Question on Young Wild Turkeys

[Restroyer]

I am by no means a wild turkey expert so I wanted to post a question for those who are knowledgeable about wild turkey. My question is when should I start seeing the beards on a young male turkey? Just this morning in my back yard we had our usual visit of 16 wild turkeys. None of them had beards. I know from my trail cameras that last spring their were 2 hens with 14 poults (they had 18 between them but the foxes got some and other predators). We also had another hen who had 4 poults and she ended up with just one poult that made it through the spring / summer. So all in total I regularly have a group of 16 and a group of 2 that we see. I know that 15 of these are young and will be 1 year olds this late spring. I see no beards starting on any of the young turkeys (no jakes). Is it too early to tell if any of these 15 young turkeys will be male or not? Or do I have some kind of bad luck fluke where all the young were females? I was hoping that future turkey hunting here was looking good but with no males in sight or on camera all year I am thinking spring turkey season might be disappointing.

 

[frenchiectfd2203]

Jakes usually mature beards around 5 months, depending on previous seasons and eating habits.

 

[Hookeye]

Toms will search for hens.
You've got birds...........one will swing by eventually.

 

[frenchiectfd2203]

Toms will search for hens.
You've got birds...........one will swing by eventually.

What he said.

 

[Michigan Slim]

I've got a group of probably 50 or more hens on my place. The toms roost a half mile away on another ridge. Come spring they'll all be on mine.

 

[Mgderf]

I am by no means a wild turkey expert so I wanted to post a question for those who are knowledgeable about wild turkey.

It is my opinion that the very best Wild Turkey has been properly aged.

 

[BigBoxaJunk]

It is my opinion that the very best Wild Turkey has been properly aged.

And I recommend the half-gallon, as it's a much better deal.