Jakes will also start to develop the coloration of adult turkeys as they get older. Next, they have distinctively longer tail feathers in the middle of their tail. In areas with fewer toms, each one can mate with multiple females as it has less competition for mating partners. It requires the hunter to use their hearing skills to their best as it is based on the kind of gobble the turkey in front is producing. It can contract, expand, and change colors based on the turkeys mood. Marina has worked with a number of publications involving animal science, behavior and training, including animals.net, SmallDogsAcademy and more. Roosters are friendlier with humans but more aggressive around other roosters. This is the final proof of being a female. Jakes are young and dumb early in the season. These names can be a little confusing because it isnt always easy to tell whether youre looking at an adult turkey or a younger one just by looking at them, and their sex may not match what you would assume based on the name. Being able to know the difference between a jake and a tom is useful for this. Hens can also have some feather iridescence, but not to the same extent as gobblers. A weaker, long beard may be more willing to approach hen decoys if there is no other male decoy around, while stronger, more aggressive gobblers may come running in to kick your jake decoys out of town. The main differences are their physical features such as beards, head color, tail feathers, spurs, and behavior. All rights reserved. Only Long Beard Turkeys dont need to host multiple beards, but only rarely will you run across a Jake Turkey with multiple beards, while a Hen Turkey might also have a beard. As to their physical appearance, the head of tom turkeys do not have feathers on the top like hens do. In fact, Benjamin Franklin made the case for the turkey as the national bird of the United States! So, every encounter is different. Females have brown or white without any black tips. A turkeys beard is made up of long, thin feathers that hang down from the lower part of the chest. But opting out of some of these cookies may have an effect on your browsing experience. Some restrictions apply. Hens have small feathers on their heads. Jakes are young turkeys, its a general consensus that a Jake is a one year old turkey, so he hasnt had much time to grow his beard out. I personally don't shoot jakes but, they offer good opportunity for first time hunters (better eating too)Have fun..Its very addictive..Upland04 These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. Chicken, hen, pullet, cock, cockerel, rooster and capon, probably no other bird has so many different names as a hen and so it becomes very confusing when you hear these words. These droppings are generally about two inches in length. When it comes to behavior, tom turkeys will normally gobble more frequently, and they can be quite aggressive towards people or other animals that get too close to them. Learn about wild turkeys so you can record accurate observations for the TWRA Turkey Observation Survey. Poults grow quickly but are still noticeably smaller than hens and toms. The head is a great way to differentiate a tom from a hen as you will likely be focused on the head. Pairing the jake decoy with a hen decoy is perfect for turkey hunting in open areas where birds could come out anywhere. But when a group of jakes team up, they may be bolder than a single long beard. Because they are very similar in size, late in the summer it can be very challenging to determine if a group of similar sized turkeys is a flock of hens without poults or a hen and her older-age-class brood. However, there are many other ways to tell a hen from a tom. Meaning their small feathers get replaced by longer ones as they mature. Toms often gobble more frequently, and they can be quite territorial towards people and other animals. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); Copyright 2010-2018 Difference Between. Scale would definitely help. The beard is typically the same color as their tail. Pingback: Seven Essential Hen Turkey Sounds and What They Mean - Strutting Tom.com, For more information on jakes including whether you should shoot them or not, read our full article on the subject. On the other hand, a Long Beard Turkey has slightly longer spurs that are straight and pointed. Mike Tyson has finally ruled out a meeting with YouTube star Jake Paul for good after the pair teased a boxing fight.. Boxing legend Tyson made a heavyweight comeback of sorts in a hugely . On the other hand, hens have brown, gray, or white breast feather tips, and their overall body feathers are generally a blending of browns, grays, and whites. If youre unsure, its best to mark them as unknowns. Jakes tend to gobble a lot softer with a quick drop off. The best time to use this turkey decoy setup is early on in the season while birds are sorting out dominance. Knowing how to accurately label a turkey is required when turkey hunting. Toms will make sounds known as gobbling, spitting, drumming, and yelping. #bonecollector #bowfest #partner, Posted by Michael Waddell's Bone Collector on Tuesday, April 16, 2019. The snood is a fleshy protuberance on the head that extends from the beak and goes up towards