Bearded hen

[JWC07]

I'm working on a greenway construction project along a creek that is on the edge of a nice farm i'd really like to hunt but anyway... Today i was talking to 2 of the guys and we looked up and saw this ol hen about 75yds away. I said watch this, pulled out my call and yelped a couple times. She looked but dropped over a rise and disappeared. About 5 minutes later her or another hen I suppose popped outta a little patch of trees about 40 yards from us and she had a nice 6" or so beard bout big around as my pinky. I said "dang, lookie there, that's a daggum bearded hen"

[Wingbone]

It's strange to see when they show up. I've been fortunate enough to kill two in my career, both with 8" pencil beards.

[JWC07]

I would've killed her had it been actual huntin'. instead of just 3 guys in yellow vests and hard hats standing next to a trackhoe, a pickup truck, and a half built bridge.

Guess she really really wanted another hen to hang out with.

[Neill_Prater]

A bearded hen is just that, a hen with a beard. Although legal in some states (including here), I, personally, would never intentionally shoot one in the spring. The reason they are legal is to avoid penalizing someone who makes an honest mistake shooting a bearded bird, not to promote their harvest.

[DirtNap647]

well to each his own trophy... being i never got one i would have hunted her

[TauntoHawk]

A bearded hen is just that, a hen with a beard. Although legal in some states (including here), I, personally, would never intentionally shoot one in the spring. The reason they are legal is to avoid penalizing someone who makes an honest mistake shooting a bearded bird, not to promote their harvest.

I was thinking the very same thing.. A bearded hen is not that rare, about 1 in every 40 hens grow a beard its just usually small and only a few strands which make it hard to see. A bird with giant hooks is a lot harder to find and more deserving of the word Trophy. Im not gonna knock anyone for harvesting any legal bird with a valid tag but I coudn't imagine waiting all year for spring and wasting one of my tags on a little old hen.

[pseshooter300]

I heard yesterday on the twra radio show yesterday that they want you to kill them to get them out of the group

[TRKYHTR]

I heard yesterday on the twra radio show yesterday that they want you to kill them to get them out of the group

Why in the world would they want to do that?

TRKYHTR

[JWC07]

Yeah that's kinda odd that they'd say that...

Personally, yeah I'd burn a tag on one. I get 4 bearded birds in TN in Spring (not including bonus birds) I don't really get to hunt a lot, they're made of meat, legal, and generally just odd.

I do respect the reasons why someone would choose not to. And after I shot one I would probably never shoot another.

Main thing is everyone's idea of a trophy is different. I got a string with hooks on it, but i got no hen beard/tail fan plaque.

[pseshooter300]

I guess they consider it like a non typical buck I really don't know why they said something about the genetics

[timbrhuntr]

I see a few bearded hens every year. I wish I had multibearded toms and less bearded hens.

Here are 2. I have seen 4 or 5 so far this spring.