GMMAT

Everything I've ever read or heard says that the "odds' of a hen having a beard are 1 in TWELVE HUNDRED.

Also....I've never heard that they wouldn't breed, either.

doubleA

Everyone has pretty much summed it up.

Here in South Texas I have seen many bearded hensover the years, last spring I even saw a double bearded hen. Regulations as you know vary state to state, here bearded hens are the only legal hens you can take but they retrict them to the fall season only.
As wingchaser commented, hens are typically much smaller than the toms and you really dont get much meat out of them

younggun308

In TN, you can kill any bearded turkey, so in NC they should allow you to do it there, too.

GooseHunter Jr.

Looks like one to me...get her...

bloodcrick

Those are some nice pics, that is certainly a bearded hen. It is legal in Indiana. Not sure about the gene pool thingy. Here is a pic of one i took several seasons ago.

Tree climber

I have taken on in my hunting life. my wife took one with her bow, last season. she had a 7" beard.they are quite a few of them.

DaveH

Yep, looks like you've got a bearded hen there. I've only seen one that was clearly a bearded hen while hunting. I didn't shoot her though because of a comment I'd read on this forum the week prior. The guy who wrote the thread said he took a bearded hen and later regretted doing it because of the 17 eggs he found inside her when field dressing her. He realized that he took out more than just one bird when he killed her. I thought that was the right decision and held up on my only shot opportunity that season.