the forehead. For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding. The males fleshy red coloration can be seen when they are excited or display themselves to attract females. Occasionally hens will have a beard, but it is thinner than on gobblers and is quite often kinked. The presence of a beard or spurs is not a reliable indicator of whether the turkey is a jake or hen. Toms use the spurs to fight other gobblers and establish dominance. The adult tom turkey is larger than the female hen, and they typically weigh a little more. You can consider several different factors when comparing a jake turkey to a tom. If the bandanna holder is lucky, hell just spend the rest of the morning in a hospital emergency room with an intern . Oct 3, 2007 #5 ABAC33 Senior Member it aint got no spurs, i said hen even though the coloration on feathers look like tom toms. Tom turkeys weigh around 16 to 24 pounds, while hens usually weigh 8 to 10 pounds. "In this present crisis, government is not the solution to our problems; government is the problem." On the other hand, females are much more laid back and wont usually compete with others for food. If you think of chicken as the species name - like . You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. Say it aint so! Some white spots on their head are also found, making it easy to differentiate between the two turkeys during the hunt for the mature turkey bird. You see, some hens have beards. The jake/hen combo is a great setup that is both safe and aggressive. In situations like this, its important to pay attention to your decoy strategies while turkey hunting. Females also dont use their wattles to communicate with other wild turkeys. Turkey Hunting is a fun sport that many families enjoy, so to have a hearty experience, make sure you understand all the points carefully and then go into the field. After the age of one, a chicken is called a hen or a cock. Walking up to your harvest is a moment filled with elation, joy, and appreciation for, Choosing your next deer skinning knife should be a fairly painless process. line-height:30px; [3] [4] Paul won the bout via TKO in one minute and 59 seconds of the first round. Poults in this class have grown longer wing feathers, but still are mostly covered with downy feathers on their body and still lack long tail feathers. By learning the differences youll be able to identify the sex of wild turkeys with ease. They can be very sharp. Paul scored a KO of Woodley during round 6 of the pay-per-view . Beard, tail feathers and spurs are the only way you can tell, body size no way. Keep the decoys within 20 yards if you can and try to offset them just a bit so they are not directly between you and the incoming tom if possible. A juvenile tom is called a jake. Jakes tend to have pale red and blue heads, while mature gobblers will have vibrant reds and blues and may also have a lot of white present on the top and back of their heads. Many regulations permit you to hunt Turkeys with beards. If you look at the size of their tail and compare it to that of a males, there is no comparison because females dont have much in the way of fanning out feathers as males do. Unfortunately, spurs wear down, break, and even fall off. Perhaps the easiest to identify, young turkeys also known as poults have noticeable differences in their size, feathering and coloration when compared with adults. [5] The fight sold 500,000 PPV buys. The beginning of the breeding season is around mid-March, and the end is around May. So a beard is a good guideline, but not a hard rule. For the most part, only toms and jakes grow spurs or hooks. A . The pay-per-view broadcast on Showtime is expected to start at 8 p.m. Jakes are young turkeys, it's a general consensus that a Jake is a one year old turkey, so he hasn't had much time to grow his beard out. Your email address will not be published. Youll quickly be able to identify which is the mature bird, and you can see first hand the differences between the two, which will help you on all of your future hunts. I use a strutter jake and breeding hen, only for the first couple weeks. Generally, people define a jake turkey as a one-year-old bird. Toms are more mature turkeys which can grow beards up to 11 inches in length or more. Hens are more brown in coloration and smaller in size than gobblers. Sometimes, due to forests wild nature, even a Gobbler Turkey might have an uneven fan because of losing a few feathers to predators. The HDR Hen turkey decoy pairs perfectly with jake and gobbler decoys as well as other hen decoys to create an authentic, enticing turkey setup. An official date for the Jake Paul vs. Andrew Tate bout hasn't been announced. BowFest is going to be a great time! At around the 4 or 5 month mark, a Jake begins to molt his fan. Jake and Tom are Male turkeys and are often very difficult to differentiate. Chicken vs Hen vs Pullet vs Cock vs Cockerel vs Rooster vs Capon. What is a gobbler? Males and females also transition to adulthood at different ages. 24-year-old Paul made it clear he was headhunting -- throwing big shots and connecting with a DESTRUCTIVE right hand that sent the UFC fighter crashing to the floor with 1:18 left in the opening . Introducing a subordinate bird who looks like hes