Turkey hunting forum for turkey hunting tips

After hunting turkeys all these years I finally saw my first bearded hen up close and personal this morning. She pitched down just 50 yards from my set at 6:10am this morning and came right to my decoy at 20 yards. She had a nice rope on her, about 8 inches long and diameter was that of a swisher sweet cigar. I almost pulled the trigger but didn't. I kept thinking about all the poults she has and will raise..lol. It sure was fun watching her go all Jackie Chan on my Avain-X breeder decoy, spinning it like a top. This is one moment I wished I had a Go-Pro.

That's awesome. Cool story. I wonder if it genetics plays a roll in that because I've talked to a lot of people who have never seen one. I've seen them several times over the course of enough years that it couldn't have been the same one every time. I just figured maybe the birds in the area I hunt are more likely genetically to have them. Idk

Two years ago, I had a bearded hen come in to 3 yards.  She stayed around for about 10 minutes before she walked off.  I had plenty of chances to shoot her but I gave her a pass.  Great hunt!  Beautiful Sight!

Saw one last Saturday during NH's youth hunt. Very cool stuff!

I've saw 4 in the last 3 days.  My dad is wanting to get one for the wingbones to build a call.

Had a bearded hen fly down into my decoys yesterday. Had a thin 4-5 inch beard on her.Ive had the oppurtunity a handfull of times over the years but never could pull the trigger on one in the spring. Only way i would shoot one is on a fall hunt.

Quote from: bbcoach on May 02, 2015, 06:36:38 PM
Two years ago, I had a bearded hen come in to 3 yards.  She stayed around for about 10 minutes before she walked off.  I had plenty of chances to shoot her but I gave her a pass.  Great hunt!  Beautiful Sight!

She stayed around for about half an hour working my decoy over. All puffed up, big as a house, purring, craning her neck out and slapping my decoy with her wing tips. Like I said, I wish I had it on video to show people why I love turkey hunting!

I'm voting with those not shooting a bearded hen. I just can't justify several possible generations of turkeys that would not be born if I shot a hen...and "yes", I've had the opportunity to do so and was glad that I passed. While others may take another action, that's what I feel comfortable with.

She better shave before the last day of the season because I'd really be tempted to shoot her to fill my tag. No, I don't think I'd shoot.

Have seen and had opportunities at a couple dozen over the years. Seems eastern kansas where I hunted has a lot of them. Seen 3 in one flock of 11. 2 days of hunting and seen 6 or 7 different ones.

Yeah snapper1982 that's where I'm hunting around Lake Perry. My buddy said the same thing that he's noticed more of them in the last 5 to 10 years here. As for the poll, I'm not trying to start a debate or anything like that. It was just me being curious about others here that had a similar situation  ;). May have been a different story for me if I needed to fill my tag and it was the last day of the season.

Saw one last year but can't shot them in Georgia

A hen has lady parts period for me, Mamma Turkeys will always get a pass beard or not with me. But where legal I ain't knocking anyone that pops one I reckon.

I shot one a few years ago. So what. She had a thick 8 in beard. 1st one I've ever seen hunting.  She was legal. And she tasted great fried up. The turkey population in my hunting area is great. Ain't t hurting the pop any more than the coons or yotes

Quote from: wytrat785 on May 02, 2015, 05:57:51 PM
After hunting turkeys all these years I finally saw my first bearded hen up close and personal this morning. She pitched down just 50 yards from my set at 6:10am this morning and came right to my decoy at 20 yards. She had a nice rope on her, about 8 inches long and diameter was that of a swisher sweet cigar. I almost pulled the trigger but didn't. I kept thinking about all the poults she has and will raise..lol. It sure was fun watching her go all Jackie Chan on my Avain-X breeder decoy, spinning it like a top. This is one moment I wished I had a Go-Pro.

I had an opportunity at 1 this spring. Although I think it would be cool to have a bearded hen mounted, it's way cooler to hunt all them gobblers she will hatch

Rumor is that the same genetic traits that cause beards in hens can cause multiple beard in gobblers.  I'm not sure if that's true, but I always let them walk.

I've seen a couple, my buddy I used to hunt with killed a couple of them...in fact, he shot one this year..myself I'm not interested in putting my tag on a hen, but to each his, or her, own.

I hunt a couple dif states. Sometimes it's legal, sometimes not. I saw one a few weeks ago that had an impressive beard for a hen but I'd just plain never shoot one. Gotta save seed for the future.,

Quote from: wytrat785 on May 02, 2015, 10:22:18 PM
Yeah snapper1982 that's where I'm hunting around Lake Perry. My buddy said the same thing that he's noticed more of them in the last 5 to 10 years here. As for the poll, I'm not trying to start a debate or anything like that. It was just me being curious about others here that had a similar situation  ;). May have been a different story for me if I needed to fill my tag and it was the last day of the season.

Linn and Bourbon counties was where I hunted.

about 3 or 4 years ago i was walking up this old logging road out of nowhere this smoke phased bearded hen comes up on it 5 inch beard or so. i had the bead on her head but  decided not to shoot her thinking she would have some smoke phased poult for next year. there was only a few days left of season . the next day some guy comes walking out with her over his shoulder he shot her with a 223 blew a nice hole through her he hit the wingbone and it just tore it up. i kick my self everytime i think about. rifles are legal here btw. he let me snap a few pictures of her.and to make matters worse the flash drive i think thats what its called i downloaded it to decided to quit working one day it had alot of my trail cam pics on it also. i was mad. now i have 4 of them just incase one stops working. and i print all the really good photos out and put them in album now. alot of lessons learned. the next one i see if i ever see another one im gonna drop it and not think twice

I've seen quite a few of them, and never felt the urge to even raise my gun. It's a hen, and I don't believe you should ever kill one for any reason period.

i believe its all part of management you got to take some hens to even out the flock where i hunt there is way to many hens and not enough jakes toms. now we all dont see killing a doe during deer season bad so why should it be bad to kill a hen. :emoticon-animal-005:

Hens make poults, which may not have the good fortune of becoming jakes & jennies. I do not think it is biologically sound to shoot hens in the Spring, like you would doe deer in the fall. Turkeys do not overpopulate due to the high mortality rate of young birds.

i didnt mean shoot them in the spring i meant in the fall like we do deer.lol

Many bearded hens in my area of the Eastern Shore of MD but never pulled the trigger even tho had opportunities.  Probably because turkeys only reintroduced since mid 1980's.   Perfectly legal just not my preference but to each his own.

those are 3 nice gobblers