# Do all jakes have a beard?



## Jager Pro (Nov 8, 2013)

So I'm out the field right now so I can't go into much detail. I saw two turkeys, both had red heads and necks, and feathers stopped at the base of the neck. I had a clear shot on one of them however I couldn't see a beard, so I held off. The thick brush obscured the chest so I'm guessing that it could have covered up a small beard, but I didn't see anything hanging down. I numbed them deeper into the brush and believe that I might get a second chance tonight. Would it be unethical to take a shot without seeing the beard?


----------



## No Deer (Nov 24, 2005)

I don't know for sure, but would guess that all jakes have beards, and if not, they are not legal to shoot in the spring.

As far as ethical to shoot at a turkey without seeing a beard, I believe it would be, not to mention opening you up to possibly shooting a turkey illegally. 

According to the regulations:
2014 Spring turkey 
Hunting
17
Bag Limit
One bearded turkey per licensed hunter. 
It is unlawful to take or possess a turkey 
that does not have a beard,


Do you think it would be unethical to shoot a deer if you could not see its' head when you only have an anterless license?


----------



## bishs (Aug 30, 2000)

Law states you can shoot one bearded turkey. Hen or gobbler. Some young jakes have tiny beards not visible. Best to pass on them


----------



## cedarlkDJ (Sep 2, 2002)

*Do all jakes have a beard?*

Good question. Remember, a beard has to poke through a few inches of breast feathers. I've seen a nub or none, turn out to be a 4-5" beard. I've seen some pretty small jakes, probably late hatches from the year before. They looked like a big chicken. You will know a nice jake when you see one.


----------



## Jager Pro (Nov 8, 2013)

bishs said:


> Law states you can shoot one bearded turkey. Hen or gobbler. Some young jakes have tiny beards not visible. Best to pass on them


I have an hour left until hunting is over. I think I'll just go back to the truck, take a break and hunt the last 30 minutes, try to catch them going back to the roost


----------



## Jager Pro (Nov 8, 2013)

cedarlkDJ said:


> *Do all jakes have a beard?*
> 
> Good question. Remember, a beard has to poke through a few inches of breast feathers. I've seen a nub or none, turn out to be a 4-5" beard. I've seen some pretty small jakes, probably late hatches from the year before. They looked like a big chicken. You will know a nice jake when you see one.


If the beard doesn't poke through all the way is it still a beard?


----------



## TSS Caddis (Mar 15, 2002)

Jager Pro said:


> If the beard doesn't poke through all the way is it still a beard?


Yes.

Not all male turkeys have a beard. The law should read like Missouri's and allow for a tom, jake or bearded hen. Michigan just feels that we r not competent enough to know the difference between turkey's without seeing a beard. If you can't tell what you r shooting by the head, you should not be in the woods.


----------



## Jager Pro (Nov 8, 2013)

TSS Caddis said:


> Yes.
> 
> Not all male turkeys have a beard. The law should read like Missouri's and allow for a tom, jake or bearded hen. Michigan just feels that we r not competent enough to know the difference between turkey's without seeing a beard. If you can't tell what you r shooting by the head, you should not be in the woods.


I like that law better. It was definitely a male turkey, I just couldn't see the beard so I held off on the shot.


----------



## RMH (Jan 17, 2009)

Great decision not to shoot. Persistence kills turkeys....just keep after them and enjoy your hunts.


----------



## TSS Caddis (Mar 15, 2002)

Jager Pro said:


> I like that law better. It was definitely a male turkey, I just couldn't see the beard so I held off on the shot.


Figured I'd post up the exact verbiage:

Season Limit: Two male turkeys or turkeys with a 
visible beard may be taken during the season


Missouri's handles the intent, to take male turkeys.


----------



## multibeard (Mar 3, 2002)

When turkey hunting was in it's infancy back in around 1980, I attended a huge turkey seminar in Okemos. 

In one of the classes a DNR biologist said that if it has a red/white/blue head. struts or gobbles shoot it is a tom and it will have a beard.

Well the strut part got thrown out the window when I had a hen throw a quick strut in front of a newbie turkey hunter. I have never had a hen gobble but I have heard of it happening.

I think that the beardless jakes in the spring are as mentioned before late hatched birds from last summer. The beard is probably their but has not grown long enough to show past the feathers.

I had a couple of 1/2 inch beards from fall shot young jakes of the year.


----------



## Bullet6911 (Jul 1, 2012)

I've seen at least 3 different confirmed toms this year ( yes I said toms) without beards! Very frustrating. Even though I tagged out almost a month ago I'm still taking friends out and after working on some of,these birds for a good chunk of,the day it is very hard to pass a beardless mature gobbler but I suppose we didn't have a choice. 

Sent from my VS980 4G using Ohub Campfire mobile app


----------



## DEDGOOSE (Jan 19, 2007)

multibeard said:


> In one of the classes a DNR biologist said that if it has a red/white/blue head. struts or gobbles shoot it is a tom and it will have a beard.


If it has a full fan shoot it IMO.. I cannot say I have ever seen a male bird without the makings of a beard. Not saying there are not birds that never grow a beard, just have never seen it. Beard rot is pretty common and a amber tipped one inch beard is not always visible given angle or lighting..

In my GFs 2-3-4 season we had 8 gobblers in a field.. Hit the call and they made a death march.. THey dipped in a hole and she asked which one to shoot.. I said "Shoot the strutter" Well they popped over the hill and the one bird strutting had no visible beard.. She pulled off and killed another, strutter most likely had 1.5 inch spurs. :lol: Still take flack over "Shoot the Strutter"

I seriously do not understand our visible beard law... If our law is based on the premise of identification it scares me to be in the woods


----------



## Liver and Onions (Nov 24, 2000)

Bullet6911 said:


> I've seen at least 3 different confirmed toms this year ( yes I said toms) without beards!
> .................


I have been doing the turkey thing for about 20 years and I have never heard anyone talking about seeing a beardless tom.
No chance that you saw the same tom 3 times ?
Anyone else ever see a beardless tom ?

L & O


----------



## benster (Jul 31, 2006)

TSS Caddis said:


> Yes.
> 
> Not all male turkeys have a beard. The law should read like Missouri's and allow for a tom, jake or bearded hen. Michigan just feels that we r not competent enough to know the difference between turkey's without seeing a beard. If you can't tell what you r shooting by the head, you should not be in the woods.










Liver and Onions said:


> I have been doing the turkey thing for about 20 years and I have never heard anyone talking about seeing a beardless tom.
> No chance that you saw the same tom 3 times ?
> Anyone else ever see a beardless tom ?
> 
> L & O


Had 2 Jakes at 10 yards sat one did not have a beard and I had to wait till the other one turned to see a small beard. And yes I took it. I actually pushed 4 toms to my friends and one of them took the big one we were watching, 11 inch beard. When he shot the Jakes ran right to me. This was Emmett country up north. Every tom we saw had a hen and were not responding to calls very well.

Sent from my DROID BIONIC using Ohub Campfire mobile app


----------



## benster (Jul 31, 2006)

[/IMG]

Sent from my DROID BIONIC using Ohub Campfire mobile app


----------

