Didnt realize there was a change

[megalomaniac]

So if I kill a Jake and then I go hunt again and kill a Tom that has a complete fan or half inch long spur but only has a 4 inch beard it is still considered a mature Tom. Is that correct?

if you kill a jake, you can kill any bird with a beard for your second bird that ISN"T a jake. Beard length is irrelevent. just has to have a beard and NOT be a jake.

 

[megalomaniac]

Clear as mud
View attachment 223095

the regs define what an adult bird is... however, those defining characteristics are irrelevant when it comes to whether the bird is legal to kill or not. If it doesn't have a beard, it's not legal to kill. Doesnt matter what you kill, whether adult or juvenile, male or female. BUT you can only kill one jake.

 

[Southern Sportsman]

So if I kill a Jake and then I go hunt again and kill a Tom that has a complete fan or half inch long spur but only has a 4 inch beard it is still considered a mature Tom. Is that correct?

Yes, THAT part is correct.

It has to be bearded to be legal in the first place.

If bearded, it is considered an "Adult" (doesn't count against the 1-jake limit) IF:
1) The beard is 6"+
2) The primary tail feathers are the same length
3) It has at least one spur that is 1/2"+; OR
4) Primary wing feathers are barred all the way to the tip.

A 30 lb gobbler with a full fan, 2" spurs, and fully barred wings is illegal if it doesn't have a beard.

A hen full of eggs yet to be laid is legal to kill if she has a few 3" beard strands.

 

[peytoncreekhunter]

Yes, THAT part is correct.

It has to be bearded to be legal in the first place.

If bearded, it is considered an "Adult" (doesn't count against the 1-jake limit) IF:
1) The beard is 6"+
2) The primary tail feathers are the same length
3) It has at least one spur that is 1/2"+; OR
4) Primary wing feathers are barred all the way to the tip.

A 30 lb gobbler with a full fan, 2" spurs, and fully barred wings is illegal if it doesn't have a beard.

A hen full of eggs yet to be laid is legal to kill if she has a few 3" beard strands.

 

[timberjack86]

Verbatim from 13MAY23 executed proclamation:

View attachment 223102

So according to part c and i as long as a gobbler or hen has tail feathers the same length you can legally harvest it?????
Edit- nevermind I'm just gonna shoot a mature gobbler anyway lol

 

[Dennis]

All male turkeys have beards, but some beards get broken off near the skin. I've seen plenty like that (broken off) where you couldn't see it until you parted the feathers. But they still had one. If I know a bird is a male, I'm also certain it has a beard. Might be 1/8 inch long, but it has one.

 

[Dennis]

On a property I owned there was a turkey that had huge body, big thick beard, and long spurs. But had the grayish head of a hen with no snood to speak of, never gobbled or strutted. Hung out with the hens and acted like a hen. I wasn't sure what its deal was, so never shot it.

 

[TITANSFAN2104]

If the turkey has no beard, then technically you cant. Our regs permit one "bearded turkey" per day; two "bearded turkeys" per year; only one "bearded turkey" per season may be a jake. So they (poorly) define the difference between a jake and gobbler, but a beardless gobbler doesn't meet the initial requirement of being a "bearded turkey."

So two hens with 4" beards? - totally legal season limit.

A 6 yr old gobbler with 1.5" spurs but no beard? — not legal in TN.

It's one of the dumbest rules in TN's hunting regs.

I was referring to the beard rot comment.

 

[woodsman04]

I'll continue to shoot adult gobblers only no matter what. Beard or no beard. Spurs or no spurs. I've killed a few jakes that came in like a long beard, and one or two that I got mixed up heads when several birds together. I will not on purpose shoot a Jake.
But if I'm hunting my ridges and set up to where I shoot as soon as his head pops up, and it happens to be a Jake, then that is just bad luck. I try not to, but it happens. I hope it doesn't happen again, but I'm sure it will one of these days.

Beard length means little to me, although the 10"plus paint brushes are awesome. Spurs get me excited, but that's something you don't notice until you walk up. I could care less about the weigh although I weigh every one of them. I actually think it's cooler to kill the 16-17 pound hardwood gobblers than the 20-22lb ag area gobblers. I just like trying to maneuver, call them up and shoot them. I like the game.

 

[Southern Sportsman]

I'll continue to shoot adult gobblers only no matter what. Beard or no beard. Spurs or no spurs. I've killed a few jakes that came in like a long beard, and one or two that I got mixed up heads when several birds together. I will not on purpose shoot a Jake.
But if I'm hunting my ridges and set up to where I shoot as soon as his head pops up, and it happens to be a Jake, then that is just bad luck. I try not to, but it happens. I hope it doesn't happen again, but I'm sure it will one of these days.

Beard length means little to me, although the 10"plus paint brushes are awesome. Spurs get me excited, but that's something you don't notice until you walk up. I could care less about the weigh although I weigh every one of them. I actually think it's cooler to kill the 16-17 pound hardwood gobblers than the 20-22lb ag area gobblers. I just like trying to maneuver, call them up and shoot them. I like the game.

Agree with this 100%

 

[REN]

if he has a full fan and playing the game is all I care out. Beard and spurs are cool but if it had no beard and no spurs id be just as happy as big ones. I just want a full fan and coming to a call.

 

[Bgoodman30]

Y'all are literally splitting hairs here... Just shoot your legal birds. You know the difference and so does the game warden... No one is getting nabbed for this.

 

[Southern Sportsman]

Y'all are literally splitting hairs here... Just shoot your legal birds. You know the difference and so does the game warden... No one is getting nabbed for this.

If we're splitting hairs, we are doing so figuratively, not literally. And you may be right about "nobody getting nabbed" for this. If I call in a turkey that I know to be an adult gobbler, he's getting shot. That's not my concern. But laws/rules/regulations should be logical, clear, and concise when possible. To see TN concoct such a stupid regulation with conflicting definitions, rather than saying "one male turkey per day, two male turkeys per year, only one of which may be a jake" is frustrating. Especially since everyone agrees that hens should generally be protected in the spring, but our current regulation exists specifically so that the killing of hens is NOT prohibited. If our Fish and Wildlife commission trusted TN turkey hunters to differentiate between a hen turkey and a male turkey, the rule would simply specify "male turkey."

 

[Bgoodman30]

If we're splitting hairs, we are doing so figuratively, not literally. And you may be right about "nobody getting nabbed" for this. If I call in a turkey that I know to be an adult gobbler, he's getting shot. That's not my concern. But laws/rules/regulations should be logical, clear, and concise when possible. To see TN concoct such a stupid regulation with conflicting definitions, rather than saying "one male turkey per day, two male turkeys per year, only one of which may be a jake" is frustrating. Especially since everyone agrees that hens should generally be protected in the spring, but our current regulation exists specifically so that the killing of hens is NOT prohibited. If our Fish and Wildlife commission trusted TN turkey hunters to differentiate between a hen turkey and a male turkey, the rule would simply specify "male turkey."

Yes my comment was directed to the participants in this forum. Sadly some of the general public are too stupid to know the difference...

 

[Joe2Kool]

On a property I owned there was a turkey that had huge body, big thick beard, and long spurs. But had the grayish head of a hen with no snood to speak of, never gobbled or strutted. Hung out with the hens and acted like a hen. I wasn't sure what its deal was, so never shot it.

Transgender.

 

[Joe2Kool]

Whether you agree with the regulations or not, they seem pretty clear to me.