# Would u shoot a bearded hen?



## Fish-N-Bucks (Dec 29, 2010)

Just curious everyone's thoughts on this. Reason I ask is I've only seen one bearded hen in my lifetime which was about a 4 inch thin pencil beard. But currently have one with about an 8 inch beard wandering around. Pretty cool to see. And the jakes and toms tower over her. How rare is it to see a hen with a beard close to 8 inches?


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## Liver and Onions (Nov 24, 2000)

No, absolutely not. Not a lot of turkeys in my area so I'm not about to shoot a female. Legal targets so I have no problem for those who make a different choice.

L & O


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## TSS Caddis (Mar 15, 2002)

Fish-N-Bucks said:


> Just curious everyone's thoughts on this. Reason I ask is I've only seen one bearded hen in my lifetime which was about a 4 inch thin pencil beard. But currently have one with about an 8 inch beard wandering around. Pretty cool to see. And the jakes and toms tower over her. How rare is it to see a hen with a beard close to 8 inches?


I'm sure someone knows a percentage from a study, but I believe it is pretty common and I don't doubt that you've seen one before you just couldn't see it. Ive only glasses birds while in a blind and have only hunted a blind maybe 6 times in my life and 2 out of the 6 times we've shot bearded hens. Each time the beard only visible with binocs. This bird I watched for 10 minutes in the decoys before my son who was 7 at the time suggested I put the binos on it to look for a beard and sure enough, 7-8" beard. By the time he got on it it was a tad over 60yds but done deal with the 20ga. 



The next year, monster double beard


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## Team Bell's (Dec 22, 2007)

Shooting a bearded hen is not my cup of tea. Saw one that an old timer harvested when I was a youngster. As he cleaned her he discovered all of her undeveloped eggs. They were the size of a cherry tomato. 

While perfectly legal, I hope that whoever chooses to pull the trigger on one has a gorgeous mount done of her and displays the unique trophy that she is. If she is simply for table fare, there's a lot more breast meat to be had on a male bird IMO.


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## pigeon (Jan 25, 2009)

No never


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## Firefighter (Feb 14, 2007)

Never in the spring. Always in the fall.

Really not that rare (about 1 in 20 hens).

Never understood why a 5 year old, hook spurred tom that lost his beard to a coyote or a fight was illegal to shoot in the spring, but a bearded hen full of eggs was...


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## Jdhunttrapfish (Jan 14, 2016)

I have read about 10% of hens are bearded, so that's a decent amount. I would shoot one in the fall but probably not in the spring because the possibility of her having eggs and yes I would get a mount done, that would be sweet.


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## cedarlkDJ (Sep 2, 2002)

NO! The one I had around here last year, my brother shot. I was pissed! She had a 7" beard but, it is legal. I have multiple pics of her.......


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## Jdhunttrapfish (Jan 14, 2016)

CedarlkDJ how did u get those pictures posted on here


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## cedarlkDJ (Sep 2, 2002)

Jdhunttrapfish said:


> CedarlkDJ how did u get those pictures posted on here












And then find it on your pc or device (I'm not sure on that one) and then just add to your post.


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## Jdhunttrapfish (Jan 14, 2016)

cedarlkDJ said:


> View attachment 210139
> 
> 
> And then find it on your pc or device (I'm not sure on that one) and then just add to your post.


Thanks, never know when you might need to post a picture.


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## rcleofly (Feb 18, 2012)

I've passed up on a Tom for not having a beard. But I've never seen a bearded hen or at least I've never noticed.


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## michiganoutdoorsman (Dec 29, 2010)

I would in the fall, just wouldn't feel right about it in the spring. Like others have said, you do it more power to you. It's legal. Only time I would is if I absolutely had to feed my family, but we're not starving so I'll pass.


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## Lamarsh (Aug 19, 2014)

I personally would not. I'd rather have the possibility of more turkeys the following year than harvest a hen in the spring. Just me though.


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## Fish-N-Bucks (Dec 29, 2010)

Yea I don't plan on shooting her. Plenty of nice toms around that I would rather try for. I just thought it was cool to see a hen with a decent sized beard. Btw that's a beautiful bird your son shot there TSS Caddis. Great picture and one happy hunter.


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## turkeytamer41 (Mar 13, 2006)

I have seen a lot of hens with beards but this was the longest


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## don (Jan 20, 2001)

I wouldn't kill one just because they are a "legal or unusual target" but that's my personal choice, I have no right to decide what others should or shouldn't do.
However getting a picture of one stepping in front of my trailcams is a different story, always entertaining and something I look forward to seeing every year.


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## TheLionsFan (Dec 20, 2011)

Nope


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## TSS Caddis (Mar 15, 2002)

I wouldn't worry about it. Any hen lit up in the fall had a decent chance of nesting in the spring so all your doing is swapping a "most likely" to a definetly will lay eggs. Anyone adamant that they wouldn't in the spring because they want to help the population probably shouldn't in the fall either.


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## Firefighter (Feb 14, 2007)

TSS Caddis said:


> I wouldn't worry about it. Any hen lit up in the fall had a decent chance of nesting in the spring so all your doing is swapping a "most likely" to a definetly will lay eggs. Anyone adamant that they wouldn't in the spring because they want to help the population probably shouldn't in the fall either.


Would you shoot a doe in May carrying possibly 4 fawns?

Would you shoot that doe in the fall?


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