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With a lot of new hunters in the turkey woods this spring, it's a good time to go over Jake versus Tom identification. It's good to know for new hunters, but also, in some states, Jake's are legal game while in other states, they're not. There are four main things I look (or listen) for when I'm in the field.
Beard Length
This is my number one gauge for turkey age. A Jake will typically have a short beard, around 2-4 inches long - and it tends to look like it's protruding straight away from the chest, while a Tom's beard will be much longer (around a foot long) and hang down much lower.
Tail Fan
If you can see a Jake strutting, typically in the spring, they're going to have longer feathers in the middle of their fan when compared to the outside feathers. A Tom will usually have more even like feathers all the way across the tail fan, forming a much cleaner, more consistent arc.
Gobble
This one takes a little bit more experience and time in the woods to distinguish, but the gobble can be a useful identifier. Typically, a Jake is going to have a lot shorter, softer gobble that sort of "falls off" fairly rapidly. A Tom gobble is going to be a lot fuller, longer, and louder. This one isn't a hundred percent bulletproof. I've heard Jakes that sound pretty close to a full gobble, but it's one more way you might be able to shore up your identification.
Spur Length
Finally, spur length, if you're close enough to see them, is a pretty good giveaway for whether the bird is a Jake or a Tom. A Jake is usually going to have really short half-inch or less spurs that are pretty much just rounded, kind of like a little mound. A Tom is usually going to have spurs longer than that, and they're going to be pointed like a thorn. This is a tough thing to see in the field, especially with grass or underbrush obscuring your view, but if you get a clear look, it can be a deciding clue.
When starting out, you will likely need to use a combination of these identifiers to make a solid call. With time, as you accrue more experience in the turkey woods, identifying the difference between a Jake and a Tom will of course get easier, but in the meantime these tips should give you a great starting point.
--Jared Mills
