Oldest Capture Hen in Pennsylvania

[Greg Massey]

The Pennsylvania Game Commission captured an adult hen back on March 3, 2012 and was leg banded and recaptured Feb 2 , 2022. After comparing the data they estimated her age at 12.5 years old and still healthy. She was fitted this time with a GPS to monitor her future. On an average life expectancy is 1 to 3 years. Just Amazing ...

[Nate]

 :That is way cool, can't imagine what that ole gal has seen, not to mention how many points she's raised.

[Zobo]

That takes raspy old hen to a new level. Wonder what she sounds like.

[simpzenith]

That takes raspy old hen to a new level. Wonder what she sounds like.

I would imagine that she doesn't sound any more raspy than normal. It's typically the juvenile hens that have that very course and raspy yelp.

[Tom007]

Wow, thanks Greg. Unreal...

[guesswho]

Dang, I bet she could tell some stories.

[quavers59]

   Alot of Hens today seem a bit smaller that ones,I have killed back in the late 1990s.  That means they were Older too. My Brother  in Law killed a huge Hen back in those years that was absolutely  Ugly. She must have been at least 5 years old and probably  older. These Hens easily went 12+lbs.

[Yoder409]

They shoulda wrung her neck on the spot.

SHE'S the one that's been dragging gobblers the other way and screwing me up for the last 11 springs !!!   

[Brian Fahs]

I hunt a piece of public in Pennsylvania that always has a hen or small group of hens that are very visible and roost very consistently in the same spot. They have lead to the demise of  a bunch of gobblers for me and my buddies over the years. I can't say for sure it's the same hen but have to believe it's a family group.

[Dtrkyman]

Need more of those old hens, with the poor poult to hen ratios recently they need all the help they can get!

[grayfox]

That's amazing.

[tal]

They're capable of living that long but very few do. A "generation" in turkey time is about 4 years.

[Beards and Hooks]

That is awesome Greg, wonder where in Pa. that's where I am

Sent from my moto e6 using Tapatalk

[mikejd]

Smart old bird right there.  She probably laughs at coyotes.

[Chief Razor]

Incredible to hear about one living that long in the wild. I would assume that she is the exception to the rule.