Turkey hunting forum for turkey hunting tips

So I've been living on my retirement property in Tennessee for 2-1/2 years now. Turkeys are doing very well, in terms of population around here.
Turkeys visit my place daily and I have noticed that there is a large amount of bearded hens. Probably 20% of my hens have beards.
I assume this is due to genetics, but was wondering if this is normal? What do you guys think?
And if it is genetics, would this be a good thing for gobblers beard wise?
Your thoughts?

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I also have noticed concentrations of bearded hens in my area, I agree and think it is genetics. I never thought about how the situation affects gobblers. But, there must be some effect on all turkeys, if not then there wouldnt be so many bearded hens. Great question. I will pay attention to the beard lenghts in these areas vs other areas. Z

I honestly believe it's just hens representing as male birds. They probably had some bad up-bringing that caused the issue. But getting back to the question...I hunt an area in Missouri that have a number of bearded hens just on this one piece of property, say 1000 acres. Almost all had thin 6-8 inch beards. Other land close to it I hunt, I have not seen any. So I'm going with genetics...maybe...heck, I don't know. I just know I shot one.

It's been my experience (as limited as it is), that if an area has a higher than normal bearded hen ratio, then the ratio of multibearded gobblers will also be higher.   What's normal?   I'm not sure.  But if you notice multiple bearded hens I'd say it's higher than normal.   I hunt one area where it seems about a third of the hens have beards and about 25% of the gobblers have more than one beard.    I've been trying for years to kill out that gene but have been unsuccessful so far.   But I'll keep trying.

I agree with y'all on the genetics and most of the ones I've seen have a beard around 5 - 6 inches. It's like why do some of the hens strut and act like a gobbler. I can't really recollect seeing a bearded hen strut and fan out like a gobbler. But i have seen several hens without beards act like gobblers. It's the same with seeing the white / brown color turkey, I've seen this in a hen but not a gobbler of this color.  In my area occasionally you will see more than one gobbler with multiple beards, I see these more in the fall than in the spring.

I have also been seeing more bearded hens my last few years in the field. They are definitely getting more numerous on the properties I hunt.

I haven't noticed but 2 multi-bearded gobblers since I've lived here, and those were both double beards. That's why I asked, at least here at my place there seems to be no correlation in 20% bearded hens and multi-bearded gobblers.

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It's like the super Jake, i can remember one time, i called and worked and chased this Super Jake, for half a morning thinking this long beard is the king of the woods to finally lay eyes on him and he was a Jake .... I don't know which one of us was the most disappointed in him or me... But i was exhausted .... LOL... I'm a firm believer that mother nature has a way of taking care of itself ... Jakes, bearded hens and multiple bearded gobblers in the area... Just part of the life cycle of turkeys. 

Yes, I let the Jake walk that day ....

When i see a bearded hen, there is usually at least one more with a beard in the group.  In the 12 years that I have hunted turkeys, I have seen nine bearded hens and only twice they were the lone bearded hen in the flock they were in

 Well Sir, I think you have a large amount of Tranny's that have moved into your area! Hard to tell what will happen next, don't just pull the trigger on a strutting Tom with a Long Beard. He may be a she...

Just kidding, That's a large number. Most areas I hunt consistently have only one or two out of a hundred. This spring in a lull I seen two bearded hens out of three turkeys. The third was a hen as well. In 12 years on this property I have seen a total of four bearded hens.

Other properties I hunt regularly don't show anything other than an abnormality of one in a hundred at most.

So.... Reading my own dumbness, I must say it probably is genetics. Just as multiple bearded turkeys.

I guess turkeys are now part of this transgender trend  ::)

I've got  25% bearded hens around my place.  I can't tell any impact it has on gobblers, as the only gobblers I've seen here are single bearded birds.  I've never killed a multi-bearded bird in my life & have only called in two double bearded gobblers for friends to kill in over 30 years.  There was a big 5 bearded gobbler killed a few miles up the road the year before last, but that's the only other one I've heard of from right around here.

