Bearded Hens / Have You?

[bbcoach]

As a spin off on killing Jakes, have or would you kill a bearded Hen?  I have a bearded hen that has made a home around one of my deer stands and I've seen her numerous times over the last three deer and turkey seasons.  I had her at 3 yards last spring but gave her a PASS. 

[jakesdad]

I have killed one in the fall but never in the spring.Have passed a few in the spring season.

[ncturkey]

It all depends. Bearded hen can breed. So taking would take one breeding hen out of the flock. Plus you have to make sure it is legal. If a area has tons of hens I think it wold not hurt to take a bearded hen. I took one by mistake one time. It was a smokey grey phase bearded hen. I thought she was a tom. I would not ding you for shooting a bearded hen. Folks take them in fall season so I do not see a problem with it. I would not take too many of them. To make sure you have hens to breed and make more turkeys. I love wing bone turkey calls. I can no longer take hens in the winterseason due to it being closed. So if I can take a bearded hen when given the chance I may take one. I have been hunting 20+ years now and only taken one bearded hen. I do not hunt for bearded hens but if one comes by i would maybe take her. If you want to harvest a hen and it is legal take one.

[woodsman1977]

Have always wanted one to mount on the wall.....maybe this year??

[VaTuRkStOmPeR]

Won't ever shoot one. 

Hens are the most vital necessity for a healthy turkey population. 

[Skeeterbait]

Not legal in Alabama so it is a moot point for me.  But just because a hen has a beard I am no more interested in her than a non-bearded hen.  Now... I have the most beautiful smoke phase hen on my property I would love to take and have mounted to go along side a strutting tom mount.

[Tomspur]

I am 59 years old and have taken one bearded hen in my lifetime. Have one on my place that I have seen in the fall but gave her a pass. I  would take her if I saw her as she has an estimated 8 inch beard which is pretty long for a bearded hen, in my experiences.
It is legal in my state but have passed many since I already have one.

[Hognutz]

I have always thought that a bearded hen would make a great mount for my rec-room. I have never had the opportunity to shoot one, and as I get older and have killed a few gobblers, I don't ever see me shooting a hen of any stature. Not against it, because they are legal here and any hen is legal in the fall. Just can't make myself do it..

[goblr77]

I've had multiple opportunities to kill bearded hens in Florida and never did it. Just didn't seem right. To each his own though.

[Gooserbat]

I've killed two.  One was sick and couldn't hardly walk much less fly.  She looked as if she had been shot as she was full of infection.  the second I accidentally pulled a double with the tom that was in front of her. 

[catdaddy]

Last spring, after a fair morning of chasing longbeards, I was headed back to my truck around 10:30 AM when I heard what I thought to be a jake yelping. I eased in, set up, and begin to call hoping that the jake would be in the company of a long beard.  The jake was exceeding vocal, so I poured it on, jake yelping right back at him. He came straight to me yelping all the way. Just before he crested the rise I was sitting under, he made noise that sounded like a jake gobble—albeit a strange weak sounding gobble for sure. When he crested the rise he was in range—25 yards or so. I had to take a double take---this was no jake—he turned out to be a she----a bearded hen. She continued to jake yelp and then tried to strut a little bit. I thought to myself "What on God's green earth is this?? This has to be the Rosie O'Donnell version of the turkey world. "I initially wasn't going to shoot her but decided I should take her out of the gene pool. I picked her up, put her in my vest and headed to the truck. I could help but hum this tune as I hiked out of there: Lola---Lo Lo Lo Lo'la.   

[davisd9]

No interest in killing a hen, bearded or not. If it is legal and you want to then by all means go at it. Just not for me


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[appalachianstruttstopper]

I have been hunting turkeys for over 25 years and I have never seen one with a beard. I may have encountered some and didn't look for a beard on a hen.

[turkeyfoot]

Sot one about 10 years ago  in another state 7 1/4 inch beard have seen couple since none in state I live in though passed on others even when I hunt Va. in fall I don't take a hen unless we have had really large hatch which in my area has been rare

[knightrider]

since the goal of my landowners is to thin the seed stealers out, yes i will shoot every hen thats legal in the fall or spring, turkey taste very good no matter if its hen or gobbler!!! longest hen beard i have is 9.25 inches