The turkey “beard” is not a reliable indicator of sex. Up to 10 percent of hens will have thin 6- to 8-inch beards. These hens represent a valuable segment of the turkey nesting population and hunters are urged to pass on them whenever possible.
How rare is it to see a bearded hen?
Depending on where you live, it is not super rare. Talking with some turkey people, you will find beards on anywhere from 3% to 20% of the hen population, depending on where you live.
Can a female turkey have a beard?
Very rarely, females can have beards. Turkeys can also be classified as juveniles or adults based on several features listed below.
How rare is a turkey with 4 beards?
“Multiple beards on a bird is not a common occurrence, with estimates suggesting that less than 10% of toms sport more than one beard,” said Dr. Mike Chamberlain, our favorite wild turkey researcher, from the University of Georgia.
Why do some female turkeys have beards?
Turkey Beards
That’s called a beard, and it’s made of modified feathers. Male turkeys, called gobblers – and some female turkeys, called hens – have beards. Only about 10 to 20 percent of hens grow beards, and it’s likely a genetic mutation, according to Sciencing.com.
How do you tell if it’s a bearded hen?
Check for iridescent, black-tipped breast feathers; hen breast feathers are more dull, and brown-tipped. 3. Observe the beard thickness. Hen beards are usually thinner than gobbler beards.
How do I know if my turkey is bearded?
Turkey Beards
The Hens have dark brown breast feathers while the males have black breast feathers. In the males, Jake Turkey has short beards of about 2 to 3 inches, while the Long Beard Turkey has beards of the length up to 10 inches, which is also the cause of its name.
How rare is a double bearded turkey?
Typical gobblers have only one beard that continues to grow throughout their life. About two percent of gobblers have multiple beards.
What is a triple beard turkey?
Triple Beard is the first all lead turkey load from the makers of HEVI-Shot. Its speed ball technology reduces deformation on setback, keeping pellets more uniform and reducing the “pancake” effect of other lead shells.
What is a tom turkey?
The sex designation of “hen” (female) or “tom” (male) turkey is optional on the label, and is an indication of size. Toms are larger but both toms and hens should be equally tender.
How rare is a five bearded turkey?
While toms with double beards are fairly common, she said birds with three or more beards turn up less frequently. Toms with five or more are “a rarity,” she said. The highest number of beards recorded on an individual bird in the federation’s database is 10, Cavender said.
What is a good size beard on a turkey?
Turkey Beards
As a general rule, jakes will have short beards (about 2 to 3 inches in length), while the tom turkey beard can be up to 10 inches or more (they don’t call them longbeards for nothing). Sometimes toms even get multiple beards, which can be another good sign of maturity.
What is considered a trophy turkey?
Any bird with a beard might be called a trophy: jake, adult tom and even a fall turkey hen wearing one. For turkey hunters, most are memorable for many reasons (even those you don’t kill).
Can a bearded hen gobble?
Yes, hens can gobble just like a jake or tom and they can also strut, and contrary to some myths, those gobbling, strutting hens are not hermaphrodites or genetic freaks.
Can bearded hens reproduce?
They breed and lay eggs just like the hens without beards.
Do turkey beards fall off?
It’s thought that hunters often mistake this rust-colored ring for rot. Turkeys’ beards can certainly wear off, be broken off, or be shot off!
Is hen turkey better than a Tom?
Most experts agree that a hen turkey is better than a tom, but it is probably a matter of personal preference. Hens are generally smaller than tom turkeys of the same age. Hens weigh less than sixteen pounds while toms always weigh over sixteen pounds.
How do you tell a gobbler from a bearded hen?
Hens are more brown in coloration and smaller in size than gobblers. They have a head that is more blue-gray in appearance, often with feathers continuing up the back of the head. Occasionally hens will have a beard, but it is thinner than on gobblers and is quite often kinked.
How old is a turkey with a 10 inch beard?
And, as Williams also said in the same classic book: ” . . . a spring gobbler that has a 10-inch beard with an amber tip is only two years old while one with a 10-inch beard that does not have an amber tip is probably at least three years old.
What is a bearded hen?
The beard is sometimes thought to be only a male turkey characteristic, but some hens also have beards, often 7 or 8 inches long, and thin, with a kink near the middle. Bearded hens also breed, lay eggs and raise broods. As far as we know, bearded hens are just as sexy to spring gobblers as those without.
What is the longest turkey beard ever recorded?
Location: Canatlán, Durango, Mexico. Clyde Neely, a Texas resident, travelled south of the border and took this record-book Gould’s on April 10, 2006, using a box and slate call. 14.0625 inches is a long turkey beard anywhere.