measuring the beard

What is the proper method for measuring a turkey beard???

I have about 20 to 30 birds living in my back yard. Some hens, jakes, & a couple of toms. In looking at the toms, the beards appeared to be about 4 to 6 inches long.

Well, sad story to this is that a nice big tom got smucked on the road by a vehicle in front of the house. I went to check him out and I noticed the beard is alot longer when they are dead. This beard appears to be atleast a foot long, when you go to the skin.

So, how do you measure a beard????

By the way, the turkey is still there………I had no intention of eating or salvaging the feathers on this roadkill…….

According to nwtf.org, the beard must be measured from the center point of the protrusion of the skin to the tip.

Once you cut the the beard off (leaving some skin in tact) you can see where it protrudes from the skin.

According to nwtf.org, the beard must be measured from the center point of the protrusion of the skin to the tip.

Once you cut the the beard off (leaving some skin in tact) you can see where it protrudes from the skin.

Yup, so the 4-6 inch beards you are seeing are probably more like 7,8,9 inch beards or bigger. If you think about jakes, normally you can see maybe an inch or two but most jakes tape out in the 4 to 5 inch range. Its very deceiving, because there’s a lot of feathers there.

Yup, so the 4-6 inch beards you are seeing are probably more like 7,8,9 inch beards or bigger. If you think about jakes, normally you can see maybe an inch or two but most jakes tape out in the 4 to 5 inch range. Its very deceiving, because there’s a lot of feathers there.

I just a week or so ago found a tom dead lying next to the road a couple weeks ago, i had been watching him for some time and he didnt look real healthy and i guess his sickness finally got him. I took his beard just for the hell of it and it was very saddening. He was a double beard(first one i’ve ever seen in real life) the main beard was 11 3/4 and the second beard was 9 1/2. the sad thing is it was in a small timber where i am the only hunter in the spring. it saddens me that i wont get to shoot this magnificent bird this spring. but anyways i thought it was neat to see a tom with 2 beards and i thought i would share it.

I just a week or so ago found a tom dead lying next to the road a couple weeks ago, i had been watching him for some time and he didnt look real healthy and i guess his sickness finally got him. I took his beard just for the hell of it and it was very saddening. He was a double beard(first one i’ve ever seen in real life) the main beard was 11 3/4 and the second beard was 9 1/2. the sad thing is it was in a small timber where i am the only hunter in the spring. it saddens me that i wont get to shoot this magnificent bird this spring. but anyways i thought it was neat to see a tom with 2 beards and i thought i would share it.