# bearded hen



## Firefighter (Feb 14, 2007)

DEDGOOSE said:


> Would someone explain why they are legal in the spring in the first place? Why not go with "Any bearded male or gobbler".. Do people honestly mistake a bearded hen for a gobbler? Or does it go back to some backwoods myth that bearded hens dont breed and lay eggs..


 
I agree Tommy.

Kind of an archaic rule for spring, but legal.


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## trophy18 (Aug 14, 2011)

ive got a HUGE bearded hen comes in my yard for the last two years....im not a real turkey hunter though so we just keep em staying here.....shes a trophy....ill try to get a pic tommorow...never really thought about it


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## Linda G. (Mar 28, 2002)

I don't know, but that's an interesting question. Al Stewart might know, or Jim Maturen, he'll be at the TC Outdoor Show this weekend if anyone is in that area.


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## ezcaller (Feb 21, 2009)

When dealing with bearded hens in the spring I think it comes down to new hunters being unable to distinguish between the two.I have had new hunters both young and old get tunnel vision and very excited at the fact that the bird in front of them has a beard when in fact it was a hen.Based on the information put out by the DNR in the spring pamphlet distinguishing hens, jakes and toms it is probably an on going problem of incorrect identification and creates less problems for new hunters and the DNR.


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## jackbob42 (Nov 12, 2003)

DEDGOOSE said:


> ....... Why not go with "Any bearded male or gobbler"....


The DNR must figure that killing a few isn't going to hurt the population much.


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## jem44357 (Jan 27, 2011)

I sent the info below in an email to... [email protected] 

Subject: Turkeys... Why is it legal to shoot a bearded hen in the spring?

This question came up in a forum discussion here... http://www.michigan-sportsman.com/forum/showthread.php?t=414784&page=2. So I decided to get an answer to the question. Also could you address the impact on the population that harvesting them has and what percentage of the population are bearded hens? Any links to studies or just some stats would be great I will share in the thread.

Thanking you in advance
Jim

Hopefully an answer will be supplied
Jim


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## michiganduckmaster (Dec 28, 2011)

I agree Linda since 88 ive only shot one bird on private land the other 12 birds ive shot have all been on state land. Ive only been skunked once during turkey season some 10yrs ago. I didnt hunt a lot of years due to a late season hunt and to many coho and kings to catch so never even went out even though I had a tag.


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## flockshot (Feb 23, 2007)

alot of breeding takes place before we even hit the woods..just another thing to consider when the the fingers on the trigger...


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## old graybeard (Jan 19, 2006)

Wouldn't shoot a bearded hen or date a bearded Lady, something about it just isn't right to me.


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## michiganoutdoorsman (Dec 29, 2010)

old graybeard said:


> Wouldn't shoot a bearded hen or date a bearded Lady, something about it just isn't right to me.


Great advice!


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## jediknight (Mar 11, 2006)

My friends father in law shot a smokey grey hen with a 8 inch beard and had it mounted. I would have shot it too given the chance. Now a regular bearded hen I have no interest in.


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## Fred Bear (Jan 20, 2000)

Shot one once. That is enough. Just did it to say I had.

Sent from my android


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## jem44357 (Jan 27, 2011)

From an earlier post of mine...

I sent the info below in an email to... [email protected] 

Subject: Turkeys... Why is it legal to shoot a bearded hen in the spring?

This question came up in a forum discussion here... http://www.michigan-sportsman.com/fo...=414784&page=2. So I decided to get an answer to the question. Also could you address the impact on the population that harvesting them has and what percentage of the population are bearded hens? Any links to studies or just some stats would be great I will share in the thread.

Thanking you in advance
Jim

Hopefully an answer will be supplied
Jim

I did not get an answer from this correspondence so I dug a little deeper and contacted Jim this was his response...

