ORIGINAL: Strut&Rut
When it flew, we could see the bird had a full fan and was a big bird. I don't know. If anyone could tell us if they've ever seen a hen with a red head, I'd appreciate it.
I think you answered your own question right there...
1) Full fan
2) Big bird
3) Red head
I've seen hens strut, fight, spit and mated...and not once have I personally seen a hen with a red head. Sure, I've seen it change to this pinky-grey, where the blood rushes in, but never deep red like a gobbler. Seen plenty of hens with beards, but not an elongated snood or red head. My guess would be that there were probably 2 gobblers with one hen at the bottom of the draw, and the beta male snuck up on your location for a quickie...clucking/cutting the whole way. Excited gobblers, IMHO, actually cluck more often than they gobble.
As an FYI: gobblers/jakes can make every vocalization that a hen can, but a hen cannot gobble. It
is quite unusual for a mature tom to yelp, but more times than not a wise/old tom will sound more like a hen---purrs & clucks---than an actual gobbler...