Bearded hens

[donjuan]

I am fortunate to see turkeys scratching up cow pies in the pasture below the house. There was a bearded hen by herself and I got to thinking, would you take her if it we're legal in your state? 

[Happy]

It is legal on my states and I have had the opportunity. She actually had a decent beard but I had no desire to kill her.

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[spaightlabs]

Had a  hen with a 6 inch beard strutting and hanging out for 15 minutes...not or me.

Buddy of mine was out today and shot a hen with a 5 or 6 inch beard. 

I don't see any reason to kill the turkey factories.

[Farmboy27]

Nope. The turkey population around here has been going downhill for several years now. We need all the egg layers we can get!  In my opinion shooting a bearded hen in the spring falls into the "I just want to shoot something" category.  The only reason that they are legal in some states is the game commissions think that people can't tell between a male turkey and a bearded hen.

[MickT]

Not for me


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[BABS9]

Never would shoot a hen. For those that do open one up and see the eggs she has. Plus the nest that will be lost. You aren't just killing one bird.

[Cottonmouth]

If I have to shoot something that bad, I'll just do a drive by on a chicken. Never understood shooting hens. Earlier this year I found a hen carcass that somebody left in the woods after they breasted it out. They even cut the fan off.

[Tennessee Lead]

Ive had multiple opportunities and have no desire for it.


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[Boilermaker]

No.  For all reasons already mentioned above.  I do not believe in shooting hens.  But to each their own...

[catman529]

Yes in the fall but not in the spring. Saw one a couple weeks ago


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[fallhnt]

Yes....Shot 1 in the Spring and 3 in the Fall

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[Rzrbac]

No. When I was young I shot one in the fall.  I felt bad after I did.  I've seen several since then and have never had a desire to shoot another one.  As previously mentioned, they are gonna raise the gobblers I'm gonna shoot in couple of years.

[hobbes]

No desire to shoot a hen.

[jwright8]

My very first turkey was a bearded hen in the spring. I was 6. I prefer not to shoot them in the spring. I've had a few opportunities to do so. Not going to say I never would though. If its legal and you are happy with it, go for it.

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[chcltlabz]

No way, not ever.

I was hunting with a friend's father one day and we weren't having much action.  We fired up a hen who was cutting and yelping harder than I've ever had a bird do.  It was a blast calling her in and I thought for sure it would fire a gobbler up.  Scared the crap out of me when he shot her.  It was legal, his farm, but I never hunted with him again.

Hunting has to be about more than harvesting an animal.