Anybody seen this before?

[zelmo1]

I saw a Tom today with an orangish beard, the tip was darker, but definitely orangy. Kind of translucent. Is this a genetic thing or environmental? Definitely different, I like oddities. Now I have to find out. Any info is appreciated. Thanks, Al

[ol bob]

Frost bit

[Gobspur]

Young gobs can have translucent amber, but usually on tips.  Melanin deficiency can cause light beard colors.  May be something else I havent heard of.  Maybe he was following the utility locator painting orange on the ground lol.

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[HookedonHooks]

Killed a jake with a blonde beard once. Always thought on toms the "orange" rings were from a bird that experienced beard rot from a winter freeze.

[Rzrbac]

It's a melanin deficiency. I have read it's a dietary issue at some point during growth. I have also heard it's caused by parasites. I killed a gobbler in a burnt over area that had a big orange band in his beard. My initial thought was he drug it through a hot spot after the burn. I did some reading and found out it was a melanin deficiency and nothing to do with the burn. As I stated, there are a few different theories on what causes the deficiency.

[LaLongbeard]

Killed a few with orange or blonde rings int the beard. I've read also that it was some diet deficiency at that time in the Gobblers life
This Gobbler had a normal black beard with two bands of reddish orange , odd


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[Bowhuntr73]

Good info post

[dah]

  Years ago my mother in law was telling me there were two orange beards coming into the yard , naturally I didn't really believe it . So she sent me a couple of pictures of two mature gobblers with orange beards in her yard . Next trip down I saw them myself , 8 - 9 inch orange beards swinging . Entire beards very orange , visible from the distance . This was very late winter , thought I would target one of them in the spring . She saw them a little longer , season came and haven't seen them since . I am sure other people saw them . Been watching thinking genetics and might see some more , none . Asked A department personnel and he stated probably crossed with domestic , these birds were all Rio and besides , I haven't seen orange beards on domestic. Years have passed , I still look for one. I took the picture to work , maybe I will come across it .

[Zeke6685]

Did it look anything like this? I shot this bird several years ago. Have some others that have a little of this just at the tip but this one is pretty "orange" the whole way through.

[Owl]

That beard display is pretty cool Zeke6685, how did you make it?

[Zeke6685]

I cut the plastic off of a spent hull, usually the one used to kill the bird and drill a small hole in the primer just big enough to thread in a small screw eye into. Then hot glue the beard into the brass part of the hull. Clean the spurs up and clear coat them and thread them onto a piece of leather rope with a cpl wooden beads and the beard. Not too elaborate but I like them, nice way to keep the beards, Spurs, and shell from one hunt all together. I have them all hanging on a cpl pieces of old barn board and I think they look pretty cool.

[Owl]

Thanks for the info. It bet it would also look pretty neat under the tail fan of the bird that was taken.

[zelmo1]

Zeke's was the closest. At a distance I guess it could have been grayish. I have a mission now. Firstto get a really good pic with a camera and second is to rid my area of that terrible scourge 

[dah]

 None of the pics posted look like the beards I saw . They looked  orange all the way through . Two birds hanging in a winter gobblers group. Maybe I will come across the pic.