Bearded Vs. Non Bearded

[Farmboy27]

Bearded hens are not sterile!!!  That's just an excuse to shot them where it's legal. I have seen bearded hens with young several times.  And as far as the original post,  the best thing you could do is to tag along with an experienced turkey hunter for a year or two to get things figured out. Best of luck!

What's that have anything to do with shooting a Bearded Hen? I'll follow my state law and you do what you perfer but until the law says otherwise I will continue to tag Bearded Hens

I meant no offense to anyone and as you said anyone is free to do what the law allows. I'm just saying that I've heard so many people say "I called in a bearded hen and shot her cause they don't lay anyway".  I have shot several bearded hens in the fall but have always, and will aways, pass on them in the spring. Saw one at the towards the end of season 2 years ago with a dozen poults. Legal bird. But how much more unethical can ya get. Hope she it.

[NYlogbeards]

Bearded hens are not sterile!!!  That's just an excuse to shot them where it's legal. I have seen bearded hens with young several times.  And as far as the original post,  the best thing you could do is to tag along with an experienced turkey hunter for a year or two to get things figured out. Best of luck!

What's that have anything to do with shooting a Bearded Hen? I'll follow my state law and you do what you perfer but until the law says otherwise I will continue to tag Bearded Hens

I meant no offense to anyone and as you said anyone is free to do what the law allows. I'm just saying that I've heard so many people say "I called in a bearded hen and shot her cause they don't lay anyway".  I have shot several bearded hens in the fall but have always, and will aways, pass on them in the spring. Saw one at the towards the end of season 2 years ago with a dozen poults. Legal bird. But how much more unethical can ya get. Hope she it.

Sorry if my post came off in offence, I 100% agree with it being unethical to take a Bearded Hen, few years ago i mistakenly tagged one and thought it was a Jake not that its illegal or you need an excuse to shoot one but it is a lame excuse to kill one and say "They're sterile anyway"

[MK M GOBL]

In WI you can legally shoot a bearded bird (hen included) or male turkey. I have killed 2 adult male turkeys with no beard, nothing at all and still with a full fan and gobbling his head off and one of those 2 had no beard and no spurs...

MK M GOBL

[Marc]

For non-bearded, just imagine it without that part.

As sarcastic as this post was, it is still helpful... (I actually thought it was pretty funny as well).

Most male turkeys have that little tuft of feathers at their chest that forms a "beard."  Most female turkeys do not have this "beard."  The beard on the above picture is a "long-beard" and quite easy to see.  Younger beards can have a small tuft that is only an inch or two long, but it is still a beard legally speaking as long as it is visible.

For states that "any bearded turkey" is legal, you can shoot a hen or a gobbler as long as it has a beard.  Most hunters try to avoid shooting hens in the spring, cause it is taking from our own resource.  (A hen will find another tom to breed with, but when you take out a hen, you are hurting the production line).

There are other physical characteristics such as size and color of the birds that will help you distinguish a boy turkey from a girl as well.  But sometimes a gobbler does not have a beard (either a young bird or "beard rot," or losing it in a fight).

The beard length, as well as spur length, and weight of the bird are three characteristics used as "trophy" characteristics.  The longer the beard the more of a trophy the bird is considered.