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Would you shoot a bearded hen?

AT Hiker

AT Hiker

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I'm sure some of you have seen this go around other social media outlets. I've seen it a couple times so I decided to open the article, to my surprise the author is a TN resident and he also shares many of our thoughts.
https://www.bowhunting.com/blog/2019/05 ... arded-hen/

IMO, another example of "just because it's legal doesn't mean it's right" and I personally will not shoot one now.

BUT....what about a new hunter? Someone that doesn't have a mentor that teaches them the traditional methods. Or someone that simply wants to eat any wild turkey? I have respect for that, the person that wants to eat wild. However, would it be an informed decision? Substantially less meat and a hindrance to already declining populations, would be interesting to know what a new hunter thinks.



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I shot one years ago, don't have no desire to do it again.
 
Not a chance. There is nothing sexy about killing a bearded hen, I see dozens each year it seems any more.

All hen killing should be illegal imo
 
Setterman":3eq4zct2 said:
All hen killing should be illegal imo
Click to expand...

I read a article from Georgia Wildlife a while back and I'm pretty certain the state recognized that hen harvest, specifically fall seasons, would likely have a major influence on the overall population. Hence why they don't kill hens in that state.


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I've killed one but have no desire to and the one I killed I kind of didn't mean to.

Way less meat, they don't play the game, and most importantly, you directly impacted the lives of 12-13 more turkeys....

All hen killing should be illegal.




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No. Can totally discern a bearded hen vs otherwise..if a taste of turkey is needed that much go to Kroger or Piggly Wiggly. Cheaper, easier, same challenge, and just as tasty.
 
I turkey hunt only for the purpose of calling in a gobbler to me spitting, drumming, and gobbling.

I won't ambush a gobbler, why in the heck would I ambush a little hen? For the same reason, I don't enjoy fall turkey hunting.

I don't begrudge those that choose to ambush toms, jakes, or hens since they are legal. I just wish jakes and hens were not legal for biological reasons.

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Also something neat I saw. Got the itch to one day go and hunt the mountains in Pennsylvania and read the license cost and regulations. Said bearded hens were legal, but it is advisable to not shoot them because they raise broods. Really liked how they put that in there. Kind of like saying it's legal, but not necessarily ok.


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megalomaniac":1fl2w0wq said:
I turkey hunt only for the purpose of calling in a gobbler to me spitting, drumming, and gobbling.

I won't ambush a gobbler, why in the heck would I ambush a little hen? For the same reason, I don't enjoy fall turkey hunting.

I don't begrudge those that choose to ambush toms, jakes, or hens since they are legal. I just wish jakes and hens were not legal for biological reasons.

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Click to expand...
QFT
 
I'm certain that the only reason our regs allow for "turkey with a visible beard" instead of the more logical option of "male turkey" is to make it easier to identify what you're allowed to kill. I hate almost any rule that is dumbed down to the lowest common denominator. If you can't tell that a turkey is a hen when she's standing in shotgun range, you've got no business turkey hunting. But we're willing to sacrifice hundreds of hens statewide to make life easier for incompetent people.
 
I want to shoot a bearded hen but in the fall and not the spring. I passed one up today at 10 yards.


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I don't plan on shooting one. If I was gonna mount it, then I don't have a problem shooting one but I have no plans, so no. The state could easily change the rule and eliminate jakes as well if they felt the population was in trouble. You can and should manage your own population as some here have even passed up gobblers to maintain and grow their flocks.
 
I see bearded hens every spring turkey season and I have never shot one even with my bow!!I wish bearded hens and jakes were both illegal to kill spring or fall.With the population going downhill,wish the gobbler limit was reduced to 2 per season!
 
Like many others have said, I killed one years ago when I first started turkey hunting. No desire to shoot one now even though I love shooting stuff!

Killed 1 tom this year and basically hunted sparingly after that because the numbers were so low on all 3 properties we lease. We plan on putting a dent in the raccoon population once season opens up. Hopefully that will help our turkey population.
 
Those that would shoot one, what is the desire?


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