How to tell the difference between a jake and tom by the head only?

[Rapscallion Vermilion]

Thanks Skeeterbait.  Very clear.

[blackmagic]

Ok, so what would you call this bird?

Full fan....1/2" & 3/16" nubs...6 3/4" lightning bolt shaped beard...and here's the kicker, 12lbs.

[TRKYHTR]

Ok, so what would you call this bird?

Full fan....1/2" & 3/16" nubs...6 3/4" lightning bolt shaped beard...and here's the kicker, 12lbs.

Adult gobbler. Just real small.

TRKYHTR

[BHhunter]

I can't tell the difference....they all taste the same when cooked right.

[Flydown]

Jake



Not a jake.

[blackmagic]

Cool, thanks for the info.  That bird came in shakin the cypress and ready to pounce on my jake decoy.  Threw up a full fan and popped him at 17 yds.

[davisd9]

Ok, so what would you call this bird?

Full fan....1/2" & 3/16" nubs...6 3/4" lightning bolt shaped beard...and here's the kicker, 12lbs.

Tom no doubt!

[Skeeterbait]

Cool, thanks for the info.  That bird came in shakin the cypress and ready to pounce on my jake decoy.  Threw up a full fan and popped him at 17 yds.

Maybe he was a Bantam Gobbler 

They are just like people in that some grow larger, some grow faster, and some don't.  But that bird has been through his first molt so he isn't a jake anymore.

[RutnNStrutn]

I'd say no, not by just the head. Especially me, since I don't see the red standing out like most of you do, because I have a red-green color deficiency. But I've seen some jakes that had heads that looked like gobblers. I also killed a gobbler once that came in through tall grass. I saw a full fan, so I knew it was a gobbler. But the spurs were covered, the beard disappeared in the grass, and the head offered no clue. Fortunately he strutted enough for me to know. After I shot him, he had beard rot and only sported a 5" beard. But he was a true limbhanger Osceola. So I would say, head - no, beard - no, spurs - most of the time you can't see them, so I'll go with full fan.

[blackmagic]

Cool, thanks for the info.  That bird came in shakin the cypress and ready to pounce on my jake decoy.  Threw up a full fan and popped him at 17 yds.

Maybe he was a Bantam Gobbler  

They are just like people in that some grow larger, some grow faster, and some don't.  But that bird has been through his first molt so he isn't a jake anymore.

Maybe a Cornish Game Gobbler

Here's another picture of the full fan.

[Mike Honcho]

I called in a bird in the late afternoon last year and had same issue...he was in some tall grass , weeds down a slight slope about 35-40 yds from me...All I could see was a big red head...I manuevered around my tree and got the Mossy 835 sights on him then I hesitated a split second when I realized I hadn't seen the beard...in that split second he took flight and I saw a real nice beard as he flew away...I never did get that one.

[MDSTRUTNRUT]

Don't think you can tell from head alone.   JR and I had a longbeard and 5 jakes come into a wheat field a few years back.   All we could see were their necks and heads so we each picked out a big white head 1, 2, 3 BLAM.    2 jakes down and the longbeard jumps up and walks away untouched at 15 yards.   After a good laugh we decided he was a dead bird walkin and were tickled for the double.      Seen 2 DEAD full fan jakes over the years, nub spurs and short beards.   Still jakes but hey, IF THEY COME TO THE SHOW AND LOOK GOOD SHOOOT EM!

[surehuntsalot]

tail feathers is what I always go by