". These were a mixture of 2,3, and 4 yr. old birds. A 32.5" fan is a very wide fan, but like others said, the age of the bird really doesn't matter. I also took a few jake fans out of the closet and measured them. The three I measured were 26", 26", and 27".