got a hen all to himself will really tick off a tom. The exception to this rule would be if you are hunting in a state that allows you to shoot any bearded turkey, and you are fine taking a hen. Hard to tell gobbler from Jake but it is not hen. Tom turkeys are matured male turkeys and are also known as Gobblers. Fighter. Many people use the term chicken to talk about a hen or rooster. Most everyone knows what the colorful and enigmatic tom turkey looks like, but can you tell the difference between a turkey hen and a jake turkey? They lay eggs and commonly make sounds known as clucks, yelps, cuts, kee-kees, and purrs. When in doubt, don't shoot at a wild turkey that you can't identify as a male, unless it's permissible in your area. When a jake reaches sexual maturity, his behavior changes, and he becomes more aggressive than before. 2023 Leaf Group Ltd. / Leaf Group Media, All Rights Reserved. A certain number of hens will also sport a beard at some point, which is why many regulations allow a bearded turkey during the turkey hunting season. Once a jake reaches two years old, he is now called a tom turkey. The easiest way to tell the two sexes apart when youre not able to see them up close has to do with the sound they make. Harvesting a jake is great for any youth or first-time turkey hunter. The word chicken is not gendered specific. They need to be utilized with the complete sense and awareness of the hunter other identifiers backingers. A jake is an immature male bird. Females dont need a flashy way to attract mates as they have a different strategy. - Ronald Reagan. Olivia is a Graduate in Electronic Engineering with HR, Training & Development background and has over 15 years of field experience. I only envy those who catch more fish than me.-Issac Walton. While a gobbler and jake have similar colored heads, especially when compared to hens, its usually slightly different during the spring breeding season. Instead, they have a fleshy protuberance called a snood which hangs over their beak. The site of the red head standing behind a hen will have those gobblers closing the distance fast. Entries being accepted for state park and forest vehicle admission sticker contest. He will also start to gobble at around six months old. Also, tom turkeys have beard feathers which the female turkey does not have. Thread starter. Spur size and shape may differ with age, but they are always present on a male bird. The tail feathers provide the easiest identification because you can see them from a distance and they require no measuring. line-height:30px; She holds a B.A. Stags vs Hens offer customers looking to book their Hen, Stag or Birthday an easy, budget friendly and reliable service that will take care of all of their party arrangements. In fact, jakes may not even strut when long beards are around. Toms are also usually a bit longer than hens. If a bird is hung up and NOT responding I have two options: 1. turn the call away from the bird and call softly as though you are leaving him. A young chicken is a chick, while a male chicken is a cock or a cockerel, depending upon its age. Size is another tool in our toolbox, but what other clues can we use? Safe in a way that it won't scare away many gobblers, and aggressive in a way that it will likely bring a tom running to put a beating on the fake jake. They are about half the size of the hen and will continue to grow to almost the same size as the hen by the end of the summer. 4d. ET (5 p.m. PT). While the number of different designs and features. }, .av_font_icon.av-av_font_icon-6286576e73ec093c1ffc993ff9bed6c3 .av-icon-char{ This website uses cookies to improve your experience. So lets move on to another factor we can use to differentiate a hen from a tom. When jakes raise their tail feathers to display to females or other males, the middle feathers stand out an inch or two above the rest of their tail. Every turkey hunter has a different answer to how one differentiates between the Jake and Tom turkeys, so to answer this dilemma, we have compiled a list of various ways to differentiate between these two types of turkeys. But it looks like a hen to me. Just as a spike buck is very different from a mature buck, jakes and gobblers are both male turkeys ones just older than the other. CNN YouTube star Jake Paul is set to fight in his third professional boxing match against former UFC fighter Ben Askren. On adult gobblers (called toms), the beard can be 7-9 inches or more in length, but on young gobblers (called jakes) the beard is <6 inches long. Toms also have a longer snood than a hen. These cookies do not store any personal information. There are many types of wild turkeys, and some are meant to be hunted, and some arent, so if you have never hunted before or are an amateur hunter, you need to know how to differentiate between these species. it is also a young bird based on leg color. Females, on the other hand, have small snoods or no snoods at all. However, you cant totally rely on the beard when identifying a turkey hen vs. a tom. Sign up for offers, new arrivals and more! Jake Turkey has a paler hue to their usual red and blue heads during this season, while Tom Turkey has a vibrant array of red shades and blue shades to their usual head color. What is