Bearded Hen
02-09-2016, 02:46 AM
#2
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Nov 2009
Location: Lutz, Florida. Turkey woods in the spring.
Posts: 1,143
I have been turkey hunting for about 15 years and I have only seen three. I would not call them rare but definitely not common. All three had pretty thin beards in the seven inch range.
02-09-2016, 06:58 AM
#4
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: NY
Posts: 2,820
Like others, I have seen a few in my lifetime as well. I agree, their beards are very thin and pencil like. I would pass as well and rather take a gobbler because of his much thicker and longer beards and most importantly, those spurs!!!
02-09-2016, 08:16 AM
#5
Super Moderator
Join Date: Jan 2004
Location: Wisconsin
Posts: 7,437
Well hate me if you will but on my 20th year my constant hunting partner called in a bearded hen - it was my third in a lifetime - since then I have seen at least a dozen more but I took her for my harvest tag as it was legal..
Didn't knock a feather out of her either. Pin her to the ground to prevent that.
She now graces my wall.......I can still see her come caterwauling walking all the way in looking for that hen that was so sassy calling back to her.....man she was mad!
That is her standing. 17 lbs - 7 inch beard - an Upper Michigan Cedar Swamp hen and next to her is my 10th year third double beard Wisconsin bird taken the same yr. And those are over 20 yrs ago. Since then I have seen many bearded hens with one hen with a good 10 incher in TN.
He was 20 lb with a 10.5 and a 5.25 beard with 1 inch spurs. He was a Peterson farm bird I found on a strut area all alone.
Dave....JW
Didn't knock a feather out of her either. Pin her to the ground to prevent that.
She now graces my wall.......I can still see her come caterwauling walking all the way in looking for that hen that was so sassy calling back to her.....man she was mad!
That is her standing. 17 lbs - 7 inch beard - an Upper Michigan Cedar Swamp hen and next to her is my 10th year third double beard Wisconsin bird taken the same yr. And those are over 20 yrs ago. Since then I have seen many bearded hens with one hen with a good 10 incher in TN.
He was 20 lb with a 10.5 and a 5.25 beard with 1 inch spurs. He was a Peterson farm bird I found on a strut area all alone.
Dave....JW
02-09-2016, 09:01 AM
#6
Super Moderator
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: Choctaw, Oklahoma
Posts: 1,350
Not really sure how true it is but I've been told that multiple bearded Toms come from bearded hens. The area I've been hunting lately I've seen several bearded jakes and maybe 5 different bearded hens the last couple of years.
02-10-2016, 11:43 AM
#7
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Dec 2005
Location: Missouri
Posts: 1,093
I usually have several bearded hens around. Several years ago I called in a group of turkeys, 3 gobblers and 11 hens. 9 of the 11 were bearded. We do have several multi bearded gobblers as well and I have heard the same thing kellyguinn
02-11-2016, 09:49 AM
#8
Typical Buck
Join Date: Sep 2008
Location: colorado
Posts: 700
I've seen 3 in 21 years, the first turkey I ever took was a bearded hen, I was so confused, it has a beard it must be a tom, but it has a hens head it has to be a hen.... must be a bearded hen ok well that's legal here....boom 6 3/4 inch beard. I've learned a lot since then lol.
02-22-2016, 06:44 AM
#10
Spike
Join Date: Sep 2011
Location: West Virginia
Posts: 87
I have taken a bearded Eastern and a bearded Meriams hen. Kinda got me thinking about a bearded hen grand slam! They seem to be fairly common in my area. I took the Eastern which had a 7 1/2" beard and have passed several since. The Meriams only had a 3 1/2" beard.
