Ok What Would You Do? need opinions

[RutNBuck]

during a scouting outing i saw a bearded hen...ok i have never had the chance to actually shoot one but have seen them before during the off seasons...she had a beard almost as thick as a long beard and it was at least 9-10 inchs (most hens i have seen have very pencil thin beards)
so i was wondering if maybe she wasnt like a record class hen..

so would you give her the smack down? they can still lay eggs so you may be harvesting many turkeys with one shot..

[ksp771]

Clay,
Let me know if you don't want to tag her I will.
Mel

[ironbutt]

i think i would shot her with the camera in the spring

but fall the old bow or 870 would be my choice

[Feedman]

I saw a bearded hen 3 weeks ago. She had about a 6 inch beard. It was kinda thin. If I get opportunity, I will harvest her.

[turk2di]

In the spring, i'd let her pass. In the fall, she's goin down;)

[Multidigits]

Not all bearded hens will hatch chicks. They will normally lay eggs, but some won't sit on them. They won't reproduce.some will, but there's too many hens out there now anyway. I've killed several bearded hens in the past, and they eat well.

[GSP]

during a scouting outing i saw a bearded hen...ok i have never had the chance to actually shoot one but have seen them before during the off seasons...she had a beard almost as thick as a long beard and it was at least 9-10 inchs (most hens i have seen have very pencil thin beards)
so i was wondering if maybe she wasnt like a record class hen..

so would you give her the smack down? they can still lay eggs so you may be harvesting many turkeys with one shot..

RnB, I wouldn't let the "killing many with one shot" part bother me. If you want to take her, pop her. I coon, possum or a heavy rain can wipe out her nest just as easy. One hen out of the flock, taken in an ethical way will not matter.

Before anyone jumps astride of me here, how many people throw back a 2 pound crappie this time of year that may have eggs in it? I know I don't.

[tsad-hunter]

Our's opened last monday. I called in a long beard for my dad on April 4th .Which was the only one that we could roost . Then on April 6th i called in a bearded hen and shot her at 40 yards . She weight 18# and had a 7.25 in. beard. The first one i ever seen with a beard.

[Gobblergetter2.1]

An 18 pound hen!!! WOW!!!! Especially with a 7 1/4" beard! What state are you hunting in? Was her beard thick??

[TSNELL]

A Quote from Preston Pittman: If you want to kill a double or triple bearded gobbler, you need to let them bearded hens walk, because they are the one's that produce them.:)

[vividky]

how rare are bearded hens?

[tsad-hunter]

I hunt in wabash co IL. The beard was thicker than a pencil.

[CPA Hunter]

5% or 1 in 20, or 5 in 100

[Mount-N-Man]

Rutnbuck.. I noticed you are from Northern Ky. I am also in Northern Ky. and if your area is anything like mine with the amount of hens I would not hesitate a second to shoot her. Its pretty rare to see a bearded hen, let alone shoot one. Good luck on getting her.