Texas Hunting Forum

Bearded hen

Posted By: BigPig

Bearded hen - 03/15/16 09:53 PM



That's all I've got. April can't get here fast enough
Posted By: NMGW

Re: Bearded hen - 03/15/16 11:40 PM

clap
Posted By: Wilhunt

Re: Bearded hen - 03/15/16 11:59 PM

I bet Bruce will come to you. A beard is a beard. banana
Posted By: Gamblinman

Re: Bearded hen - 03/16/16 12:40 AM

A hen, is a hen, is a hen. She produces eggs and raises young. Beard or not, she gets a walk in the spring.

Gman
Posted By: SpawnofChesty

Re: Bearded hen - 03/16/16 01:34 AM

I will take the first bearded hen I get a shot at. After that they can walk.
Posted By: KeithTT

Re: Bearded hen - 03/16/16 06:05 AM

They say that the bearded hen is extremely rare. I see 1 or two a year in Seguin. This ole girl has been out there This year.
Posted By: kmon11

Re: Bearded hen - 03/16/16 11:39 AM

Having hunted Eastern and Rio turkeys a lot, I have seen a lot more bearded Rios than Eastern birds. Usually see at least 2 every year of Rios. Have seen 3 bearded Eastern birds in over 30 years of hunting them. Could be just the locations I hunt but my observation.

Bearded hens get a pass these days, but did kill one when I was in College
Posted By: Gamblinman

Re: Bearded hen - 03/16/16 11:47 AM

I think bearded hens are similar to multiple bearded gobblers in that they seem to be area specific. Some areas have more than others.

I do believe I see more bearded hens in areas that have multi bearded gobblers and vice versa.

Gman
Posted By: John Humbert

Re: Bearded hen - 03/16/16 01:01 PM

Originally Posted By: Gamblinman
A hen, is a hen, is a hen. She produces eggs and raises young. Beard or not, she gets a walk in the spring.

Gman


I was told that bearded hens, because they have a hormonal imbalance, are infertile. So they do not reproduce - that's why they are legal in the spring.
Posted By: Gamblinman

Re: Bearded hen - 03/16/16 02:32 PM

Originally Posted By: John Humbert
Originally Posted By: Gamblinman
A hen, is a hen, is a hen. She produces eggs and raises young. Beard or not, she gets a walk in the spring.

Gman


I was told that bearded hens, because they have a hormonal imbalance, are infertile. So they do not reproduce - that's why they are legal in the spring.


From TPWD:

Can a bearded turkey hen raise young?
Yes. They (about 15 percent of all Rio Grande hens in Texas have visible beards) are as productive as hens without beards. Beards appear on older hens and increase in size and thickness with age.

I'm sure that there are both bearded, and non-bearded hens that lay infertile eggs.

Gman
Posted By: TooLow

Re: Bearded hen - 03/16/16 02:45 PM

Saw two of them during deer season. Thought of taking one of them but let them pass.
Posted By: Adam Cook

Re: Bearded hen - 03/16/16 03:35 PM

Originally Posted By: Gamblinman
I think bearded hens are similar to multiple bearded gobblers in that they seem to be area specific. Some areas have more than others.

I do believe I see more bearded hens in areas that have multi bearded gobblers and vice versa.

Gman


I've always heard that multi bearded gobblers come from bearded hens. I have a lot of each so it makes sense to me.
I called in a group of turkeys several years ago that had 3 gobblers and 11 hens. 7 of the 11 hens were bearded.
I currently have a group of 9 gobblers on game cam. 2 are double bearded and 2 are triple bearded. I actually killed
a gobbler about 10 years ago that had 7 beards.
Posted By: NMGW

Re: Bearded hen - 03/16/16 05:09 PM

A gobbler with 7 beards,,,,,, shocked

Its getting deep eeks333 just kidding... I would be happy with just one beard. Have not killed a turkey bird in 3 years. Dang drought... realmad
Posted By: TenTenWhitetails

Re: Bearded hen - 03/16/16 05:33 PM

Come on out, we will end that drought!
Posted By: Booner1

Re: Bearded hen - 03/16/16 07:59 PM

I killed a gobbler near Sonora Texas that had three beards, was talking to the GW about it and he whips out a picture of one that his daughter killed that had five. Boy, talk about letting the wind out of my sails. Lol.
Posted By: LittleD

Re: Bearded hen - 03/16/16 10:34 PM

Originally Posted By: kmon1
Having hunted Eastern and Rio turkeys a lot, I have seen a lot more bearded Rios than Eastern birds. Usually see at least 2 every year of Rios. Have seen 3 bearded Eastern birds in over 30 years of hunting them. Could be just the locations I hunt but my observation.

Bearded hens get a pass these days, but did kill one when I was in College
Same here Kevin, I have seen several bearded rio hens, But in 33years I have also seen only 3 bearded eastern hens all in south La.
Posted By: KeithTT

Re: Bearded hen - 03/18/16 12:54 AM

Originally Posted By: Gamblinman
I think bearded hens are similar to multiple bearded gobblers in that they seem to be area specific. Some areas have more than others.

I do believe I see more bearded hens in areas that have multi bearded gobblers and vice versa.

Gman


Completely agree. Our place in Seguin has several bearded hens and alot of multi beard genetics for the gobblers.
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