# Bearded Hen



## Flag Up (Feb 15, 2009)

Would you shoot? Based my decision on weather I would mount it or not. I would not so I did not shoot.


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## retired dundo (Jul 21, 2015)

Flag Up said:


> Would you shoot? Based my decision on weather I would mount it or not. I would not so I did not shoot.
> View attachment 763176


Good call lots of time you will get a nice Tom


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## Bowhunt (Jul 27, 2010)

Bearded hens are much more common than I think people may realize. Regularly see one or two in a flock. While legal, personally I would not shoot. Maybe in the fall when hens are targeted.


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## Yankee#1 (Jun 3, 2015)

Bird numbers are declining across the country in almost every state (or at least portions of every state) so shooting a hen during the breeding season seems counterproductive. THP just had a great episode with Georgia biologists talking about downward turkey population trends, definitely worth an hour of ‘spare time’.

After hunting multiple states, I also theorize that flocks with bearded hens produce toms with longer/thicker beards - so I want those ladies around to keep producing stud toms.

More important, I’ve seen far fewer hens in my area this year - so collectively, no bearded hen for me - I’ll take all the poults they can produce.

Most ‘official reports’ you read state that 5-10% of the hens have a beard, but in my experiences the occurrence is very regional. For example, 8 miles south of my house about 25% of the hens on relatively large chunk of land had a beard. However, I’ve yet to see one hunting in a 5 mile radius around my house though, and that’s with thousands of acres of farmland and powerlines...



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## Tron322 (Oct 29, 2011)

I have only noticed one over the years I could keep track of, had about an 8" beard and loved the same area from April to November. She would attract Toms in the spring but throughout the summer and fall she would be alone, I never noticed any poults with her. I saw her for several years, probably 4 or 5.

The other bearded hens I see in the spring and don't see them again later in the year. Did see one last Thursday while driving to a spot to scout. 

Anyone ever see bearded hens with poults? Because of the one I saw when I was younger I assumed that one didn't have the right plumbing, but never saw enough of them to start shooting them in the spring just in case she's gonna have poults


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## timbrhuntr (Feb 4, 2009)

I have a bunch of bearded hens in one area I hunt not unusual to see 3 or 4 in a group and yes I have seen them with poults ! I like the one about bearded hens producing longer/thicker bearded toms lol I haven't seen it but if it stops people from shooting them in the spring I'm all fot it !


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## Flight of the arrow (Feb 11, 2008)

Not for me either, I don’t even shoot a turkey every year, but I don’t need the meat to survive so the bearded ladies can walk .
Flight


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## 98885 (Jan 18, 2015)

I've had opportunities at bearded hens. Chased one around for 1/2 Mile or so with my young son at the time. He wanted to harvest the bird. No luck. I have 3-4 in my local flock that comes in the yard. No reason desire to kill one. The Males are much too pretty to let walk if I have a tag. Plus the calling and work to get one in is the drug. The hens are boring. They get the pass.


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## notime (Nov 11, 2011)

I've shot 2. The 1st one was last day of spring season in 1993. It had a leg band from the MiDNR. Found out that it was captured and released in my area from Three Rivers 6 years earlier. 2nd one was in the fall a few years later.


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## retired dundo (Jul 21, 2015)

This is first year I’ve ever seen one by my house.And since I retired kin 2009 I do a lot of driving around where I live in March and April and may elmost every morning seeing lots of hens


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## fishdip (Dec 29, 2010)

Nope,she would get a pass.


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## Sprytle (Jan 8, 2005)

Nope I wouldn't either. I see em all the time around here...they are nothing special to me.


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## BUCK/PIKE (Oct 24, 2011)

Ive also seen quite a few.last yr i saw three different ones including 1 with close to 8" beard..
Ive never shot 1 and always said if i did it would be a full body mount...i really dont have room for 1 in the house and the $$ for a full mount sheesh!


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## triplelunger (Dec 21, 2009)

BOOM!


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## Yankee#1 (Jun 3, 2015)

BUCK/PIKE said:


> ...including 1 with close to 8" beard..


Anything over 8” on a hen is considered relatively rare, many are 3-4” and longer ones are usually in the 5-7” range. She’s more likely to be an older bird. 




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## BUCK/PIKE (Oct 24, 2011)

Yankee#1 said:


> Anything over 8” on a hen is considered relatively rare, many are 3-4” and longer ones are usually in the 5-7” range. She’s more likely to be an older bird.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


funny Yank im pretty sure i saw that same bearded hen tonight and man it really could be 8" thin rope.haha


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## BUCK/PIKE (Oct 24, 2011)

crappy pic but longest beard by far for all the bearded hens ive seen.1 yr i saw 4 different bearded hens on 1 property


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## Flag Up (Feb 15, 2009)

BUCK/PIKE said:


> Crappy pic but longest beard by far for all the bearded hens I've seen.1 yr I saw 4 different bearded hens on 1 property


That's a nice beard!


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## old graybeard (Jan 19, 2006)

Nice

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## LooksMoosey (Aug 29, 2015)

Passed one this year at 15 yds. Saw her several times. Dad saw her with poults (assuming same bird- same area) a year ago. She has a pretty nice beard on her!


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## BumpRacerX (Dec 31, 2009)

Passed on one Friday. Was really hoping the Karma Gods would bless me in reward. So far...no such luck lol.

As my number of sits left in the season is down to either hunting the fly down before work, or the last few hours of the day after for the next five days...Bearded hens no longer get a pass.


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