Beard Rot?

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DPH

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Jun 16, 2003
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Dresden
Shot this turkey in Ky. Noticed it had a full fan but short beard.After walking up on him I noticed the beard was bout 6" long but looked like it had been cut with scissors. Bird weighed 22 lbs with 1 1/8" spurs. Only thing I could think of was beard rot, what do you guys think. Anybody seen this before?
Kytkywitbeardrot.jpg
 
trim job gone bad ? :) i thought the rot was at the skin where it attaches ? somebody will come along & tell ya for sure though,mike243
 
No biologist, by any stretch, but I have shot birds with beard rot of various appearances...most of time the end that "rotted" "appears" to have been dipped in a different shade or color, sometimes darker sometimes lighter...and often (but not always) the ends appear clipped evenly as with scissors.

My guess is beard rot, too.

Either way, great bird! Congrats. Bet it tasted anything but rotten!
 
Wish i'd known about the turkey contest before season, my buddy and I killed 11. Both limited out in TN, 1 apiece in KY and he got 1 in MO. Contest on for next yr, anyone know yet. Anything like that for deer season?
 
Also called beard burn. I hear it is caused by a fungus and usually ends up with a shortened beard with the individual "hairs" being a lighter brown in color right on the end.
About 5 years ago my then 14 or 15 year old son killed 3 mature gobblers in the first 5 days of the season. On the third one, on Wendnesday, he called me excited that he had killed #3 but a little disturbed too. I met him at home and he came in kind of whimpering, almost to tears. I said "son, what's wrong"? He sniffled and said "I didn't mean to kill a jake! I didn't want to kill a jake! I know I saw a full fan on this bird, but it's only got a 3" beard but it's got 1" spurs!" I said "son, it ain't a jake if it's got 1" spurs! It's got beard burn." Sure enough, nice mature gobbler, but with only a 3" beard! He felt better then! Guess that's what daddy's are for.
 
It doesn't look to have beard rot to me(the ends would have orange looking tips.) I have killed several birds before with beard rot and there is always a very visible coloration on the tips. I also have one that the entire beard is that color. It is strange that the beard it so clean cut but I just don't think it was beard rot that caused it.
 
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