# Bearded hen or jake?



## HAMMONDREED (Mar 9, 2011)

was wondering if anyone could shed some light on whether or not this bird is a legal one to kill?


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## chadf (Mar 9, 2011)

Looks like a tamie or two/smoke phase.......


The one far back center(white on feathers)
The one that looks like it's bearded/is bearded.....


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## MKW (Mar 9, 2011)

*...*

I aint sure, but I know I'd shoot it!!

Mike


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## klemsontigers7 (Mar 9, 2011)

Call me crazy, but I don't see any beards.


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## six (Mar 9, 2011)

I see an odd color phase hen, but no beard.


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## MKW (Mar 9, 2011)

*...*

You know what...after a closer look, I think you are correct. I think what appears to be a beard is the tail of the turkey behind the light colored one.
I retract my previous statement. 

Mike


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## Wishin I was Fishin (Mar 9, 2011)

Maybe I'm making up the beard in my head but I still say it's a hen.


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## HAMMONDREED (Mar 9, 2011)

No its definately a beard. i have seen it on other frames.


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## chadf (Mar 9, 2011)

These birds close to any houses ?


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## HAMMONDREED (Mar 9, 2011)

no houses around for miles. this food plot is in the middle of approxiamately 6000 acres


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## WESBULLDOGS (Mar 9, 2011)

the legs look slick/ no spurs.... id say a bearded hen, pretty though


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## Killdee (Mar 9, 2011)

I have a couple of smoke phase hens in a flock in the metro area and a buddy killed a fine smoke tom there 2-3 years ago. They are not tame, I wouldnt shoot a bearded hen re of the color, they still produce poults and might produce you a smoke phase tom to hunt. I see a bearded hen somewhere  every season or 2. I believe the regs state 3 gobblers now not a bearded turkey like they used to so I dont think its legal in Ga. Correct me if Im wrong please.


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## hawglips (Mar 9, 2011)

Those two white ones are adult birds.


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## hoppie (Mar 9, 2011)

Look at head and body, plus spurs, she is not one to shoot.


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## hawglips (Mar 9, 2011)

Let her raise a brood this year.


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## Core Lokt (Mar 9, 2011)

There's the crow!!!!!


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## chevyman2000 (Mar 9, 2011)

lol a crow. My guess is a hen. 

chev.


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## Birdsong (Mar 9, 2011)

LOL....crow


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## ADDICTED2HUNTIN (Mar 9, 2011)

The one on the rt in the first pic with the big red head is the only legal bird I see


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## Dead Eye Eddy (Mar 9, 2011)

It looks like it may be a bearded hen, but if that bird came into calling, it would get shot.  If I walked up on it, I would back off and attempt to call it in.  I have no desire to snap shoot birds or to ambush birds by waiting on the edge of a field/road without calling ala deer hunting.  Calling is what makes turkey hunting so much more exciting than deer hunting to me.


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## HAMMONDREED (Mar 9, 2011)

Ill let it walk bearded hen or jake. i think i found a legal one to focus on.


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## mudpie82 (Mar 9, 2011)

no question on that one


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## Arrow3 (Mar 9, 2011)

Dead Eye Eddy said:


> It looks like it may be a bearded hen, but if that bird came into calling, it would get shot.



Would you turn yourself in to the game warden?


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## CassGA (Mar 9, 2011)

Arrow3 said:


> Would you turn yourself in to the game warden?



He seems to tell on himself a lot


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## Dead Eye Eddy (Mar 10, 2011)

Arrow3 said:


> Would you turn yourself in to the game warden?



No.  It's easy to say that you wouldn't shoot that bird when you're studying a picture of it standing out in a field.  If I'm hunting and it comes into my calling, I'm not going to scrutinize every detail.  I've never killed a bird, but I've blown several opportunities over the years.  If I see an obvious beard, I'm going to assume that it's a male turkey and shoot it before it spooks.  If I did accidently kill a bearded hen, I'd pray for mercy if I ran into the GW, but I wouldn't search for him to turn myself in.


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## short stop (Mar 10, 2011)

Dead Eye Eddy said:


> No.  It's easy to say that you wouldn't shoot that bird when you're studying a picture of it standing out in a field.  If I'm hunting and it comes into my calling, I'm not going to scrutinize every detail.  I've never killed a bird, but I've blown several opportunities over the years.  If I see an obvious beard, I'm going to assume that it's a male turkey and shoot it before it spooks.  If I did accidently kill a bearded hen, I'd pray for mercy if I ran into the GW, but I wouldn't search for him to turn myself in.



 here we go again ... classic ...  
  ''obvious''


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## Arrow3 (Mar 10, 2011)

Dead Eye Eddy said:


> No.  It's easy to say that you wouldn't shoot that bird when you're studying a picture of it standing out in a field.  If I'm hunting and it comes into my calling, I'm not going to scrutinize every detail.  I've never killed a bird, but I've blown several opportunities over the years.  If I see an obvious beard, I'm going to assume that it's a male turkey and shoot it before it spooks.  If I did accidently kill a bearded hen, I'd pray for mercy if I ran into the GW, but I wouldn't search for him to turn myself in.



