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Beardless Tom

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bowhunter16

New Member
I went out Monday morning the 10th of May and was fortunate enough to harvest this guy. I was set up in an area where i knew there were turkeys, but there was only one group gobbling a long ways off. I sat and hoped my light calling here and there would bring in a turkey. It got to be about 7:00 and i thought it would be a good time for a little nap. As i was laying there half asleep, I heard something running through the leaves. I picked up my head expecting to see a squirrel, but instead this guy was 15 yards away pecking at my tom decoy. I was looking for a beard just to make sure he was a tom and thought i saw a short one tucked in close to his body. After manuevering my hands out of my pockets and bringing the gun up for a shot I was able to drop him in his tracks! When i went up to look at his "beard" I realized that what i saw was a couple of big nasty black scabs where the beard should have been. He was also missing a lot of feathers in this area as well. Any speculations as to why this guy didnt have a beard? He was a male turkey, he just didn't have a beard.

He weighed 22 lbs.
Sharp 1 inch hooks
0 in. beard


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Good looking fan on that bird! I'd guess he got his butt kicked by another tom and lost the beard in the fight. Spurs can rip parts off!
 
That's probably one of the toms I caught this season with my bare hands. I usually just tear the beard off and let them go for another year. :D :D

OK, seriously, I suspect it lost its' beard in a fight or something, nice bird, congats!!
 
Beard rot. I know that we shot a few birds in SD that had this a few years back. Mature toms with 1-2" beards.

Kratz
 
His leg looks a little torn up too. I'm guessing a fight or a critter trying to make him dinner. :) Great bird otherwise though! :way:
 
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