How to tell which gobbler is bigger?
 

OK If I hunt my fav. area and there is a gobbler roosted alone I pass him by and hunt the gobbler with hens because the one with hens is in the roost area I know their direction of travel options.

Which one generally do you think would have the longest beard?
I would think the hend up gobbler cuz he's got the hens.
My video Morning in the roost shows the hend up one at least in this case has the longer beard.

What has been your experience, I think at least once I'd like to hunt the lone gobbler. :confused0024:

Thanks!

Well i really think the boss gobbler is going to have the bigger spurs... I dont think the beard has anything to do with him rulling the roost lol

Last year was my first spring hunting success and I hope this year will prove to be as well. My biggest bird last year was alone while the Jakes were with the hens when I saw them together.. I have no idea why. But, I would guess the tom already had bred with those hens and was out looking for more? I also was trying to get another big tom and that one was alone also? I ended up getting my second bird that was a bearded jake with a hen during the last few days of the season. I saw a few large toms that was all alone and traveling so who knows? Someone with more experience than myself might be able to add to this question..

the dominate bird is dominate because he is the best fighter not because he for sure has a bigger beard or spurs. the lone bird will most likly weigh more. the only way to know for sure is to look at both birds beards and spurs other wise nothing is deffinate

most likly the tom didnt leave the hens because he bred them but rather was beat up and forced to leave by the jakes. everyone thinks jakes cant have hens but that is wrong. a group of jakes can,will and have forced toms away from hens.

decision
 

i guess i would kill the one i had the best chance at. it would be kind of a crapshoot figuring out which one was better.

Snappers right, the one with hens is dominant. He's just meaner, doesn't mean he's bigger! I know some people like to shoot the strutter if there's more than one bird together in hopes he's got the hooks, and SOMETIMES that's the case. I usually shoot the one in range first, if their all longbeards. If I were in your shoes, I'd hunt the lone bird. If he's ready, he'll come runnin to a hen if he thinks the other dudes not around. Then go chase the lady's man! I'd rather hunt a lone gobbler any day!

I normally dont worry about the biggest bird in the area. If I see one before the season or during. And I get a look at some long hooks then I will try and pattern him. If he has a good beard, bonus! Lol! We have taken some longspurred old gobblers that were run out of the flock. By either a large group of Jakes or group of other longbeards. The dominant or boss gobbler is not always the biggest or best bird. My heaviest gobble to. date, with inch and 3/4 spurs, and around a 11 or so inch beard. Weighed in at 24 lbs 13 oz. He was run off by a group of two yr olds. Hardly gobbled at all. He came in silent after 5 hours working him. He'd cluck here and there to let me know he was still there. Good luck this season!!

Thanks guys!
You all talk about spurs, LOL I hunt Merriam's in rocky areas and have never seen spurs ONLY nubs! :s7:
I am going to hunt Rios this spring so maybe I'll see what you are all talking about and all the videos I have LOL.

I don't mind about not having spurs on my birds, I like the long beards but it sure would help me judge em.
I usually get my birds later in the day anyway when they are alone and wanting a hen but I think I may hunt the loner one morning and see what happens, I figured it might be easer to pull him in.

I thought the gobbler with the hens would be the boss gobbler then well maybe the boss gobbler might generally be a loner:confused0024: so some times it's a crap shoot the only sure way to tell is see them on the ground.

Thanks for all your input and help!!!! :rock:

In the area I hunt there are always a few toms that seem to be off from the main group that is henned up so to speak. I always try to hunt one of these lone toms as they seem to be older smarter birds usually with long spurs. I think they may have been kicked out of the main group by younger heavier toms and may at one time have been the big tom but lost out.