Multiple beards

[El Pavo Grande]

I have killed 3 double beards, the best having one over 11 1/2" and the second being around 9 1/2". 

My brother killed a 9 bearded jake once, which is pretty cool to see.

[Fullfan]

In  30 plus years and my only 2 have come from Missouri, and they were shot in the same year. I took my son two years ago and he shot one within a mile of where mine came from.

[redleg06]

I've killed a handfull. 

The last one was 4 years ago and I had just mounted a nice single beard gobbler the year before and couldnt talk to the wife into letting me mount another one. I should have asked for forgiveness instead of asking for permission cause I dont know if I'll ever kill a bigger bird and just holding on to the beards and spurs didnt do this one justice...

[strutstopper]

15 years of hunting and zero multiple beards for me. Only one double beard has ever been killed off our farm, and it was the very first one my dad ever killed.

[goblr77]

I've been fortunate enough to kill probably 7 or 8 multi beard birds. One of the birds had four beards and all the rest had two.

[gobbler777]

Multiple beards over 49 years:
   1 triple beard
   2 double beards

[jjenkins]

i have killed 4 double bearded turkeys, all came from the same county over a three year period

[WVohioFAN]

Main beard - 11 1/4"
second beard - 7"

[redleg06]

I'd like to know if it's just purely a genetic thing or has more to do with nutrition in the particular area or a combination.

Of the one's I've killed, they've came in spurts on a particular property.  In other words, only certain property seemed to produce them. It didnt seem to be just a pure numbers thing cause I've had other property were I've killed just as many birds, just no multiple beards. 

It seems like from the replies, a lot of you guys are saying that they tended to be from the same properties and in relatively close time frames.

[guesswho]

I'd like to know if it's just purely a genetic thing or has more to do with nutrition in the particular area or a combination.

Of the one's I've killed, they've came in spurts on a particular property.  In other words, only certain property seemed to produce them. It didnt seem to be just a pure numbers thing cause I've had other property were I've killed just as many birds, just no multiple beards. 

It seems like from the replies, a lot of you guys are saying that they tended to be from the same properties and in relatively close time frames.

I think its genetic.  I have three places that produce a fair number of multibearded birds.  They are 100's of miles apart.  One spot really produces more than ity's share.  About one out of four or five birds will have more than one beard.   Also, in all three spots there seems to be a higher than normal amouint of bearded hens.  I have no proof but I think that contributes to the number of multibeards in an area as well.

[El Pavo Grande]

I've killed a handfull. 

The last one was 4 years ago and I had just mounted a nice single beard gobbler the year before and couldnt talk to the wife into letting me mount another one. I should have asked for forgiveness instead of asking for permission cause I dont know if I'll ever kill a bigger bird and just holding on to the beards and spurs didnt do this one justice...

Yep, you should have just asked for forgiveness after the fact.

I think it's genetics as well due to what I've observed.  Not a multiple beard, but we have killed gobblers in the same area over a span of a few years that have a unique twist to the beard.  I always figured that was genetics too.

[goblr77]

I'd like to know if it's just purely a genetic thing or has more to do with nutrition in the particular area or a combination.

Of the one's I've killed, they've came in spurts on a particular property.  In other words, only certain property seemed to produce them. It didnt seem to be just a pure numbers thing cause I've had other property were I've killed just as many birds, just no multiple beards. 

It seems like from the replies, a lot of you guys are saying that they tended to be from the same properties and in relatively close time frames.

I think it's genetic. All of the ones I've killed were in a certain part of one county. Not all on the same property or in the same time frame though. Another poster mentioned bearded hens having something to do with it but I haven't found that to be the case. I've never seen a bearded hen in that area. Over the years I've hunted another place that always has some bearded hens but I've never taken a multi beard gobbler there.


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[kansas hooks]

I killed one that had 6 beards ranging from 2 1/2 to 11 inches.  Didn't even notice he had multiple beards until I walked up to him after shooting him.  This was probably close to 10 years ago.  Not sure if this has anything to do with the 6 beards but I shot him within 5 miles of a nuke plant here in Kansas.