I paid a lot of money to Auburn University to be taught that word lol.

I don't remember Matt! That was 3 or 4 years ago. Explain the melanin deficiency to me if you don't mind. We've killed several birds over the past couple years that had this red/yellow tinted line in it and you could tell the beard strands were breaking off at the line. The turkey I killed Thursday had it!

Melanin is a pigment that makes the beard black. We have it in our hair and skin as well. If for whatever reason they are deficient in it, it can cause a streak in the beard that is yellowish because of the lack of pigment. It also makes the beard brittle in that area, hence it usually breaks off at that spot. It is commonly called beard rot, but it is simply a lack of melanin, not mites or fungus.

Whether you shoot them or not that's up to you. Doesn't bother me when people shoot jakes. My self, I will not knowingly shoot a Jake. Im talking about the 14-15 pound, tall skinny, almost hen like head jakes.

I read the book a"Illumination in the Flatwoods." the guy had two different clutches of eggs. According to him, one clutch the birds where bigger overall, and the young gobblers were more like the super jakes we describe to now. So I am sure this is true.

But along with this, I also think that the bigger jakes are jakes that are born in early May or late April, and are a full two or three months older than regular jakes.

But im not going to pretend like I know everything. I have no idea about some of these turkeys that have distinct characteristics of both adult and juvenile turkeys. On these weird turkeys, there is probably more than one factor.

I've killed multiple turkeys with full fans, 9-10" beards, and full roll gobbles that had spurs much closer to 1/2" than 3/4". And some of them were much more rounded than pointed.

I've always assumed that those turkeys were 2 year olds.

Am I the only one who has killed turkeys like this?

Or am I the only one that is willing to say that I killed a swinging bearded turkey that had a full fan and gobbled his way to his death THAT DIDN'T have at least 3/4" pointed spurs?

Those sound like 2 year olds to me, just short spurred birds. I think most people just use super jake to help justify killing a jake, whether it be an accident or on purpose. Most jakes strut and gobble in the spring, some just better than others.

I don't shoot Jakes purposely! That one just walked out very close in full strut with a full fan and ate a load of #4's. He could've very well been a 2 year old with a melatin deficiency.