Triple Bearded Tom???

[tvandy45]

Wowzers, where to even start. I'm fairly new to turkey hunting (I've killed 3 in my lifetime) and decided to give it a try yesterday out in Klickitat. This late in the season I whole heartedly didnt expect to see or hear anything and would have been fairly content just looking for morels or sheds. Low and behold i get into a patch of oaks and I hear a gobbler just spouting off all by himself about 100 yards away. I move in and set up my decoy and after about 30 mins of calling he finally decided to come check me out in which I let him have it. However, i was skinning him out and I was dumbfounded....it had 3 beards! Like I said I have hardly any experience with turkeys and was curious if this is a common thing or did i hit the jackpot and should go buy a lottery ticket tomorrow?

Side note: the bird got the last laugh as he made me set up in a pile (and I mean a PILE) of poison oak  I guess thats part of the game

[carpsniperg2]

Not very common at all, that’s a great bird congrats. Those are the birds that go way up in the books with multiple beards.

[idaho guy]

  uncommon at least for me I don’t ever remember getting a turkey with 3 beards but have had a few with doubles. I always hunt same general area so maybe others there is more  Nice Tom !!

[brokentrail]

I killed a triple beard this year and that was a first for me as well.  Congrats!

[Limhangerslayer]

Congrats,, not common at all.  I’ve killed close to 50 birds in this state.  In almost every general area in eastern Washington and have only shot three double bearded birds and never one with more than two. 

[builtfordtough]

I killed a tom with a triple beard as well in idaho this year.  However the beards were not nearly as longs as yours.  Great bird!

[HUNTINCOUPLE]

Great bird! Will score  very high in the books. I would definitely hit up the quicky mart for a lottery ticket!!!!!

[johnbmyersii]

Congrats! I got a triple beard this year too. Hell of an experience, super rare, possibly once in a lifetime bird.

[Gobble]

My brother shot one a few years back with 5 beards

[TheStovePipeKid]

Great bird. Way to get it done. Definitely rare.

[HikerHunter]

Pretty rare, congrats on the trophy!

[dilleytech]

Fairly common to have 3 beards. remember turkey hunting is actually better usually in late may not worse. As you found out.

[253shotgunner]

dilleytech: That is interesting regarding hunting in late May. Is that due to less hunter pressure or other reasons?
Also, congrats on the triple bearder! That is a nice looking bird! 

Fairly common to have 3 beards. remember turkey hunting is actually better usually in late may not worse. As you found out.

[dilleytech]

dilleytech: That is interesting regarding hunting in late May. Is that due to less hunter pressure or other reasons?
Also, congrats on the triple bearder! That is a nice looking bird! 

Fairly common to have 3 beards. remember turkey hunting is actually better usually in late may not worse. As you found out.

Generally by late may most hunters are done hunting for them and all the hens are nesting so the toms are lonely and more willing to travel to check out a possible horny hen. If I hear a Tom gobble in late may I usually feel very confident I will at least get a chance. In April you never know if they are flocked up or not. And usually they are. The only hard turkey to kill is a mature Tom with a bunch of hens. Individual birds are easy.

[ShaneTyTrey]

Congrats on a cool bird!

[brokentrail]

dilleytech: That is interesting regarding hunting in late May. Is that due to less hunter pressure or other reasons?
Also, congrats on the triple bearder! That is a nice looking bird! 

Fairly common to have 3 beards. remember turkey hunting is actually better usually in late may not worse. As you found out.

Generally by late may most hunters are done hunting for them and all the hens are nesting so the toms are lonely and more willing to travel to check out a possible horny hen. If I hear a Tom gobble in late may I usually feel very confident I will at least get a chance. In April you never know if they are flocked up or not. And usually they are. The only hard turkey to kill is a mature Tom with a bunch of hens. Individual birds are easy.

 

[tvandy45]

Thank you for all of the comments/input guys! Appreciate it.

Best of luck to you all the rest of the season if you plan on going out.