Like the fleshy head appendages, turkey beards are believed to be an aesthetic feature intended to attract mates; beards become more erect when a tom is aroused. The longer the beard, the older the turkey – they can eventually grow to about 12 inches in length.
How long does a beard have to be 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.
Do turkey beards grow back?
Beards grow throughout a turkey’s life, growing an average of 3 to 5 inches a year. By their second year, the tips of the bristles start to wear off.
What is a turkeys beard called?
This fleshy, bumpy skin has a name: the wattle. It’s different from the long piece of flesh that grows down from the bird’s forehead, which is called a “snood,” according to PBS(Opens in a new window).
Can you trim a turkeys beard?
It’s really quick and easy to preserve your turkey beard. Trim the excess fat off the base being careful not to take too much off. You’ll need to leave enough on there to dry out and hold the individual beard fibers in place. You can use a knife or scissors for this.
What do you do with turkey beards and spurs?
Hunters often consider turkey beards and spurs – no matter their size – as trophies, and collect them as keepsakes or display them with fan mounts.
Do Gobblers lose their beards?
Gobblers have a beard, which is a cluster of long follicles in the center of their chest that can be an inch to 10 inches long. Unlike the rest of the body feathers which undergo 5 molts throughout an eastern’s lifetime, the beard does not molt.
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 bearded hen turkey?
Biology tells us that some girl turkeys do wear beards — under 10% of the population some biologists will generally say. Some will specifically suggest it’s as low as 2 to 4 percent. If present, those beards are usually no longer than eight inches, and often thin.
How can you tell how old a turkey is by their beard?
You can hold a beard up to a light or window to see amber tips. If the tips are more than about 70 percent amber colored, the bird is 2. If there’s little or no amber coloration, the bird is likely 3 or older. Other than that, a beard doesn’t tell you much about the age of a gobbler.
How old is a turkey with 2 beards?
Knowing this, you can be fairly certain a gobbler with a beard of less than 5″ is a one year old bird.
| Beard Length | Tip Color | Age |
|---|---|---|
| 0″ to 4″ | Amber | Younger than 1 year |
| 4″ to 5″ | Amber | 1 year |
| 8″ to 10″ | Amber | 2 years |
| 10″ plus | Black | 3 years or older |
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.
How rare is a 4 bearded turkey?
“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.
What is the purpose of a turkeys snood?
The snood is the fleshy flap of skin that hangs off a turkey’s beak. Scientists haven’t found any specific function for the snood, but it does fill up with blood and hangs over the beak when male turkeys are strutting and showing off looking for mate.
What is the red hanging thing on a turkey?
wattle
Wild Turkey
And there, dangling from the chin, is a wrinkly mass of bumpy, warty-looking red skin: the wattle. Why have a wattle? Wattles are an adaptive feature that come in handy in several ways. On a hot day, with the sun bearing down, the bare skin of neck and wattle helps release excess heat.
What is considered a trophy wild 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).
How long should you let a turkey fan dry?
Let your fan dry for one week and then turn it over and let dry at least another week. It may take up to 3 weeks for the fan to properly dry.
Do I need to field dress a turkey?
Turkeys are some of the best tasting game birds we hunt. The key to eliminating any “gaminess” in the meat is to take proper care of it in the field. After your shot, you’ll want to field dress your bird as quickly as possible.
Why is a turkey called a tom?
It’s an urban myth that Ben Franklin named turkey’s “toms” after Thomas Jefferson. The truth is the name “tom” stems from “tomcat,” a term used to describe a wild man that often enjoys the company of multiple females, much like the wild turkey.
What is a turkey beard made of?
The bristles in the cluster of stiff filaments are hair-like, but they are not hair. They are feather-like structures called mesofiloplumes. Their structural proteins are similar to those of feathers, but they lack a follicle and other characteristics of most feathers. Unlike feathers, turkey beards grow continuously.
How old is a turkey with a 9 inch beard?
4 years old
Some say that any bird over 20 pounds is at least three years old. Others say that a 9-inch beard is a sure sign that your turkey is at least 4 years old.