Bearded Hen!!??
05-05-2008 | 10:12 AM
#1
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Joined: Dec 2005
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From: Racine, Wisconsin
Bearded Hen!!??
Guy's
I just got back from a great week up north in Wisconsin. I was turkey hunting and riding my Harley around the countryside with my GF.
I got the turkey hunting done early Thurs. morning, 6:15 AM. I rode my bike and helped my farmer buddy the rest of the week.
I was using my old HCA bow (1997) Max Force, 66 lbs @ 275 fps with 2413's and an 85 gr. Wasp SST Hammer fixed blade BH.
I set up my Double Bull blind on the point of a ridge where there are a lot of pines. The turkeys love to roost there. I set out 2 hens and a jake decoy at 10 and 13 yards from my blind. The hens were at 10 yards and the jake at 13. I made it look like the jake had the hens pinned in against my blind. I got in the blind at 5:00 AM. At about 5:30 AM, I heard some gobbling in the distance. I gave a series of hen clucks and calls, but no response. About 15 minutes later I thought I heard a bird fly down. I again gave some soft calls and nothing. Next, I did the next best thing......... I fell asleep! [:-]
About a half hour later one of my snores woke me up! [&:] I looked out the blind and Holy smokes!, there was a turkey picking around my decoys! Dang, it was a hen. While watching it for a few seconds I noticed something hanging from it's chest. Is that a beard!!?? I rubbed my eyes a few times and looked again, sure enough it was a hen with a short beard of about 4 inches! Legal game in Wisconsin. I got my bow ready and in a few minutes I had an 18 yard broadside shot. After the shot, the bird ran a quick 5 yard semi-circle and fell over dead. No flapping or kicking, I was amazed, almost thought I missed except that there was a dead turkey laying there! Very cool!
Here's a few pics. Enjoy.
BTW, bagging a spring turkey with a bow is not as difficult as bagging a mature buck.
I just got back from a great week up north in Wisconsin. I was turkey hunting and riding my Harley around the countryside with my GF.
I got the turkey hunting done early Thurs. morning, 6:15 AM. I rode my bike and helped my farmer buddy the rest of the week.
I was using my old HCA bow (1997) Max Force, 66 lbs @ 275 fps with 2413's and an 85 gr. Wasp SST Hammer fixed blade BH.
I set up my Double Bull blind on the point of a ridge where there are a lot of pines. The turkeys love to roost there. I set out 2 hens and a jake decoy at 10 and 13 yards from my blind. The hens were at 10 yards and the jake at 13. I made it look like the jake had the hens pinned in against my blind. I got in the blind at 5:00 AM. At about 5:30 AM, I heard some gobbling in the distance. I gave a series of hen clucks and calls, but no response. About 15 minutes later I thought I heard a bird fly down. I again gave some soft calls and nothing. Next, I did the next best thing......... I fell asleep! [:-]
About a half hour later one of my snores woke me up! [&:] I looked out the blind and Holy smokes!, there was a turkey picking around my decoys! Dang, it was a hen. While watching it for a few seconds I noticed something hanging from it's chest. Is that a beard!!?? I rubbed my eyes a few times and looked again, sure enough it was a hen with a short beard of about 4 inches! Legal game in Wisconsin. I got my bow ready and in a few minutes I had an 18 yard broadside shot. After the shot, the bird ran a quick 5 yard semi-circle and fell over dead. No flapping or kicking, I was amazed, almost thought I missed except that there was a dead turkey laying there! Very cool!
Here's a few pics. Enjoy.
BTW, bagging a spring turkey with a bow is not as difficult as bagging a mature buck.
05-05-2008 | 10:30 AM
#6
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Site Buck Guru
Joined: Dec 2005
Posts: 5,922
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From: Racine, Wisconsin
RE: Bearded Hen!!??
ORIGINAL: MN/Kyle
Congrats! That is awesome.
Full body mount=full body decoy for next year?
You shot a girl 
Congrats! That is awesome.
Full body mount=full body decoy for next year?
BTW, bagging a spring turkey with a bow is not as difficult as bagging a mature buck.
May have been a girl, but she was manly and carried "The Card"! [:-]
