Klickitat Has "Transvestite" Gobblers!

[dawei]

I contracted with the "Jerbear" Klickitat Turkey Hunting Guide Service, Bed, Bath, Bordello, Hair Care Salon, Tire Shop and Adult Video & Bookstore to hunt Merriam Gobblers in the Klickitat River Gorge. Jerbear his obnoxious self was my guide. I guess I should have hunted at Safeway, Albertsons, or QFC. As you can see the gobbler Jerry called up for me has no beard! It was a dirty trick on his part from the start as he had me hunt non productive areas for the first four days. He hiked me up & down canyons and had me wear out two sets of boot leather and six turkey calls. On Tuesday, 04/19, he blind folded me and took me handcuffed and bound somewhere new to turkey hunt. He did the calling and I should have known something was up as he called with a lisp! He further made me hunt in the shade; so I couldn't make out this particular gobbler's features too well. I knew it was a gobbler however as he was in full strut coming in. It was only after the shot I discovered the gobbler had no beard. Jerry told me it was one of the famous Klickitat "Transvestite Gobblers". I felt cheated, I suspect he caught the poor bird as a poult and rubbed RogaineŽ all over it's breast!

Beware of contracting turkey hunting services with Jerry!

[Jerbear]

Folks, I must say that most of what Dave said is true..  Also, he could have pointed out how handsome I am.  But to set the record straight, he did not wear out leather boots.  He wears ballet slippers, in a swashbuckling mosey oak pattern.  Also it was a lucky shot, considering he was using a pink Red Ryder BB gun.

[carpsniperg2]

Klickitat? Heck thats a centerville turkey! LOL It just migrated north a little ways.

[wannabhntr]

No beard? Is that a legal bird there?

[BOWHUNTER45]

NO.... So delete this one !!!!!! no beard no legal .........

[mossy8352]

That is funny!

[Wacenturion]

No beard? Is that a legal bird there?

Yes....Gobblers or birds with visible beards.

[GoldTip]

No beard? Is that a legal bird there?

Yes....Gobblers or birds with visible beards.

So I guess my next question is this, how exactly do you determine it's a Gobbler if there is no beard?  Just by virtue that it is strutting?  I have passed on birds in the past that were strutting but had no beard, so I guess how do you prove it's a Gobbler if there is no beard?

Great looking bird Dawei, but I would have passed on him with no beard as I wouldn't have thought he was legal to prove he was a gobbler.  I guess I need to learn more about Turkeys.

[logger]

nice bird, congrats to you, I did hear jerry was going to buy an old skidder and start his own klick wildlife tow co. and guide service, that way he could guide you down the wrong road, double his money on your trip.

[dawei]

Well the bird did have a small (1 1/8") beard that Jerbear & I found while plucking the bird. It just wasn't visible until we cleaned the bird.

[lokidog]

No beard? Is that a legal bird there?

Yes....Gobblers or birds with visible beards.

So I guess my next question is this, how exactly do you determine it's a Gobbler if there is no beard?  Just by virtue that it is strutting?  I have passed on birds in the past that were strutting but had no beard, so I guess how do you prove it's a Gobbler if there is no beard?

Great looking bird Dawei, but I would have passed on him with no beard as I wouldn't have thought he was legal to prove he was a gobbler.  I guess I need to learn more about Turkeys.

I had a hen strut at a hen decoy a few years back. Crazy thing to see, she fanned her tail and did the side stepping thing.

I would say, if it has a bright red head and is gobbling, it's probably a gobbler, even without a visible beard.   

[bearpaw]

No beard? Is that a legal bird there?

Yes....Gobblers or birds with visible beards.

So I guess my next question is this, how exactly do you determine it's a Gobbler if there is no beard?  Just by virtue that it is strutting?  I have passed on birds in the past that were strutting but had no beard, so I guess how do you prove it's a Gobbler if there is no beard?

Great looking bird Dawei, but I would have passed on him with no beard as I wouldn't have thought he was legal to prove he was a gobbler.  I guess I need to learn more about Turkeys.

This attachment should help.

[Wacenturion]

No beard? Is that a legal bird there?

Yes....Gobblers or birds with visible beards.

So I guess my next question is this, how exactly do you determine it's a Gobbler if there is no beard?  Just by virtue that it is strutting?  I have passed on birds in the past that were strutting but had no beard, so I guess how do you prove it's a Gobbler if there is no beard?

Great looking bird Dawei, but I would have passed on him with no beard as I wouldn't have thought he was legal to prove he was a gobbler.  I guess I need to learn more about Turkeys.

Regulations say.......

Statewide April 15 - May 31, 2011
Hunting hours are one half
hour before sunrise
to sunset during spring
seasons
Gobblers and
Turkeys with
visible beards
ONLY


To answer your question it is up to the hunter to be sure he is taking a gobbler or bird with visible beard, which could be a hen with a beard.  The visible beard part was inserted to avoid having someone see a hen with a beard, shoot it thinking it was tom, and then realizing it wasn't and thus leaving it in the field to avoid a ticket.

To identify a gobbler....no not just strutting.  It's an identification issue.  If you are a turkey hunter and have studied and spent time in the field....you know what a gobbler looks like.  Most if not all gobblers, including jakes will have beards or stubs protruding out and are visible.  So that is not an issue.  Hens with a beard are legal if you choose to harvest one....which I would not recommend if possible.  They produce our birds.  Gobblers like the one in this thread, without a visible beard showing, are obviously identified by what makes a gobbler....size, coloration, mannerisms like strutting or gobbling while coming in.

One however should not have to rely on guessing.  If one is not comfortable in the fact it may or may not be a legal bird, then avoid shooting it.  The chances of ever being in a situation like the one described here are rare.

