Post by: dawei on April 21, 2011, 11:12:34 PM
Beware of contracting turkey hunting services with Jerry!
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Post by: Jerbear on April 22, 2011, 12:47:47 AM
Post by: carpsniperg2 on April 22, 2011, 01:23:19 AM
Post by: wannabhntr on April 22, 2011, 06:23:11 AM
Post by: BOWHUNTER45 on April 22, 2011, 07:18:34 AM
Post by: mossy8352 on April 22, 2011, 07:50:58 AM
Post by: Wacenturion on April 22, 2011, 08:16:22 AM
No beard? Is that a legal bird there?
Yes....Gobblers or birds with visible beards.
Post by: GoldTip on April 22, 2011, 08:27:05 AM
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.
Post by: logger on April 22, 2011, 09:46:09 AM
Post by: dawei on April 22, 2011, 10:14:48 AM
Post by: lokidog on April 22, 2011, 10:24:16 AM
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. :chuckle:
Post by: bearpaw on April 22, 2011, 10:51:27 AM
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.
Post by: Wacenturion on April 22, 2011, 11:19:32 AM
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.
Post by: GoldTip on April 22, 2011, 11:35:48 AM
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.
Post by: dawei on April 22, 2011, 11:48:10 AM
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. :o Obviously Jerbear needs remedial training in calling techniques, and; identifying bearded birds. :rolleyes: (I will head up this effort and place donation boxes at all the adult video bookstores in Klickitat county.)
Post by: lokidog on April 22, 2011, 12:14:37 PM
Post by: Jerbear on April 22, 2011, 12:18:56 PM
Post by: Wacenturion on April 22, 2011, 01:20:59 PM
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.
Post by: GoldTip on April 22, 2011, 01:22:45 PM
Post by: bearpaw on April 22, 2011, 01:31:09 PM
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.
Post by: JKEEN33 on April 22, 2011, 02:04:10 PM
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.
Post by: BOWHUNTER45 on April 22, 2011, 02:39:52 PM
Plus birds get beard rot which occurs when the weather is to cold and they loose them .... or for whatever other reason ....
Post by: Jerbear on April 23, 2011, 12:48:58 PM
Post by: wannabhntr on April 23, 2011, 01:30:41 PM
Post by: turkeydancer on April 23, 2011, 06:16:00 PM
Post by: lokidog on April 23, 2011, 09:28:28 PM
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? :dunno:
Post by: turkeydancer on April 24, 2011, 07:24:07 AM
Post by: lokidog on April 24, 2011, 08:30:33 AM
Duct Tape and Superglue ... :chuckle: :chuckle: :chuckle:
They got mad at me last time I did that with antlers.... :dunno: :chuckle:
Post by: turkeydancer on April 24, 2011, 02:23:32 PM
Post by: one more on April 24, 2011, 03:34:39 PM
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
Post by: bearpaw on April 24, 2011, 03:43:03 PM
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? :dunno:
The regs used to say proof of sex, but this year they say fully feathered head must be attached. :yike:
I would keep the head and make sure I didn't cut off the beard or legs (spurs) until I was home. :twocents:
Post by: dawei on April 27, 2011, 07:50:17 PM
Post by: dawei on April 29, 2011, 07:53:31 PM
Post by: Deer slayer on April 29, 2011, 09:12:25 PM
Post by: dawei on April 30, 2011, 07:22:49 AM
(Seriously maybe I/we should call the biologist and see what he knows about this problem.)