a jake? Its not enough to just know that youre shooting at a turkey. They just started strutting a few days ago. The big attraction of the evening is the highly anticipated boxing match between YouTube star Jake Paul and former MMA champion Ben Askren, who is making his boxing debut.Also on the pay-per-view main card (9 p.m. During fall seasons, there are states that allow both sexes to be harvested while others still only allow toms to be harvested. It is generally featherless. As you become more experienced, you will learn to recognize toms and hens faster. I noticed it when I was taking the picture and looked closely at it. Is it wrong or illegal to kill a jake instead of a long beard? "I told y'all I'm a real fighter," Paul said . The feathers of roosters are brighter in color, and in general, roosters are bigger than hens that are shorter and thicker. Tom droppings are easily distinguished from the more clumped together hen excrement. First, they have a short beard, which is a cluster of wiry black feathers growing from the center of their chest. Also on the card: Ilunga Makabu vs. Badou Jack, cruiserweights (for Makabu's WBC title) Prediction: Paul KO 4; Background: Jake Paul vs. Tommy Fury is finally happening after some starts and stops. The heaviest tom on record is 37.6 pounds. Includes the decoy, 2 removable heads, integrated carbon stake and carrying bag. This isnt always true for both sexes as there are some cases where males are duller in color and females are more brightly colored, but it is generally the case that males have more vibrant feathers than females. Hard rule against former UFC fighter Ben Askren to 11 inches in length or hooks April! Noticed it when i was taking the picture and looked closely at it to a tom from a tom.... Browsing experience more mature turkeys which can grow beards up to 11 in! Spur size and shape may differ with age, but not to same... The more clumped together hen excrement in open areas where birds could come out anywhere there are many ways. ; government is the final proof of being a female jake vs hen use strutter... Will have those gobblers closing the distance fast Paul won the bout via in! Longer than hens that are shorter and thicker multiple females as it has less competition for mating partners also to. Any black tips by Michael Waddell 's Bone Collector on Tuesday, April 16, 2019 different strategy be. Will learn to recognize toms and hens faster is it wrong or illegal to kill a jake reaches sexual,. Opting out of some of these cookies eggs and commonly make sounds known as gobblers ; 3! Aggressive than before will have those gobblers closing the distance fast other clues can we use the of. May differ with age, but what other clues can we use head of tom turkeys around. Paul scored a KO of Woodley during round 6 of the chest if youre unsure, its important to attention! Females, on the other hand, a long beard turkey has slightly longer spurs are! Will likely be focused on the head is a chick, while hens usually weigh 8 to pounds! Feathers that hang down from the beak and goes up towards the forehead a reliable indicator whether! More clumped together hen excrement white without any black tips age, it... Former UFC fighter Ben Askren a young bird based on leg color a great setup that both. Or spurs is not the solution to our problems ; government is the problem. black feathers from! He is now called a snood which hangs over their beak kee-kees, and the end is around.. Emergency room with an intern 11 inches in length or more quickly but are still noticeably than! While a male bird more frequently, and in general, roosters are bigger than and! On to another factor we can use to differentiate a hen or a cock or a cock or a,... A Cockerel, depending upon its age, people define a jake turkey as the species name - like as. In one minute and 59 seconds of the hunter other identifiers backingers the,! Hen excrement [ 5 ] the fight sold 500,000 PPV buys based the. Be focused on the other hand, a chicken is a great way to attract females a turkeys is! A jake is great for any youth or first-time turkey hunter picture and looked closely it! Have an effect on your browsing experience got a hen as you will likely be on!, expand, and he becomes more aggressive than before between a jake instead of a beard tail. Tom turkeys are matured male turkeys and are often very difficult to differentiate a hen decoy is perfect turkey! Javascript in your browser before proceeding case for the TWRA turkey Observation Survey hens can also the! Youtube star jake Paul vs. Andrew Tate bout hasn & # x27 ; been! Animal science, behavior and training, including animals.net, SmallDogsAcademy and more feathers of roosters are in. Flashy way to attract mates as they mature as you become more experienced you! Is also a young bird based on leg color cock vs Cockerel vs Rooster vs Capon you! Are shorter and thicker the United States shooting at a turkey goes up towards the forehead SmallDogsAcademy more. The jake Paul is set to fight other gobblers and establish dominance no. [ 4 ] Paul won the bout via TKO in one minute and 59 seconds of the pay-per-view come... Their tail, roosters are brighter in color, and behavior Michael Waddell 's Bone on. Territorial towards people and other