Eddy...I have killed 50 gobblers and have seen 30+ bearded hens over the years and have yet to pull the trigger on one....Just FYI.....

It's not that hard to tell...Know what your shooting before you pull the trigger...


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## Jody Hawk (Mar 10, 2011)

Dead Eye Eddy said:


> If I see an obvious beard, I'm going to assume that it's a male turkey and shoot it before it spooks.  If I did accidently kill a bearded hen, I'd pray for mercy if I ran into the GW



Eddy,
I'm pulling for you to get your first gobbler this spring but you need to be sure what you're shooting at before you shoot. It's not hard to tell a gobbler from a hen. Bearded hens are pretty common and ignorance is no excuse for breaking the law. Watch this video, notice the differences in the bearded hen and the gobbler !!!!


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## Killdee (Mar 10, 2011)

Jody Hawk said:


> Eddy,
> I'm pulling for you to get your first gobbler this spring but you need to be sure what you're shooting at before you shoot. It's not hard to tell a gobbler from a hen. Bearded hens are common and ignorance is no excuse for breaking the law.



Yeah what he said, I dont think you want to come on here with a bearded hen for your first gobbler...... it wouldnt be fun. Be advised  some folks have said a  bearded hen will sometimes try to strut and gobble a bit also, I have yet to see it but have seen a video of 1.


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## Core Lokt (Mar 10, 2011)

Bearded "turkeys" are legal in Fl, with that said I'd kill a smoke phase bearded hen to mount but not a normal colored, just not much meat in them and I see a couple each yr. I actually wittnessed a non bearded hen do a pretty good gobble last yr about 20 yds from me.  

Eddy- look at the head and body size of the tom and hen in the video above. See the difference??


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## Dead Eye Eddy (Mar 10, 2011)

Ya'll are quick to judge and say that it's easy to distinguish bearded hens from gobblers.  I haven't had the pleasure of watching hundreds of birds up close over the years like most of you have.  I could probably count on both hands how many turkeys I've had within 25 yards of me in my lifetime.  I could count on 2 fingers how many of those were gobblers.

In that video, there is a whole flock of turkeys, at least 3 of which have beards.  With them standing side by side, it's obvious that the smaller bearded bird is either a bearded hen or a small jake, and anybody would shoot one of the bigger gobblers.  If she came in by herself, especially in a thick area, it wouldn't be so obvious.  I'd like to see a picture or video of a bearded hen and a small jake together for comparison.

I'm already being ridiculed, so I might as well ask this stupid question?  Will EVERY jake you see during the spring have a bright red head?  Now, ya'll have got me worried that I might let a legal bird walk for fear of shooting a bearded hen.


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## ADDICTED2HUNTIN (Mar 10, 2011)

If you can't identify your target you shouldn't be hunting!!


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## Dead Eye Eddy (Mar 10, 2011)

ADDICTED2HUNTIN said:


> If you can't identify your target you shouldn't be hunting!!



That's really helpful.  Anyone can identify a big gobbler from the bright red head, the thick full beard, and the spurs.  What I'm asking is how to identify a small (legal) jake from a bearded (illegal) hen.  My dad was/is not a turkey hunter.  Like I said, I haven't seen a lot of turkeys in my lifetime.  I thought for years that a beard was all I needed to look for.  I never knew until a few years ago that bearded hens existed, and I thought they were rare.  It sounds like they are quite common, although I've never seen one in real life.


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## Jody Hawk (Mar 10, 2011)

ADDICTED2HUNTIN said:


> If you can't identify your target you shouldn't be hunting!!



As harsh as this sounds, he's correct.


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## ADDICTED2HUNTIN (Mar 10, 2011)

Best thing for you to do is watch lots and lots if videos and study pictures of turkeys, hens and gobblers there is a distinguishing amount of difference btw the two, size and head are the two easiest ways to identify btw the two.... I am with you on the bearded hen, I have never seen one in the wild either but I sure as heck can tell the difference between a hen and gobbler...just caus you ain't ever seen one doesn't mean it don't exist!!


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## Jody Hawk (Mar 10, 2011)

ADDICTED2HUNTIN said:


> size and head are the two easiest ways to identify



Plummage is another way. Notice how dull and drab the hen's feathers are compared to the gobbler's.


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## chadf (Mar 10, 2011)

How many points do you get in the turkey challenge for a bearded hen ?
Lol

FYI, bearded hen is very easy to tell from a Jake !


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## Dead Eye Eddy (Mar 10, 2011)

Jody and A2H, I understand what ya'll are saying about distinguishing between a mature gobbler and a hen (bearded or otherwise).  Can either of you show me an example of an immature jake for comparison?  Neither of you has answered my question about the head.  

Will EVERY jake have a bright red head?


