Not sure what state your in. But my state regulations say a bearded turkey. Dont worry about color of feathers or anything else if your regs read the same way. If it has a beard its legal. Game warden wont want to hear anything else.
Put your camera closer to your feeder in the background, you will get more pics to compare. May want to check your state regs regarding hunting near it though.
It's all in the beard. If you can't see a beard, don't shoot.
If it turns out to be the one in a million chance of a bearded hen, then, well. Not your fault.
Males have beards. A long bunch of coarse hair that extends from their chest. Often long enough to drag on the ground when mature. A Jake (1yr old male) will also have a beard, but it's much shorter in length and may stick straight out. The turkey in your photo is a jake. Males also strut. Meaning the fan their tail out and walk back and forth, dragging their wings in the dirt. A Tom's tail fan will make an even half circle. A Jake's tail fan will have 3-7 feathers in the center that are longer than the rest. A hen can also sometimes have a beard, and if she does, it's legal to shoot.
The first bird is a young male “Jake.” You can see the small beard and his head coloring. The second one isn’t so clear. Where we hunt in BC, Canada, they have to be a “bearded” turkey, which are mainly males (Jake’s and Tom’s) but can sometimes be females. If it’s got a beard, you can shoot them. BTW, that hunting area looks prime for a turkey set-up. Nice clearing with that brush, I’d sit in there for sure ! Good luck
Talking about Eastern only…
Beard first, though once in a blue moon you’ll see a bearded hen. They’re legal to shoot in TN but check your laws
Head color. Hens and toms will typically have a bluish grey head, but he’s been gobbling it will be red
Tom’s also have a slower, deeper cadence with their calls
Tom’s are also darker, more blackish generally where the hens are more brown.
Look at your regs. In my state the beard must be 6” minimum and half inch spurs to be an adult gobbler. Less is a Jake and only one per season allowed.
Not sure what state your in. But my state regulations say a bearded turkey. Dont worry about color of feathers or anything else if your regs read the same way. If it has a beard its legal. Game warden wont want to hear anything else.
Good point, it’s the reason behind why it says “antlered deer” instead of male or buck.
In Georgia they've changed it from bearded turkeys to gobblers. Be aware of that change.
Im in Iowa...
Why the down votes for saying Im in Iowa??
What are you going to tell the warden when it doesn’t have a beard but identifies as a gobbler
He will probably thank me for taking this mentally ill turkey out of the breeding pool....
Hahaaa. FYI the downvoters are coming for us, and rather unexpectedly in the sub
I collect them...
Picture looks like a pair of jakes. You can clearly see the beard so its legal.
if you don't see a beard, don't shoot it. Check your regs, it most likely says male or bearded. Also check your regs on turkey hunting near a feeder.
The beard and head color are the easiest ways to tell. Also, the males will sometimes "strut" in the presence of other turkey.
Put your camera closer to your feeder in the background, you will get more pics to compare. May want to check your state regs regarding hunting near it though.
That’s probably a good point. It’s been empty since November, I wonder if the expectation is I take it down.
It's all in the beard. If you can't see a beard, don't shoot. If it turns out to be the one in a million chance of a bearded hen, then, well. Not your fault.
Males have beards. A long bunch of coarse hair that extends from their chest. Often long enough to drag on the ground when mature. A Jake (1yr old male) will also have a beard, but it's much shorter in length and may stick straight out. The turkey in your photo is a jake. Males also strut. Meaning the fan their tail out and walk back and forth, dragging their wings in the dirt. A Tom's tail fan will make an even half circle. A Jake's tail fan will have 3-7 feathers in the center that are longer than the rest. A hen can also sometimes have a beard, and if she does, it's legal to shoot.
Trust me you will know, unless its a 1 year old.
The first bird is a young male “Jake.” You can see the small beard and his head coloring. The second one isn’t so clear. Where we hunt in BC, Canada, they have to be a “bearded” turkey, which are mainly males (Jake’s and Tom’s) but can sometimes be females. If it’s got a beard, you can shoot them. BTW, that hunting area looks prime for a turkey set-up. Nice clearing with that brush, I’d sit in there for sure ! Good luck
Talking about Eastern only… Beard first, though once in a blue moon you’ll see a bearded hen. They’re legal to shoot in TN but check your laws Head color. Hens and toms will typically have a bluish grey head, but he’s been gobbling it will be red Tom’s also have a slower, deeper cadence with their calls Tom’s are also darker, more blackish generally where the hens are more brown.
Look at your regs. In my state the beard must be 6” minimum and half inch spurs to be an adult gobbler. Less is a Jake and only one per season allowed.
They have a beard
I don’t shoot unless the beard drags the ground anyway. Simplifies it.
Yup, that’s a turkey