Beardless Jakes

[redmag]

     This is a first for me and I have been hunting turkeys since 1975.  I saw 3 beardless jakes at a distance of about 20 feet.  I had gone to a bird gobbling and on the way bumped a bird off in the direction of the gobbling bird.  The gobbling bird stopped immediately.  I moved in the direction where the bird was gobbling and after about a half hour of so I called.  Maybe 15 minutes later the jakes walked right by me and I could clearly see they had no beards.

[guesswho]

Could be from a really late hatch.  I see Jakes from time to time around here that doesn't have any visible beard.  But have let to see a dead mature bird with no beard.   I have seen poults range from the size of a quail to about 1/2-3/4's grown on the same day.   

[Dr Juice]

Could be from a really late hatch.  I see Jakes from time to time around here that doesn't have any visible beard.  But have let to see a dead mature bird with no beard.   I have seen poults range from the size of a quail to about 1/2-3/4's grown on the same day.

I concur with the late hatch statement.