tschaef

Real rookie question coming up:

I know that hens get colour on their heads, but I always associate a really colourful head with toms/jakes, can a hens head turn solid bright red from the base of its neck right to the top of its head?

I'm asking because I've been skunked so far this spring but this morning I was 25yrd from a bird that didn't know I was there, I watched it for 5min but couldn't see a beard and it wouldn't strut or gobble, even when I hit the call. I'm pretty sure it was a jake with its beard lying flat, but I kinda hope that hens can look like this so I don't feel so stupid about letting a legal bird walk.

This may have been my last hunt this spring, If I am skunked oh well, its been a great few weeks, I saw alot of birds and deer, and got tons of fresh air and exercise

Cheers
tschaef

Adrian J Hare

T-M , I do find that the Jakes are down. I've seen very few of them this spring and the last 3 weeks I have not had one come to the call, only adult birds. I'm sure we will see an impact next season on the adult birds as I've heard the adult numbers are way up at the check station...

Ts , sounds to me as you have had a jake in aswell, It could have been a late hatch of last spring and the bird would hardly exstract the breast feathers...BT