Gobbling Hen... The weirdest turkey in Spokane County

[Jonathan_S]

So this girl has been coming around for a while... Now she is starting to act like a male and this morning she was gobbling like crazy. In the link are some recent pictures of her non-strut.

http://hunting-washington.com/smf/index.php/topic,191989.msg2540520.html#msg2540520

You turkey experts ever seen this before? I have seen my domestic hens go half strut sometimes when no male is present but in this photo, my tom was about 25' away.

Anyway, just thought it was interesting.

[Miles]

Call her Bruce.

[Jonathan_S]

Call her Bruce.

Haha!

[buckcanyonlodge]

It's a sign of dominance among the hens in the flock. The hen in this picture was strutting and gobbling along with the toms. She would gobble , fan , and then chase the other hens.

[Jonathan_S]

It's a sign of dominance among the hens in the flock. The hen in this picture was strutting and gobbling along with the toms. She would gobble , fan , and then chase the other hens.

Cool picture! Yeah I always see it in my domestic turkeys but not when there is a 25# mean tom around 

[carpsniperg2]

I cracked a big bearded hen last year that was a strutting. She even tried to breed another hen in front of me. Crazy stuff!

http://hunting-washington.com/smf/index.php/topic,173496.msg2293182.html#msg2293182

[lokidog]

I've seen hens strutting and fanning at my decoy.  But, I have to say, the strutter in that first pic sure looks like a beardless tom to me.  The wattles seem way too big to be a hen, compare to later photo of strutting hen.   

[Mark251]

I've never seen that before...funny 

[carpsniperg2]

That is kinda what I was thinking as well ed. Some birds get beard rot and loose there beards. The head on that bird look more tom-ish to me.

[buckcanyonlodge]

The turkey in the first pic is a tom. Hens do not get the blue head and the drooping snoze

[Jonathan_S]

I've seen hens strutting and fanning at my decoy.  But, I have to say, the strutter in that first pic sure looks like a beardless tom to me.  The wattles seem way too big to be a hen, compare to later photo of strutting hen.   

Same bird. I am 100% positive. It is a tiny paintbrush sized beard

[The Gobble-stopper]

I've seen hens strutting and fanning at my decoy.  But, I have to say, the strutter in that first pic sure looks like a beardless tom to me.  The wattles seem way too big to be a hen, compare to later photo of strutting hen.   

I have to agree, a lot of young toms look like hens. With even the hair appearing to grow to the top of the head. But in the pic, The blue on the head, the white wattle, and white enlarged bubbules on his neck, along with the center feathers on his tail being longer than the rest, tell you this is a very young jake, just coming into his manhood. Not to say hens don't strut and even gobble. Because I have witnessed it numerous times. The spindly beard means nothing. I have seen 3 and 4 year old toms without beards at all. That is why the WDFW allows us to shoot "toms" or bearded turkeys.

[BLH69]

Tom.

[Henrydog]

A Bruce Jenner Tom?

[turkeydancer]

A Bruce Jenner Tom?

Caitlin .....

[BLH69]

Acting like a male because it is. buck canyons is a hen.

[Bango skank]

Theyre gobbling like crazy all around me right now, and just had 4 big longbeards run through my yard into the timber

[Jonathan_S]

Acting like a male because it is. buck canyons is a hen.

Wasn't acting like a male this afternoon when it squatted for anther tom

[BLH69]

Now its Caitlan.

[Bango skank]

Acting like a male because it is. buck canyons is a hen.

Wasn't acting like a male this afternoon when it squatted for anther tom

Must be a capitol hill turkey9

[BLH69]

I have seen alot of hens but never one with a red, white and blue head. Snood is impressive also. Did she have some work done? 

[Jonathan_S]

It's like an East German turkey, female shot putter. She is roided up.

[lokidog]

Don't drink the water at Jonathan's....   

[Jonathan_S]

Don't drink the water at Jonathan's....   

  there is plenty of it today!  the whole sky opened up last night

[Henrydog]

Mid day Sunday after heading home from Amber Lake there was a group of 7 big toms in the off the road in Turnbull.  I had a bunch of 14 year old boys with me I stopped and did a poor hen call and they all stopped and gobbled back.  I told the boys "the toms were like them, pent up and full of hormones and all friends until a hen shows up."  Now I just wonder if we just encountered a pack of Spokane Co. Hens/Toms

[The Gobble-stopper]

Acting like a male because it is. buck canyons is a hen.

Wasn't acting like a male this afternoon when it squatted for anther tom

The bird in the first pic, is not the same as the second pic. First is a jake, the second is a hen. If it was the jake, squatting. Yes is may have been squatting. I have seen them do that, either out of exhaustion, or submissivness. And even let a tom partially mount him. But more likely the second pic's bird, which is a hen. Notice the difference in the center feathers on the tail. First bird "Jake" has long end feathers, and secondary feathers. Second bird "hen" has even feathers all throughout the width of the tail.

[Jonathan_S]

Acting like a male because it is. buck canyons is a hen.

Wasn't acting like a male this afternoon when it squatted for anther tom

The bird in the first pic, is not the same as the second pic. First is a jake, the second is a hen. If it was the jake, squatting. Yes is may have been squatting. I have seen them do that, either out of exhaustion, or submissivness. And even let a tom partially mount him. But more likely the second pic's bird, which is a hen. Notice the difference in the center feathers on the tail. First bird "Jake" has long end feathers, and secondary feathers. Second bird "hen" has even feathers all throughout the width of the tail.

I dig everything you're saying, and I can believe a jake would squat

However, I can tell you this is the same bird.  100% positive.  This bird is living in my yard and it is the only one.  I can walk up to within 10 feet of it.

[Whitenuckles]

It's a sign of dominance among the hens in the flock. The hen in this picture was strutting and gobbling along with the toms. She would gobble , fan , and then chase the other hens.

I think I saw that bird last time I was at your place!