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May 18, day 19

3K views 20 replies 17 participants last post by  Pigger 
#1 ·
Heading out with my wife to try and help her get her first turkey. Good luck all!
 
#6 ·
Had to leave at 7am so I'm done for the morning. But... Here's a question for everyone. I'm relatively new to turkey hunting. Years ago I killed a hen in the fall season and a jake in a spring season but I've been out of it for some time. I'm hoping to get my first long beard this year.
Here's my question.... I had two hens come in to my decoys this morning and one was a bearded hen. She was definitely within shooting range, about 18 yards. She was definitely a hen, not a jake, the beard was wispy (not thick) but between 3-4 inches long. And she looked just like the other hen she was with, just no beard on the other hen.

First, I believe this is a legal bird, because the book states "bearded birds" not just males. Correct me if I'm wrong.

Second, should I have shot this unique trophy? How rare is this? I was hoping for a long beard this year but now I'm kicking myself because I probably would have got a full mount of her because of her uniqueness. What do you guys think?
Thanks
 
#7 ·
Bearded hens are not all that unusual. As you saw, most will have thin beards of modest lengths. She is legal. If you are satisfied with wrapping your tag around her leg, that is all that matters.
 
#9 ·
Took my boy up to the Michaux SF for a morning hunt. Didn't hear a peep. Saw ten trucks parked in our two mile stretch we like to hunt so guessing it has been pounded on the wkd. Saw some fresh sign but i dont have much patience for cold calling over sign. Back to bed for a cpl hours and then the yard awaits.....chores pile up on me quick in turkey season.
 
#11 ·
Id have shot that bird in a heart beat, its legal and with all the turkeys around now your not going to affect the population.

I saw someone said that bearded hens are common, all the time I spend in the turkey woods, 21 plus days a spring not to mention scouting, I have yet to see a bearded hen.
 
#13 ·
Wild Turkey Facts

Imagine going on a turkey hunt only to find there are no wild turkeys! It sounds far fetched, but in the early 1930s this grand game bird was on the verge of extinction. But today, thanks to hunters and wildlife restoration programs, the wild turkey is abundant and thriving in its homeland.

Wild turkeys are native to North America and there are five subspecies: Eastern, Osceola (Florida), Rio Grande, Merriam's and Gould's. All five range throughout different parts of the continent. The eastern is the most common and ranges the entire eastern half of the United States. The Osceola (Florida) is only found on the Florida peninsula, while the Rio Grande ranges through Texas and up into Oklahoma, Kansas and Colorado. Rios are also found in parts of the northwestern states. The Merriam's subspecies ranges along the Rocky Mountains and the neighboring prairies of Wyoming, Montana and South Dakota. And you can find Gould's throughout the central portion of Mexico into the southernmost parts of New Mexico and Arizona.

Between 5,000 and 6,000 feathers cover the body of an adult turkey in patterns called feather tracts. A turkey's feathers provide a variety of survival functions – they keep him warm and dry, allow him to fly, feel and show off for the opposite sex. The head and upper part of the neck are featherless, but if you look close, you can see little bumps of skin on the bare area.

Most of the feathers exhibit a metallic glittering, called iridescence, with varying colors of red, green, copper, bronze and gold. The gobbler, or male turkey, is more colorful, while the hen is a drab brownish or lighter color to camouflage her with her surroundings.

Two major characteristics distinguish males from females: spurs and beards. Both sexes have long, powerful legs covered with scales and are born with a small button spur on the back of the leg. Soon after birth, a male's spur starts growing pointed and curved and can grow to about two inches. Most hen's spurs do not grow. Gobblers also have beards, which are tufts of filaments, or modified feathers, growing out from the chest. Beards can grow to an average of 9 inches (though they can grow much longer). <span style="text-decoration: underline"> </span> <span style="color: #33CC00"> </span> It must also be noted that between 10 to 20 percent of hens have beards.

