In loving memory of all the gobblers we've killed
https://gobblernation.com/phpBB3/
Hobbes_mobile wrote: ↑June 4th, 2019, 8:15 pm To each their own, but I'm not into the hen killing, bearded or not. Spring in MT is"male turkey", so no hens. I don't (can't) shoot hen pheasants in the fall and have no desire to kill hen turkeys then either, legal or not. Until I can see clear evidence that there is a population explosion in MT and hen killing is needed, I've no desire.
God bless the gobbler incubators!!!
ICDEDTURKES wrote: ↑June 4th, 2019, 5:32 pm I wonder why they don't open a hen season two weeks prior to gobblers season. It would help with all this henned up talk
crow wrote: ↑June 4th, 2019, 9:16 pmICDEDTURKES wrote: ↑June 4th, 2019, 5:32 pm I wonder why they don't open a hen season two weeks prior to gobblers season. It would help with all this henned up talk
Far too many gobblers would be accidentally shot while being mistaken for bearded hens
Turkinator wrote: ↑June 4th, 2019, 9:34 pmcrow wrote: ↑June 4th, 2019, 9:16 pmICDEDTURKES wrote: ↑June 4th, 2019, 5:32 pm I wonder why they don't open a hen season two weeks prior to gobblers season. It would help with all this henned up talk
Far too many gobblers would be accidentally shot while being mistaken for bearded hens
You shot 2 bearded hens ! Shame ! Shame !!soiltester wrote: ↑June 4th, 2019, 8:20 pmHobbes_mobile wrote: ↑June 4th, 2019, 8:15 pm To each their own, but I'm not into the hen killing, bearded or not. Spring in MT is"male turkey", so no hens. I don't (can't) shoot hen pheasants in the fall and have no desire to kill hen turkeys then either, legal or not. Until I can see clear evidence that there is a population explosion in MT and hen killing is needed, I've no desire.
God bless the gobbler incubators!!!
Last of 2 legal bearded hens I shot, had an egg in it when cleaned, waaayyyyy back when ..and that was the last of that stupidness
I have actually seen a bearded hen with young, on two different occasions.Turkinator wrote: ↑June 2nd, 2019, 3:58 pm Not trying to derail the topic, but is there any genetic abnormalities in a bearded hen that would affect her ability to nest? I’ve wondered the same about does who have a rack. I wouldn’t waste a tag on one.
Personal choice, math and percentages would be my reasoning. If a hen makes it through the fall and into spring her chances of becoming a brood hen are far better than if she didn't survive the fall for whatever reason.turkeyinstrut wrote: ↑June 5th, 2019, 11:17 amWhat is the difference in shooting a "Legal" hen in the spring or shooting one in the fall? I'm not sure what your reasoning is here.
turkeyinstrut wrote: ↑June 5th, 2019, 11:11 amI have actually seen a bearded hen with young, on two different occasions.Turkinator wrote: ↑June 2nd, 2019, 3:58 pm Not trying to derail the topic, but is there any genetic abnormalities in a bearded hen that would affect her ability to nest? I’ve wondered the same about does who have a rack. I wouldn’t waste a tag on one.
I wonder if the trait is passed on?Yes it is, as I had a bearded hen in my backyard one time and had 4 bearded 2/3 grown hens and 3 jakes.Turkinator wrote: ↑June 5th, 2019, 12:17 pmturkeyinstrut wrote: ↑June 5th, 2019, 11:11 amI have actually seen a bearded hen with young, on two different occasions.Turkinator wrote: ↑June 2nd, 2019, 3:58 pm Not trying to derail the topic, but is there any genetic abnormalities in a bearded hen that would affect her ability to nest? I’ve wondered the same about does who have a rack. I wouldn’t waste a tag on one.
How'd you know I said the same thing to myself and got severely reprimanded alsotimbrhuntr wrote: ↑June 5th, 2019, 10:04 amYou shot 2 bearded hens ! Shame ! Shame !!soiltester wrote: ↑June 4th, 2019, 8:20 pmHobbes_mobile wrote: ↑June 4th, 2019, 8:15 pm To each their own, but I'm not into the hen killing, bearded or not. Spring in MT is"male turkey", so no hens. I don't (can't) shoot hen pheasants in the fall and have no desire to kill hen turkeys then either, legal or not. Until I can see clear evidence that there is a population explosion in MT and hen killing is needed, I've no desire.
God bless the gobbler incubators!!!
Last of 2 legal bearded hens I shot, had an egg in it when cleaned, waaayyyyy back when ..and that was the last of that stupidness
I always go sluicing a few times a year to get some ducks to eat. Fun slipping up on them buggers. The art is trying to get your limit of woodies with one shot. Never shoot hens though.
I'm sure it is, just like multi bearded birds. I hunt Missouri every spring and there is a little patch of woods out there (maybe 10 or 12 acres) that I have killed 5 multi bearded birds in over the years. I'm sure the bearded hens is a genetics thing also.Turkinator wrote: ↑June 5th, 2019, 12:17 pmturkeyinstrut wrote: ↑June 5th, 2019, 11:11 amI have actually seen a bearded hen with young, on two different occasions.Turkinator wrote: ↑June 2nd, 2019, 3:58 pm Not trying to derail the topic, but is there any genetic abnormalities in a bearded hen that would affect her ability to nest? I’ve wondered the same about does who have a rack. I wouldn’t waste a tag on one.
"it sure seems to me areas with higher populations of bearded hens also have a higher percentage of multibearded gobblers."guesswho wrote: ↑June 5th, 2019, 12:24 pm I hunt one area that I would estimate 25-30% of the hens have beards. That area also produces multibeard gobblers at about a 1 out of four rate. Over the years I've killed gobblers there that had from 1 to 7 beards. I'm not sure if it's related to bearded hens or not, but it sure seems to me areas with higher populations of bearded hens also have a higher percentage of multibearded gobblers.
My reasoning has nothing to do with populations or genetics, it's more about the traditions of turkey hunting. Mostly, hens, jakes, and jennys are killed in the fall. It seems that a lot less gobblers are killed in the fall. Spring is gobbling season and gobbler killing season. From my prospective, the 2 are totally different.turkeyinstrut wrote: ↑June 5th, 2019, 11:17 amWhat is the difference in shooting a "Legal" hen in the spring or shooting one in the fall? I'm not sure what your reasoning is here.
This plus you must use a blind and at least one decoy of each sex!ICDEDTURKES wrote: ↑June 5th, 2019, 4:37 pm With populations bustling over the country why not introduce "Earn a Gobbler" much like "Earn a Buck" no gobbler tag till you have shot your hen. Help get sex ratios in order
Point taken.MKW wrote: ↑June 5th, 2019, 3:44 pmMy reasoning has nothing to do with populations or genetics, it's more about the traditions of turkey hunting. Mostly, hens, jakes, and jennys are killed in the fall. It seems that a lot less gobblers are killed in the fall. Spring is gobbling season and gobbler killing season. From my prospective, the 2 are totally different.turkeyinstrut wrote: ↑June 5th, 2019, 11:17 amWhat is the difference in shooting a "Legal" hen in the spring or shooting one in the fall? I'm not sure what your reasoning is here.
But, for the record, I have never been on a fall turkey hunt cause I've never lived where it is legal. I have had the chance to kill several bearded hens in the spring that would have been legal, but declined. Hell, I don't even care about beards on gobblers...I like spurs.
I had already moved my finger to the trigger when I realized what I was looking at.