Great bird! Congrats!

For sure it ain't about the beard when they got spurs like that and a full fan!!

That's a good one. Congratulations to all of the family. Your getting it done.i have a couple buddies from work down in West Virginia hunting this week and they keep teasing me with the birds they have taken this week.again congrats

Never shot one with beard rot but did shoot a tom that was heavy in weight, long beard, and no spurs. I guess he just really flogged with his wings when he fought.

Normally the tips of the beard have like yellow burn look. Zac had an opportunity at a bird this past weekend that appeared to have NO beard whatsoever. He had a full fan and I could see spurs, but as bare chested as he could be. We were bantering back and forth the entire time it was coming in, with hm saying it’s a jake it doesn’t have a beard and me telling him a jake ain’t got a full fan and spurs like that. A tree I couldn’t see was in the way so no shot opportunity, lol.
I once spent over 1.5hrs battling a bird in a swamp only to finally get him in and he had a stubby. I was thinking there’s no way this bird is a jake! We went in strut with a full fan and the trigger was pulled. He sported 1.25” spurs and a 3” beard, lol.

The real fun is gonna happen in the morning!
Almost 7 year old grandson is off school tomorrow. We’re gonna get after the turkeys lol.
I’ve got a couple birds at my house that I’ve saved for him to get first crack at.
It’ll be a blast. He killed a buncha squirrels and a couple deer last year. I have full confidence that if I can get a gobbler in front of him he’ll smoke him.

Shot a bird like that in Vermont last year. 2.5" beard, full fan, 20 something pounds, 1 inch spurs. No yellow/gold tips. No sign of beard rot/mites

You have to check birds in up there and the guy at the check station gave me a phone number to the area turkey biologist. He claimed that the snow gets deep enough and it gets cold enough that when long beards feed in the winter they can freeze their beards to the ground and pull them completely out. Like a lizards tail they will grow another beard back. First I had ever seen of it, but he said they see it frequently up there.

Coondagger2,
Never had a snow down here near Florida line and I've seen several birds with beard rot. Have never heard what causes that. Probably some kind of fungus.

Beautiful birds' thanks for sharing.

We get beard rot here too, but the beard will have yellow/gold tips where it is rotting. I'm not sure what causes it either

When the beard is a stub with no signs of beard rot, I think there has to be some other circumstance that happened to remove the beard from the turkey. The stub is just "regrowth"

After thinking about it.....the ones I've seen down here did have the yellow tips.

Had maybe my favorite day of turkey hunting today.
I’m not a blind and decoy guy, but hunting with a six year old there’s not much chance of being successful hunting doing my personal method of operation!
Set up a blind last night after dark. Grandson and I got in before daylight. Had 3 gobblers that tore it up in the roost to the south. Closest was about 1/2 mile. Everything got quiet after flydown. A bird started gobbling about 9:15 about a 1/4 and a half to the south. He answered me a couple times. About 9:45 a gobbler and a hen entered the field we were set up on several hundred yards south. They were feeding in our direction and got 1/3 of the way to us. At that point the gobbler saw the jake and hen decoy and totally changed his body language. He came 500 yards fast! When he stepped in next to to the jake decoy, little man smoked him!
Unreal quality turkey. 4 beards, 25.5 lbs, 1 inch spurs. Not bad for his first turkey!
Gotta admit, this old hard case might have had a little salty water in my eye!
We’ve always been buddies, and I love all my grandkids equally, but this oldest grandson and I have gotten mighty close through all the squirrel, deer, and now turkey hunting.

That's as good as it gets!

Way to go Clay!! Outstanding bird and hunt! Congrats to the grandyoungun!!

My daughter in law got her one this morning. Haven’t heard the story yet.
The last 2 mornings have been outstanding weather conditions for chasing turkeys!

Closed out my personal Missouri season this afternoon.
This is the first spring season in modern history that Missouri allowed all day turkey hunting.
Since 1960 we have had a 1pm closing time.
I’m not a supporter of this move in the middle of long term population decline, however I reckon when in Rome……………
Had a close call this morning at flydown, but I couldn’t close the deal. I was going to go to a different farm but almost back at the truck I ran into 2 gobblers following a hen. They ultimately ended up in the center of a 320 acre crop field. That started at 8am. I killed one at 5pm. Hung with those jokers for 9 hours lol.

Weather is going to crap starting tonight for at least 3 days and I’m taking the grandson this weekend,

Congrats Clay!

Some super fine gobblers you’ve downed (and helped down) so far in 2024!

Clay -

I am sure the one with the grandson will be one to remember. My wife and I doubled years ago together and my son and daughter doubled about 3 years ago when all 3 of us were together. Those are the hunts I will remember. I still have never blind hunted but might consider if I am ever blessed with grandkids. I just pray our birds make a comeback - I haven't even taken a gun to the woods yet just been calling for Josiah. I used to be able to hear 6-8 gobblers from the house and feel lucky if I can hear one these days.

That is true most places in the state Keith.
I’m sure afraid that they’re going the way of the quail. I hope I’m wrong.
Most of my hunting spots, you’re hunting 1 turkey because that’s all there is there!