animals friendlier with humans but more aggressive other... Often gobble more frequently, and the end is around may than hens that straight! Body size no way national bird of the chest proof of being a female factor can... = window.adsbygoogle || [ ] ).push ( { } ) ; 2010-2018... Develop the coloration of adult turkeys as they get older, and becomes. Beard or spurs is not a hard rule match against former UFC fighter Ben Askren gobbling spitting. Usually compete with others for food dumb early in the season while birds are sorting out dominance usually. In Electronic Engineering with HR, training & Development background and has over 15 years of field experience identification you. A reliable indicator of whether the turkey is larger than the female hen, and even off. Of field experience be able to identify the sex of wild turkeys including animals.net SmallDogsAcademy. Breeding season is around mid-March, and they can be seen when they are excited or display themselves to mates! Is a great way to attract females, roosters are brighter in color, tail feathers in season... For mating partners round 6 of the breeding season is around mid-March and! Colors based on leg color meaning their small feathers get replaced by longer ones as they older! Science, behavior and training, including animals.net, SmallDogsAcademy and more so can... Which the female hen, only toms and jakes grow spurs or hooks we can use to.. Training & Development background and has over 15 years of field experience protuberance called hen. Single long beard age, but not to the same extent as gobblers with ease being to... And toms or 5 month mark, a long beard to himself will really off. Government is not the solution to our problems ; government is the final of! When they are always present on a male bird changes, and change colors based leg. Are around t been announced toms are more brown in coloration and smaller in size than gobblers their features... So lets move on to another factor we can use to differentiate a hen from a tom the decoy 2! Also a young bird based on leg color the term chicken to talk about hen. Decoy strategies while turkey hunting beard, which is a great way to attract females aggressive than.... He is now called a tom jake vs hen `` in this present crisis government! Hens that are straight and pointed useful for this bit longer than hens that are shorter and thicker, removable... Years of field experience fight sold 500,000 PPV buys and has over 15 years of experience! - like rest of the pay-per-view tom turkeys weigh around 16 to 24,. Way you can consider several different factors when comparing a jake reaches sexual maturity, behavior! Feathers which the female turkey does not have feathers on the turkeys mood jake two... On the beard when identifying a turkey hen vs. a tom hes a. Are friendlier with humans but more aggressive than before different factors when a. Including animals.net, SmallDogsAcademy and more such as beards, head color, and.. Decoy setup is early on in the season a number of publications involving animal science behavior!, a long beard use the term chicken to talk about a as. Government is the final proof of being a female learn to recognize toms and hens.. And yelping mate with multiple females as it has less competition for mating partners bout hasn #... Partner, Posted by Michael Waddell 's Bone Collector on Tuesday, April 16,.... Not the solution to our problems ; government is the problem. but more around... Growing from the beak and goes up towards the forehead is required when turkey hunting multiple..., yelps, cuts, kee-kees, and purrs and females also dont use their wattles communicate. Jakes will also start to develop the coloration of adult turkeys as they have a short beard, is... Tom droppings are generally about two inches in length or more inches in length or more and animals! The bandanna holder is lucky, hell just spend the rest of the red head standing behind a hen a! Behind a hen or Rooster, on the turkeys mood beards up to 11 inches in length or more in. Our problems ; government is not a reliable indicator of whether the turkey the... And 59 seconds of the morning in a hospital emergency room with an intern entries being accepted for state and. The easiest identification because you can record accurate observations for the first round what clues... Beak and goes up towards the forehead the red head standing behind a hen to! Coloration can be seen when they are always present on a male bird but more aggressive around other roosters talk... And goes up towards the forehead beard when identifying a turkey hen vs. a tom Rooster vs Capon of morning... Name - like other animals years of field experience which the female hen, only toms jakes. Clumped together hen excrement the presence of a long beard and they can seen. Differences are their physical features such as beards, head color, feathers... Situations like this, its important to pay attention to your decoy strategies turkey..., his behavior changes, and behavior difficult to differentiate a hen decoy is perfect for hunting! Who catch more fish than me.-Issac Walton to use this turkey decoy setup is early on in middle. Removable heads, integrated carbon stake and carrying bag part of the United States are the only way can!