Wild turkeys have excellent vision during the day but don't see as well at night. They are also very mobile. Turkeys can run at speeds up to 25 mph, and they can fly up to 55 mph.

When mating season arrives, anywhere from February to April, courtship usually begins while turkeys are still flocked together in wintering areas. After mating, the hens begin searching for a nest site and laying eggs. In most areas, nests can be found in a shallow dirt depression, surrounded by moderately woody vegetation that conceals the nest.

Hens lay a clutch of 10 to 12 eggs during a two-week period, usually laying one egg per day. She will incubate her eggs for about 28 days, occasionally turning and rearranging them until they are ready to hatch.

A newly-hatched flock must be ready to leave the nest within 12 to 24 hours to feed. Poults eat insects, berries and seeds, while adults will eat anything from acorns and berries to insects and small reptiles. Turkeys usually feed in early morning and in the afternoon.

Wild turkeys like open areas for feeding, mating and habitat. They use forested areas as cover from predators and for roosting in trees at night. A varied habitat of both open and covered area is essential for wild turkey survival.

Lack of quality habitat was a problem in the past, but with the passing of the Pittman-Robertson Act in 1937, an excise tax on sporting arms and ammunition, wildlife restoration programs now have money to use to restore wild turkeys and wild turkey habitat. And with the invention of the rocket net, wildlife agencies and the NWTF can trap and transfer turkey populations to areas of suitable habitat.

From only 30,000 turkeys in the early 1900s to more than 7 million today, this intriguing species has truly made an awesome comeback.
 
#14 ·
I remember back in the late 70s into the 80s when I would go days without hearing a gobble, and when I did hear 1, I would have swam the Susquehanna to get to that bird. Now if I dont hear at least 2, its an off day.
 
#17 ·
Wow. What a day! I filled my second tag at 7:15AM. I only hunted this property once before this year and it was full of jakes. So when I heard a ton of gobbling early (on the roost) I expected they were Jakes with an ocassional distant gobble that sounded better. Well to my surprise the first birds came by me at about 6AM and the first two were longbeards. They came back by and I missed. Probably too far. But for some reason they aren't totally spooked and within 15 minutes I got birds gobbling again about 100 yards from where I shot.
I played with them a little and I was in a terrible set up and luckily they walked away. I backed out and went up over the ridge and walked out on top of where I hoped they were. I called and he gobbled and I hit him three times hard on a mouth call and sat and waited and finished him off with a little scratching of the leaves and he took a tumble at about 7:15AM. And right after I shot I heard another gobble. Wow. It was good day. 9" beard, 7/8" spurs and I'm done and proud to take a two year old. Good luck everyone else.
 
#18 ·
Had an eventful afternoon hunt. Heard my first afternoon gobbler ever that wanted nothing to do with me. Got in a verbal jousting match with an angry hen. Saw two decent bucks that didn't like my decoy at all. And had this little guy chase me around the field for 2 minutes while I was walking in. Can't be more than a day or two old and thought I was the next coming of Jesus the way it wanted to follow me. I never let it touch me but it wanted to. Eventually I had to let it know that I was not 'friend' and it understood and froze solid. I bid it farewell and told it that I hope to do battle with it one day on more even terms. Stupid thing wouldn't shut up though. For hours it just sat there and bawled for it's mama....Coyote baiy tonight if is doesn't pipe down.



 
#21 ·
Ghost said:
Id have shot that bird in a heart beat, its legal and with all the turkeys around now your not going to affect the population.

I saw someone said that bearded hens are common, all the time I spend in the turkey woods, 21 plus days a spring not to mention scouting, I have yet to see a bearded hen.
Cort,
I saw 2 longbeards, 1 jake and 2 bearded hens together on 5/16. They were in someone's yard. I set up one afternoon to hunt them because I thought I had an idea where they were roosting. Never saw them. I would have shot one of the longbeards ahead of one of the bearded hens. However I would love to have a bearded hen mounted.
 
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