The beard is sometimes thought to be only a male turkey characteristic, but some hens also have beards, often 7 or 8 inches long, and thin, with a kink near the middle. Bearded hens also breed, lay eggs and raise broods. As far as we know, bearded hens are just as sexy to spring gobblers as those without.
What does a bearded hen mean?
Most adult bearded hens have beards that are 6 to 8 inches in length. The longest hen beard I have seen was a shade over 9 inches but was quite thin. Bearded hens are capable of laying eggs and raising broods. No research has shown that they are more likely to produce bearded offspring than “clean-shaven” hens.
How rare is a bearded hen?
Depending on where you live, it is not super rare. Talking with some turkey people, you will find beards on anywhere from 3% to 20% of the hen population, depending on where you live.
Why are some hens bearded?
Male turkeys, called gobblers – and some female turkeys, called hens – have beards. Only about 10 to 20 percent of hens grow beards, and it’s likely a genetic mutation, according to Sciencing.com. The beard’s function is not known with certainty, but it might influence mate selection by hens.
Can you shoot a bearded hen in NY?
In New York, spring turkey hunters are allowed to take only “bearded birds”. The vast majority of bearded birds are males, although a small number of females have beards (about 5%).
How do you tell if it’s a bearded hen?
Check for iridescent, black-tipped breast feathers; hen breast feathers are more dull, and brown-tipped. 3. Observe the beard thickness. Hen beards are usually thinner than gobbler beards.
Should you shoot a bearded hen?
Many states allow taking hens in some capacity. For instance, some states allow hunters to kill any bearded turkey; about ten percent of hens develop a beard, so killing a hen in this sense is rare but nonetheless allowed. Where legal, bearded hens are fair game in the spring and fall seasons.
Is it legal to shoot a bearded hen in Alabama?
Re: Bearded hens/Do you shoot or not? Not legal in Alabama, but I would not shoot one anyway. Our reg says gobblers with visable beards only. So not only is a bearded hen not legal game, but a beardless gobbler would also not be legal game.
Is a bearded hen a trophy?
Any bird with a beard might be called a trophy: jake, adult tom and even a fall turkey hen wearing one.
Can you shoot a bearded hen in NC?
So the NC regulations say that you can only shoot male or bearded turkeys only(of course you can shoot bearded hens).
Do bearded hens gobble?
Yes, hens can gobble just like a jake or tom and they can also strut, and contrary to some myths, those gobbling, strutting hens are not hermaphrodites or genetic freaks.
Do bearded hen turkeys breed?
2) BEARDED LADIES OF THE SPRING
The beard is sometimes thought to be only a male turkey characteristic, but some hens also have beards, often 7 or 8 inches long, and thin, with a kink near the middle. Bearded hens also breed, lay eggs and raise broods.
What percentage of hen turkeys have beards?
About 10 percent to 20 percent
Most turkey hens do not have beards. About 10 percent to 20 percent do have them, but they are much smaller than gobbler’s. Less than 10 percent of hens have a single small spur. Bearded hens can reproduce and raise offspring.
Why can you only hunt turkey until noon?
The current shooting hours from ½-hour before sunrise until noon are intended to protect nesting hens because incubating hens (hens sitting on eggs in a nest) tend to leave the nest to feed in the afternoon.
Can you shoot turkey in a tree?
Wild turkey prohibitions should include the words it is illegal to shoot a turkey in a tree. Maine makes it illegal. Many states prohibit it. A good number of states don’t.
Can I shoot a turkey with a rifle?
Getting back to politics briefly – here’s a note: In California, you cannot hunt turkey with a rifle, but you CAN hunt them with an air rifle? Which makes about as much sense as other gun related laws in California.
How do you tell the difference between a gobbler and a bearded hen?
It also helps one distinguish between females and males. The Hens have dark brown breast feathers while the males have black breast feathers. In the males, Jake Turkey has short beards of about 2 to 3 inches, while the Long Beard Turkey has beards of the length up to 10 inches, which is also the cause of its name.
Do bearded hen turkeys have Spurs?
Hens have no spurs. A first year tom’s spurs average about one-half-inch long.
Can a hen have a beard?
Up to 10 percent of hens will have thin 6- to 8-inch beards. These hens represent a valuable segment of the turkey nesting population and hunters are urged to pass on them whenever possible.
What is a tom turkey?
The sex designation of “hen” (female) or “tom” (male) turkey is optional on the label, and is an indication of size. Toms are larger but both toms and hens should be equally tender.
How rare are double bearded turkeys?
Typical gobblers have only one beard that continues to grow throughout their life. About two percent of gobblers have multiple beards.
