JA1234
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- Jan 13, 2006
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until today. I was set up in my blind and had several hens working my way with two toms in tow. When they got about 50 yards out I noticed one of the hens kept catching my eye. On closer inspection I realized she was bearded. They all worked in closer and closer and at this point I could see the Toms well and figured they were young birds as the spurs were only about 3/4 long.
When I moved here from MS I had only seen one bearded hen in the woods while hunting. There it was(and still may be) illegal to shoot hens regardless. Now in TN I have only seen two. One on the side of 840 in wilson county and one that was in front of me at about 10 yards.
A guy I know here used to talk about how he was going to shoot one every year. Seems he would see it in his field every season, but never could get a chance at it. Well the more I thought about it, I had mixed feelings on whether I would shoot or give one the pass.
Sitting in my blind watching these birds today, it crossed my mind that I have killed about every kind of Eastern Turkey a man can kill. I have birds with short beards, long beards, skinny beards, thick beards, black beards, broke dry rotted beards, and two with brown beards. I have killed birds with 3, 4 and one with 5 beards. I have shot heavy birds and birds that weren't so heavy. It comes down to three birds I have never shot best of my knowledge anyhow. They are gray phased( or smoke or whatever you call them) a Jake, and a bearded hen.
Now today there are two that I haven't shot. Gray or Jake. I hope to get a gray one day as I think they are cool looking. I hope I never get a jake. I dont mind people that do, its just not my cup of tea. And I never figured I would shoot a hen. Am I am tickled I did. She will eat well and make a great mount.
When I moved here from MS I had only seen one bearded hen in the woods while hunting. There it was(and still may be) illegal to shoot hens regardless. Now in TN I have only seen two. One on the side of 840 in wilson county and one that was in front of me at about 10 yards.
A guy I know here used to talk about how he was going to shoot one every year. Seems he would see it in his field every season, but never could get a chance at it. Well the more I thought about it, I had mixed feelings on whether I would shoot or give one the pass.
Sitting in my blind watching these birds today, it crossed my mind that I have killed about every kind of Eastern Turkey a man can kill. I have birds with short beards, long beards, skinny beards, thick beards, black beards, broke dry rotted beards, and two with brown beards. I have killed birds with 3, 4 and one with 5 beards. I have shot heavy birds and birds that weren't so heavy. It comes down to three birds I have never shot best of my knowledge anyhow. They are gray phased( or smoke or whatever you call them) a Jake, and a bearded hen.
Now today there are two that I haven't shot. Gray or Jake. I hope to get a gray one day as I think they are cool looking. I hope I never get a jake. I dont mind people that do, its just not my cup of tea. And I never figured I would shoot a hen. Am I am tickled I did. She will eat well and make a great mount.
