Yeh i have saw a couple of them, very hard when hunting sometimes to destinguish what is what. Good job though and i see why you would think it was a gobbler. Stating that there was gobbling in general location minutes before.
heck yea i wouldve shot that hen. i think a7 inch beard is big enough anyway, and to be on a hen would be even more unique. i love to kill toms, but alot of people do that every year. bearded hens are alot more rare especially that long of a beard.
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Trevor
www.lostrivergamecalls.com
You tried your best and you failed miserably. The lesson is 'never try'
Well how many have accidently killed a bearded hen or intentionaly ?
Mine was an accident several years ago (yes it was legal) and i checked it in and ate crow with no gobbler as we can only kill one. The tom was gobbling directly behind me about 30 yards, i could not turn around. he shut up and minutes later a bird came around me swinging a 7 1/4" beard and i shot. when i walked up to it i knew something was not right. no sign of spurs, small, and the tail looked different, but oh well.
Dan
First off, nice pic and congrats on a unique trophy!!!
I have seenquite a fewbearded hens in the years that I have spent in the spring woods myself, but like you have mentioned, while any bearded bird is legal (in NYat least),I much rather take a mature gobblerbecause of the much better beards (thicker and longer), and also the fact that a gobbler also carries a dandy set of spurs, where as ahen doesn't have any!!(I wouldreserve the chance at taking a hen duringour fall season).
But the fact remains Dan,you mistook that hen for a Tom, even though you stated it was accidently.That tells usthat you can't tell the differences betweena gobbler or a hen. While I'm not trying to pick on you personally here,I think it would be best that youdo some reading up on the physical differences between the two, just to prevent a mistake like that from happening again. I'm sure that your not the only one who has done something like that, and maybe others can learn from your mistake.
I took a bearded hen 2 years back in southern Indiana.I knew what it was when I shot.I didn't take the grief from my buddy's though.Most had never seen one before.I'm getting her capped out to hang on the wall.Be proud of your bird!!! 12lbs and 8.25 beard I liked it!!
All though most turkey hunters tend to lean away from taking hens with beards, I do not see a problem with it if you feel you want to take the shot. Most Clients and I have some every season pass up bearded hens.
This spring in Florida if the prescents allows its self , I will take a Bearded hen to fill one of my tags. I have something on mind, that I was able to do at one time and passed, but now I'm going for it...
Congrats! I would love to shot a bearded hen. I have heard of them and seen pics of them, but never seen one in the woods.
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It seems I see atleast one bearded hen a year, lthough I have never shot one. Most times I've seen one, a gobbler was with her, so of course I opted for the gobbler. I suppose if it was the last afternoon on the last day, I would probably take one.
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Kurt Rojemann
www.drop-tine-taxidermy.com
My first time turkey hunting and the first bird I saw was a bearded hen. I didnt shoot her because there were 3 white heads coming so I shot one of those guys. I would have liked to shoot her, she had a nice long beard.
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