Interesting question that I've wondered about myself.  Seems like there has to be a genetic link between the two.

Jim

Quote from: guesswho on September 01, 2023, 09:46:11 AM
It's been my experience (as limited as it is), that if an area has a higher than normal bearded hen ratio, then the ratio of multibearded gobblers will also be higher.   What's normal?   I'm not sure.  But if you notice multiple bearded hens I'd say it's higher than normal.   I hunt one area where it seems about a third of the hens have beards and about 25% of the gobblers have more than one beard.    I've been trying for years to kill out that gene but have been unsuccessful so far.   But I'll keep trying.

This is also my experience with areas with abnormally more bearded hens.

Quote from: WV Flopper on September 01, 2023, 08:59:35 PM
Well Sir, I think you have a large amount of Tranny's that have moved into your area!

Quote from: YoungGobbler on September 01, 2023, 09:39:40 PM
I guess turkeys are now part of this transgender trend  ::)

Funny you guys should say that. The wife and I call our bearded hens "transgender hens".

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Quote from: Cut N Run on September 01, 2023, 10:26:56 PM
I've got  25% bearded hens around my place.  I can't tell any impact it has on gobblers, as the only gobblers I've seen here are single bearded birds.  I've never killed a multi-bearded bird in my life & have only called in two double bearded gobblers for friends to kill in over 30 years.  There was a big 5 bearded gobbler killed a few miles up the road the year before last, but that's the only other one I've heard of from right around here.

Interesting question that I've wondered about myself.  Seems like there has to be a genetic link between the two.

Jim

Agreed. There would seem to be a correlation, yet I haven't seen it. I too have yet to harvest a multi-bearded gobbler. Still it would seem that the genetics would produce them.

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I have killed two toms with multiple beards, one with a split beard and two bearded hens off of the same property. There was two bearded hens hanging out there this last spring.

Quote from: RutnNStrutn on September 02, 2023, 02:38:44 AM

Quote from: Cut N Run on September 01, 2023, 10:26:56 PM
I've got  25% bearded hens around my place.  I can't tell any impact it has on gobblers, as the only gobblers I've seen here are single bearded birds.  I've never killed a multi-bearded bird in my life & have only called in two double bearded gobblers for friends to kill in over 30 years.  There was a big 5 bearded gobbler killed a few miles up the road the year before last, but that's the only other one I've heard of from right around here.

Interesting question that I've wondered about myself.  Seems like there has to be a genetic link between the two.

Jim

Agreed. There would seem to be a correlation, yet I haven't seen it. I too have yet to harvest a multi-bearded gobbler. Still it would seem that the genetics would produce them.

Same observation around these parts, as well.  Bearded hens are somewhat common, but multi-bearded gobblers are so rare as to be essentially nonexistent.  Genetics and the combinations thereof in terms of dominant and recessive genes are the major players in most organisms...turkey beards included...

I have only seen one bearded hen in 50+ years while hunting in my home state. Yet, I have killed maybe a dozen multiple bearded birds. Most of the multiple bearded gobblers came from the same area. I don't think bearded hens make any more multiple bearded gobblers.
Funny thing, we stayed down at Cumberland Lake the first week of August and I saw 2 bearded hens out of 6 turkeys in a flock. One had to be 10" and heavy.

Here's one I killed with my knight muzzleloader shotgun.

Bruce Henner??In my area I'd say maybe 10% of hens are bearded. Multi bearded gobblers are pretty rare but not unheard of. Never killed a double beard gobbler or bearded hen, but ive seen alot more bearded hens here than multi bearded gobblers. When somebody gets all excited about even seeing or shooting a bruce henner in the spring... its kind of like telling me your not much of a turkey hunter. But to each there own, I wouldn't be opposed to taking a bearded hen in the fall season.

