# Hens with beards



## fphilli1 (Sep 24, 2007)

:sad:I have only been hunting turkeys for a couple of years here in Michigan and have a question. I was in the woods today with my crossbow hunting deer and had a bunch of turkeys come in. I saw at least three with long skinny beards but they had no red on there heads and I could not see any spirs on them. They were very close, at one piont they were righ under my blind. I have heard that hens can have beards but would like to know how common is this??? Thanks..


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## Dubllung4 (Dec 29, 2009)

This time of the year toms may not have red heads like in the spring, even in the spring their heads may not be red. The birds you say may have been jakes with small spurs. Its uncommon for there to be 3 bearded hens together in a group but not unheard of. The best way for me to tell the difference was to compare the size of the bird with the other birds. Hens will generally be much smaller bodied and have a smaller head. The beards on a hen are usually thin too. Here is the bearded hen I shot, she had a 6 inch beard.


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## RealTree (Sep 28, 2010)

ive also saw a lot of turkeys out while crossbow hunting. but all of my toms are still red heads.


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## DEDGOOSE (Jan 19, 2007)

Bearded hens are pretty common in my area, some areas not so much..


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## Quakstakr (Nov 3, 2009)

DEDGOOSE said:


> Bearded hens are pretty common in my area, some areas not so much..


I think location has alot to do with it. I believe it becomes a genetic thing.
Bearded hens come into my backyard frequently. :chillin:


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## Sib (Jan 8, 2003)

Pretty common, they can get long, but I've never seen on that comes close to being as thick and broad as a tom.


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## Moose57 (Sep 7, 2009)

Sib said:


> Pretty common, they can get long, but I've never seen on that comes close to being as thing and broad as a tom.


You are right Sib. Had a friend take one on my place a few years ago, long and very thin beard. I see one or two hens every season with thin beards. Nothing at all like a Toms beard.


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## LumberJ (Mar 9, 2009)

I thought I read somewhere that on average 10% of hens will have a beard...maybe I'm making that up


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