Hi Jim

The rule that allows a bearded hen to be killed during the spring season was made by the DNR abut the time that a spring season was established. I believe it was in effect before we organized in 19983. We initiated many of the current rules for hunting turkeys, with obtaining legislation that gave them big game status with the deer and bear and legislation that obtained $1,000 restitution for poaching one. 
I am not sure what percentage bearded hens appear in the population. A bearded hen in not extremly rare. Taking any hen out of the population is going to effect turkey numbers, especially in those areas where the population has been and is declining. I am sure that you are aware that there is no fall season (where hens are a legal target) in the northern lower peninsula. This began with our Pere Marquette Chapter (my chapter)which covers the 13 counties of the DNR Cadillac management district. We used to work with the DNR to conduct a winter census. Our turkey numbers climbed to over 23,000 then began to fall. When we reached 16,000 (a loss of 7,000) we had a meeting with the DNR and asked to halt a fall season until the turkeys rebounded. They never did rebound. No fall season soon followed over the entire northern lower peninsula. 
We did have a chapter briefly in your area but lost it when the key people were unable to follow through. We have been contacted by an individual who wants to start a chapter in your area. One of our members is the contact person. If you are interested you can contact him at [email protected]. His name is David Bearden. Tell him that you contacted me. I hope that I answered your questions. Feel free to contact me direct at [email protected].

Jim Maturen
4111 Wild Turkey Trail
Reed City, Mi. 49677
(231) 832-2575


--- On Sat, 4/14/12, James E Monroe <[email protected]> wrote:

> From: James E Monroe <[email protected]>
> Subject: Michigan Wild Turkey Hunters Association: Why is it legal to shoot a bearded hen in the spring?
> To: [email protected]
> Date: Saturday, April 14, 2012, 3:25 PM
> This is an enquiry e-mail via http://www.mwtha.net/ from:
> James E Monroe <[email protected]>
> 
> Why is it legal to shoot a bearded hen in the spring?
> 
> This question came up in a forum discussion here... http://www.michigan-sportsman.com/fo...=414784&page=2.
> So I decided to get an answer to the question. Also could
> you address the impact on the population that harvesting
> them has and what percentage of the population are bearded
> hens? Any links to studies or just some stats would be great
> I will share in the thread.
> 
> Also I notice on the "find your chapter" map the large gray
> area seems to be undefined. I live in Washtenaw Co. and have
> turkey hunted Jackson Co for 25 years and was thinking of
> joining but without a local chapter I am unsure if there
> would be any benefit. Any info on a chapter for this area
> would be appreciated
> 
> Thanking you in advance
> Jim
> 
> 

I am in the process of contacting Al Stewart I will post his response.

Jim


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## Tron322 (Oct 29, 2011)

I have not dropped the hammer on one yet in my area but after some thinking i just might have to. i started thinkin that most hens I see in the middle of summer and fall have poults with them, I have never seen a bearded hen these times of the year with poults, has anyone else?


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## Yamirider (Oct 3, 2008)

The bearded hen gets a pass from me.


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## Linda G. (Mar 28, 2002)

Yes, they have poults. The bird I shot in the fall (7 inch beard) was traveling with two other hens and poults of three different sizes. 

Another thing about hens you should think about before putting a tag on one is that you really have no idea how old they are, so you really have no idea how edible she is going to be. Some hens live to be at least 10-12 years old, probably older, and I can imagine that would be a pretty tough stringy old bird to try to eat. 

Which is why many of us take young of the year in the fall, much better eating than either a tom or a hen.


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## Paperboy 1 (Aug 7, 2008)

Linda G. said:


> Yes, they have poults. The bird I shot in the fall (7 inch beard) was traveling with two other hens and poults of three different sizes.
> 
> Another thing about hens you should think about before putting a tag on one is that you really have no idea how old they are, so you really have no idea how edible she is going to be. Some hens live to be at least 10-12 years old, probably older, and I can imagine that would be a pretty tough stringy old bird to try to eat.
> 
> Which is why many of us take young of the year in the fall, much better eating than either a tom or a hen.



I have seen little ones a bearded hen before by me. We used to have 2 of them wandering the property. I haven't seen them this year.

Myself... I'd let one pass and try and get a picture instead.


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