The one area in Alabama where I've seen a lot of bearded hens I've killed gobblers with 1,2,3,4,5,6, and seven beards, all on about 200 acres.   The other property in Georgia, I've killed gobbler with 1,2,3, and 4 beards on about 400 acres.  I'm not sure if there is a connection between bearded hens and multibearded gobblers or not.   For all I know multibearded gobblers may increase the number of bearded hens instead of the other way around.   Or there may be no connection between the two.   Could just be a coincidence on those two places.   I went on a streak a few years ago and killed four multibearded gobblers in a row.   A 2,3 and two 4 bearded gobblers.  And it's been like this for 30 years in these two spots.  Whatever the cause I hope it continues.   It's rare I go a season and don't kill a multibeard and see bearded hens.  Killed two last year.

Here is one of the bearded hens I shot. The other one was a "button" beard.

No bearded hens in this one particular area, but a few multi bearded Toms. The first 2 birds my wife ever shot were multi bearded jakes. Odd but they were 2 distinct beards. These first 2 birds were approximately 150 yards apart. I killed a nice triple there the second year, so I believe it is definitely genetics. This with my welding degree in turkeyology,lol. Z

Quote from: guesswho on September 04, 2023, 10:14:33 AM
I'm not sure if there is a connection between bearded hens and multibearded gobblers or not.   For all I know multibearded gobblers may increase the number of bearded hens instead of the other way around.   Or there may be no connection between the two.   Could just be a coincidence

I was hoping that you would chime in Ronnie. I know you kill lots of multi-bearded gobblers, more than anyone I know. I was interested in your opinion, and you definitely have some valid points. :icon_thumright:



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First and only one that I have ever seen.

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ive only seen a couple in Florida in my life and they were on different properties. None in Texas, Oklahoma, Illinois or Georgia

I did however meet a hunter this year that was chasing the "bearded hen slam" I couldn't resist digging into that story as much as I could (he called it a journey not a story). I was showed trail camera pictures of a bearded Merriam hen that an outfitter had been sending him that would round out his slam. He had just gotten his bearded Osceola hen. No word on if he is going for the "bearded hen super slam"....

Bearded hen slam? That's crazy, especially in these days of declining populations. I've only killed one hen ever, and that was with a bow 25 years ago.

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Quote from: Sir-diealot on September 12, 2023, 12:33:18 AM
First and only one that I have ever seen.

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Steve, I've seen bearded hens in Florida, Georgia, S Carolina, Tennessee and S Dakota.

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Quote from: RutnNStrutn on September 12, 2023, 11:19:02 PM
Bearded hen slam? That's crazy, especially in these days of declining populations. I've only killed one hen ever, and that was with a bow 25 years ago.

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He was quite serious about it, I thought he was messing with me until he started showing me pictures

Quote from: RutnNStrutn on September 12, 2023, 11:23:35 PM

Quote from: Sir-diealot on September 12, 2023, 12:33:18 AM
First and only one that I have ever seen.

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Steve, I've seen bearded hens in Florida, Georgia, S Carolina, Tennessee and S Dakota.

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You have had much more experience than I, I would imagine, losing those 15 years after my car accident took a lot of learning away from me, the only nice part of that is now I'm getting to learn it now that I'm older for some reason I think I appreciate it more and that includes bearded hens.

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Hunt in West Tennessee.  We have a number of bearded hens on the place.  Last 3 gobblers killed were double bearded.  The second beard was not very large.  The hen beards seem to be about 5-6 inches.  I have never seen one strut or act in anyway different from the other hens.  Interestingly and to my knowledge, I have never witnessed a Tom mate with a bearded hen but from everything I have read they do breed. 

I rarely see bearded hens in the parts of Kentucky I hunt. In my opinion it has to be little pockets of genetics favoring bearded hens. I've seen this in mammals. One property I deer hunt has a propensity for producing deer with double throat patches. Some public land close to my house has a good number of black squirrels on part of it. I'm no scientific mastermind but that stuff is interesting to me.

So probably 10-15 years ago I watched 2 albino hens in a clearing while turkey hunting. Just this last year a saw an albino deer in the same area several times. It's just weird. Not the best picture but pretty cool(https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20230923/cedd211c7a8a3b419d92620883e48dfc.jpg)

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