[GoldTip]

Thanks for that PDF Dale, that is helpful.  Seems the easiest thing to look for is the snood.  Guess I should be looking closer for that. 

3 years ago passed on a strutting, what I would have sworn was a tom, he was standing right next to another tom and appeared to be identical, shape, fan, color, but no beard.  It was me and a hunting buddy in the blind and he had first shot, would have been cool to double, but we only shot the one with a beard.  Guess I will look closer next time for a "snood".  Thanks guys.

[dawei]

All kidding aside for a moment, there was no doubt this was a gobbler; - he came in gobbling and strutting all the way.

Now to return to the humorous - This is clearly all Jerbear's fault! He "limp wristed" his striker using a NWTF Aluminum pot call. This resulted in the call producing yelps with a lisp, instead  of being raspy. Obviously Jerbear needs remedial training in calling techniques, and; identifying bearded birds.  (I will head up this effort and place donation boxes at all the adult video bookstores in Klickitat county.)

[lokidog]

You should be happy with his "ability" to call both ways... that way he can get the toms in that ignore everyone else's feminine calling.  Did it have any jewelry pierced through it's snood?   

[Jerbear]

I thunk I have hunted them long enough, and killed enough of them to know the difference.  I didn't really think any thing would come in.  Once He started coming in, I put on my gloves and face mask.  Now this bird was hot and he made no hesitation about coming in.  The whole thing was over in  less than 5 minutes.  Dave just had time to put his mirror up from putting his face camo on.  I wasn't aware Revlon made camo make up.  Live and learn

[Wacenturion]

Thanks for that PDF Dale, that is helpful.  Seems the easiest thing to look for is the snood.  Guess I should be looking closer for that. 

3 years ago passed on a strutting, what I would have sworn was a tom, he was standing right next to another tom and appeared to be identical, shape, fan, color, but no beard.  It was me and a hunting buddy in the blind and he had first shot, would have been cool to double, but we only shot the one with a beard.  Guess I will look closer next time for a "snood".  Thanks guys.

Just consider yourself an ethical turkey hunter....or ethical hunter for that matter.  Hunting is so much more than harvesting as your decision illustrates.  Give yourself a big pat on the back....you earned it.   

[GoldTip]

I'm just glad I read this posting, I will have to start paying more attention to thing like the snood and not just focusing on seeing the beard.  Good to know.

[bearpaw]

We kill 3 or 4 birds most seasons with no visible beard. I have been told that turkeys can get beard mites which chew off the beard, don't know if that is true, but on these birds we would find a short, beard maybe a half inch long hidden under breast feathers. Looked as if it was either chewed off or burnt off. 

But look at the difference in the head on that pdf I posted, once you become familiar with that overall difference in looks, the head is all you really need to see. But as Wacenturion eluded, don't shoot unless you are sure.

[JKEEN33]

I'm just glad I read this posting, I will have to start paying more attention to thing like the snood and not just focusing on seeing the beard.  Good to know.

Coloring is the giveaway for me. Toms and hens are different colors. Once you have seen enough of them it is easy to tell the difference.

[BOWHUNTER45]

   Plus birds get beard rot which occurs when the weather is to cold and they loose them .... or for whatever other reason ....

[Jerbear]

When we picked the feathers, we found a small beard.  The base of the beard was large, but also full of mites.  The whole bird had mites.  He was healthy, but no visible beard.  I did not know mites could do that.  Thanks for the info.

[wannabhntr]

Congrats and good job. I thougjt the regs stated only birds with visible beards. I didnt realize it also said gobblers. I am awate of how to tell toms and hens apart, but like I said, I thoight the regs read differently. Have passed numerous jakrs with no visible beard.

[turkeydancer]

FYI - The regs now also say you have to leave the head attached for transport ... don't cut it off until you get home.

[lokidog]

FYI - The regs now also say you have to leave the head attached for transport ... don't cut it off until you get home.

What if you shoot it's head off?   

[turkeydancer]

Duct Tape and Superglue ... 

[lokidog]

Duct Tape and Superglue ... 

They got mad at me last time I did that with antlers....      

[turkeydancer]

   Staples ??

[one more]

Congratulations David,
That is a beautiful bird.

Both sexes have a snod, the hen's is 1/2 - 1", with tiny feathers sticking out and it points kind of up.  But the tom's is longer, fleshy, pendulous and red when he's excited.  I've seen a hen with a white head, so don't go by that.   Toms have red caruncles, those lumpy things hanging down from his neck in front over his feathers.  Hens don't have anything like that.
Diane

[bearpaw]

FYI - The regs now also say you have to leave the head attached for transport ... don't cut it off until you get home.

What if you shoot it's head off?   

The regs used to say proof of sex, but this year they say fully feathered head must be attached. 
I would keep the head and make sure I didn't cut off the beard or legs (spurs) until I was home. 

[dawei]

Very sound advice, (which I followed).

[dawei]

I'm thinking of going back down to the Klickitat and try to fill my second tag, I think I'll have Cathy do the calling however.

[Deer slayer]

After reading this post my hunting partner and I went hunting.  He killed a mature tom with no beard.  After plucking it the bird had a 1/2 inch stubble beard.  We knew without a doubt that it was a tom.  We have seen about a dozen jakes with no beards.  My bird and my dad's bird had about an 8 inch beard but was very thinned out.  Not like past birds we have killed here.  Another one of my friends killed a tom with a short thin beard.  My bird was covered with mites.  All of this happened within 15 miles of Dave's bird.  Klickitat birds must have a mite problem.

[dawei]

Did Jerbear call in your bird? Was he your guide? If so I bet he 'limp wristed' the striker resulting in a call with a lisp! Please post a pic or two of your transvestite bird when able.

(Seriously maybe I/we should call the biologist and see  what he knows about this problem.)