Turkey Confusion

On my daylight walks I often hear and/or see turkeys.   I never get very close.   Certainly not close enough to verify the following story.

This weekend my walking was between America's Classic and the refreshment tent.   Early in the day, The Commissioner told a story about turkey hunting.  

He was sitting in the wild using a "Tom call".   This means he was making the sound that attracts male turkeys to a mate.   Only Toms may be hunted.   The Commissioner was able to get the attention of a bird and began to call it in.    At a certain point he needed to make a decision; take the shot or risk the animal running away.   He took his shot and got his turkey.

The real story begins when he began to dress out his bird.    Tom turkeys have beards.   This turkey did not.   The Commissioner thought he had shot a hen.   As he continued to dress it out he realized it had male reproductive organs.    It looked like a hen and acted like a Tom.   It was decided that since it reacted to the call it must be male.

Larry the Communicator had the final word on the topic.   According to him, there are cross gender turkeys.   I don't know who or what to believe.