I took this off the NWTF facts site. It must also be noted that 10 to 20 percent of hens have beards.

It isn't really all that rare, often hens beards are so thin that most do not notice them unless they get within a couple of yards of them. It also doesn't have anything to do with age. If a hen has a beard she'll have it as a jennie hen and it will grow like a gobbler until she is a boss hen. I saw a hen this year, jennie hen, with a short 3 inch beard like a jake but thin. I probably this season alone saw seven or eight bearded hens in 3 different states. I saw a hen in South Carolina with a thick beard.

Now shoot one or not? That is a personal thing. If you want to and it is legal, then don't worry about it. I don't see them as part of the spring game, but that is just personal.