Hunting Washington Forum

Other Hunting => Turkey Hunting => Topic started by: tvandy45 on May 23, 2021, 07:46:29 PM

Title: Triple Bearded Tom???
Post by: tvandy45 on May 23, 2021, 07:46:29 PM: 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 :bdid: I guess thats part of the game
Title: Re: Triple Bearded Tom???
Post by: carpsniperg2 on May 23, 2021, 08:05:01 PM: 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.
Title: Re: Triple Bearded Tom???
Post by: idaho guy on May 23, 2021, 08:08:55 PM: :yeah: 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 :dunno: Nice Tom !!
Title: Re: Triple Bearded Tom???
Post by: brokentrail on May 23, 2021, 08:13:17 PM: I killed a triple beard this year and that was a first for me as well. Congrats!
Title: Re: Triple Bearded Tom???
Post by: Limhangerslayer on May 23, 2021, 08:32:04 PM: 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.
Title: Re: Triple Bearded Tom???
Post by: builtfordtough on May 23, 2021, 08:34:04 PM: 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!
Title: Re: Triple Bearded Tom???
Post by: HUNTINCOUPLE on May 23, 2021, 09:31:03 PM: Great bird! Will score very high in the books. I would definitely hit up the quicky mart for a lottery ticket!!!!!
Title: Re: Triple Bearded Tom???
Post by: johnbmyersii on May 24, 2021, 06:36:43 AM: Congrats! I got a triple beard this year too. Hell of an experience, super rare, possibly once in a lifetime bird.
Title: Re: Triple Bearded Tom???
Post by: Gobble on May 24, 2021, 06:40:31 AM: My brother shot one a few years back with 5 beards
Title: Re: Triple Bearded Tom???
Post by: TheStovePipeKid on May 24, 2021, 08:35:46 AM: Great bird. Way to get it done. Definitely rare.
Title: Re: Triple Bearded Tom???
Post by: HikerHunter on May 24, 2021, 09:20:19 AM: Pretty rare, congrats on the trophy!
Title: Re: Triple Bearded Tom???
Post by: dilleytech on May 24, 2021, 11:28:44 AM: Fairly common to have 3 beards. remember turkey hunting is actually better usually in late may not worse. As you found out.
Title: Re: Triple Bearded Tom???
Post by: 253shotgunner on May 25, 2021, 08:43:19 AM: 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! :IBCOOL:

Quote from: dilleytech on May 24, 2021, 11:28:44 AM
Fairly common to have 3 beards. remember turkey hunting is actually better usually in late may not worse. As you found out.
Title: Re: Triple Bearded Tom???
Post by: dilleytech on May 25, 2021, 12:25:50 PM: Quote from: 253shotgunner on May 25, 2021, 08:43:19 AM
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! :IBCOOL:

Quote from: dilleytech on May 24, 2021, 11:28:44 AM
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.
Title: Re: Triple Bearded Tom???
Post by: ShaneTyTrey on May 26, 2021, 09:20:18 AM: Congrats on a cool bird!
Title: Re: Triple Bearded Tom???
Post by: brokentrail on May 26, 2021, 09:27:09 AM: Quote from: dilleytech on May 25, 2021, 12:25:50 PM
Quote from: 253shotgunner on May 25, 2021, 08:43:19 AM
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! :IBCOOL:

Quote from: dilleytech on May 24, 2021, 11:28:44 AM
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.

:yeah:
Title: Re: Triple Bearded Tom???
Post by: tvandy45 on May 26, 2021, 11:07:24 AM: 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.