A Hen or Tom???
I have hunted a lot of states for turkeys and I have found one absolute truth. All of the states have different laws. Some states allow you to take any bearded birds. Others say it has to be an adult Tom, and still others say any Tom is OK. Before you hunt in any state make sure that you know the laws. Do not depend on your guide or friends to tell you what the laws are. The best way to find out what the laws are in any state is to go to www.bowarrowhunting.com and use the drop down menu to find the state that you are going to hunt in. Not knowing the law is not an excuse for breaking the law.
I was in Connecticut hunting a couple of years back when a Tom came in but it didn't have a beard. I almost shot it but I had already shot a bird and was looking for a bigger one. Two hours later I was walking out of the woods when I saw a game warden truck in the parking lot. The bird that I had let walk by was on the hood of the truck and the hunter that shot it was in the back of the truck. The law said it has to be a bearded bird and the hunter paid a big fine and had his hunting rights suspend for two years.
How do we stay out of trouble with the law? The first step is to know the law. The next is to know how to tell the difference between a Tom and a Hen. What is the difference between a Hen or a Tom? Lets start with the Tom because that is the one that we are trying to kill. The first sign of a Tom is the beard. A beard is a long thin black feather that looks like hair that comes out the center of the bird's breast. This is not always true. About 10% of Hens can have beards and will sometimes strut. The best way to tell if a Tom is standing in front of you it to look at the head. The Tom has a brightly colored and nearly featherless head. In the spring during the breeding season the head will be red, white, and blue, often changing every couple of seconds. The feathers are dark, almost black. The Tom is much larger than the Hens. A Tom will weigh 15 to 24 pounds, where a Hen will be 8 to 10 pounds.
The Hens will have drab brown or gray feather in order to camouflage them as they sit on the nest. The head will be gray blue and there will be small feathers on the head. If a Hen has a beard is will only be a couple of inches long. The photo below shows the difference between a Hen and a Tom.
Turkey Hen
Turkey Tom
There is one last difference that could get you in trouble if you don't know the laws. Some states will require that the bird must be an adult Tom. In this case, you need to know the laws. Different states have different rules about what is an adult Tom. Some states say it can't have a step in the tail feather, indicating it's a Jake. Others will say that the beard must be 6 inches long. You can use either way to tell if there is a Jake or an adult Tom standing in front of you.
No matter where you hunt know the laws of the state that you are hunting in. Not knowing the law can turn a great day of hunting real bad in a couple of minutes.
Good Luck!
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