Bearded hens

[GOOSESLAYER]

not for me. see plenty every year. no desire to pull the trigger on one

[HookedonHooks]

I had the opportunity once in an area that it is legal and the numbers of turkeys are good.  As many above me have mentioned, it didn't even cross my mind to shoot her.  My favorite thing on a gobbler is his spurs and well, a bearded hen doesn't usually have spurs so I chose to wait for a gobbler.  I went home (and the rest of the season) without punching a tag after that trip and I didn't regret not pulling the trigger on her.

Sounds like my season last year. I hunted the entirety of the long KS season last year, and on a hunt in the first week I set up in a tiny little honey hole strut zone that had a picnic table in the middle. Could've doubled that day on two bearded hens. One was a mega beard, 10" plus easily. The other was a knobber. It was only like 15 minutes into the hunt and I was sure gobblers were going to be in behind them. Well I was wrong, and continued to be wrong the rest of the season everywhere I went.  Didn't punch either tag when I could've killed the two bearded ladies with one shot. I don't regret it tough as I killed two long beards there this year in four hunts and heard a ton of other birds gobbling.

[ilbucksndux]

At one time I thought I wanted one mounted. A couple years ago I called one in that had a 6-8 inch beard and I'll be honest ......I thought about it,but a thundering gobble changed my mind fast. I dont really see the difference in killing one in the fall vs the spring,you are still killing a hen. Right now my answer is no,but that might change one day.

[mudhen]

Never shot one, don't plan on it...

They are common, 10% of hens are bearded...

They only thing we know for certain in wild turkey biology is that a dead hen will not lay any eggs...


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