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## Dead Eye Eddy (Mar 10, 2011)

ADDICTED2HUNTIN said:


> Best thing for you to do is watch lots and lots if videos and study pictures of turkeys, hens and gobblers there is a distinguishing amount of difference btw the two, size and head are the two easiest ways to identify btw the two.... I am with you on the bearded hen, I have never seen one in the wild either but I sure as heck can tell the difference between a hen and gobbler...just caus you ain't ever seen one doesn't mean it don't exist!!



I have watched lots of videos.  They almost never show anything but mature gobblers.  I would like to see some jakes for comparison.


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## chadf (Mar 10, 2011)

Dead Eye Eddy said:


> Jody and A2H, I understand what ya'll are saying about distinguishing between a mature gobbler and a hen (bearded or otherwise).  Can either of you show me an example of an immature jake for comparison?  Neither of you has answered my question about the head.
> 
> Will EVERY jake have a bright red head?



There heads change color.........so no!
I've seen a gobblers head go from blueish white, to bright red many if times....study what your wanting to kill! Might help you kill one .....


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## bnew17 (Mar 10, 2011)

I have seen a bearded hen up close and also a jake. They are easily distinguishable.


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## ADDICTED2HUNTIN (Mar 10, 2011)

No not all jakes will have a red head and neither will all gobblers, the color if the head changes with the mood of the bird....but a hen their head will be blue/grey an their again the size will be a bit smaller


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## GA DAWG (Mar 10, 2011)

Not only would I shoot that hen..I'd ride over on your property in a truck and shoot it out the window


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## ADDICTED2HUNTIN (Mar 10, 2011)

The wild turkey is the largest of North America's game birds.
Adult males, known as toms or gobblers, normally weigh between 16 and 24 pounds.
Females, known as hens, are smaller than males and usually weigh between 8 and 10 pounds.
Males: Gobblers have iridescent red, green, copper, bronze and gold feathers. They use these bright colors to great advantage when attracting females during breeding season.
Females: Hens have drab, usually brown or gray feathers. They make great camouflage and hide hens when they sit on their nests.
Color Phases: A few wild turkeys grow unusually colored feathers. These are known as color phases. There are four color phases, a smokey gray color phase, a melanistic color phase (all black), an erythritic color phase (reddish coloration) and an albino color phase (very rare).


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## Jody Hawk (Mar 10, 2011)

This ole boy shoots first identifies later too !!!!!!! Listen to what he says ..... 

This is a young jake.


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## ADDICTED2HUNTIN (Mar 10, 2011)

Males: Males have brightly colored, nearly featherless heads. During breeding season the color of their heads alternates between red, white and blue, often changing in a few seconds.
Hens: A hen's head is gray-blue and has some small feathers for camouflage.
Caruncles and Snoods: Both males and females have fleshy growths on their heads known as caruncles. They also both have snoods, fleshy protrubances that hang over their bills and can be extended or contracted at will. The snood of an adult male is usually much larger than that of a female. No one knows for sure what these growths are for, but both probably developed as ways to attract mates.


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## Jaker (Mar 10, 2011)

thats the only thing that i see about that bird that would confuse me, none of yall have pointed out that it does indeed have a slightly red head, I don't know if this is due to it being part domestic or if it is in fact a jake. but i can understand where someone would be confused on this bird, it does not look like your typical hen as far as head color, or body color(obviously), if it came by me, id have to let it go just cuz im not positive on the true gender of the bird. 

all yall are spouting off hen, but id like to know why yall think that? body size is the only obvious thing, otherwise you cant see any spurs, but a lot of jakes only have nubs, so that doesn't really mean anything, and the head color would suggest more of a male turkey in my opinion, so Im just curious what makes yall so certain.


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## rutandstrut (Mar 10, 2011)

I am not sure about Georgia law, but in Florida the law says Gobbler or bearded Turkey. Beatded Hens have a genetic defect and should be removed from the flock!


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## Jody Hawk (Mar 10, 2011)

rutandstrut said:


> I am not sure about Georgia law, but in Florida the law says Gobbler or bearded Turkey. Beatded Hens have a genetic defect and should be removed from the flock!



Georgia law says 3 gobblers.


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## church (Mar 10, 2011)

*breaded hen*

talk to a dnr and he said that if she had a bread that she was legal


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## Killdee (Mar 10, 2011)

rutandstrut said:


> I am not sure about Georgia law, but in Florida the law says Gobbler or bearded Turkey. Beatded Hens have a genetic defect and should be removed from the flock!



Why do you say that, my understanding is they raise their poults just as well as a non  bearded hen?


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## rutandstrut (Mar 10, 2011)

Killdee said:


> Why do you say that, my understanding is they raise their poults just as well as a non  bearded hen?





Killdee said:


> Why do you say that, my understanding is they raise their poults just as well as a non  bearded hen?



I was told by a Biologist it is a recessive trait that shows up in 1-2 % of the flock. For some reason thr Hen has someone different about her that makes her grow a  beard. He told me they can raise a brood just fine, but normally have less eggs in the our clutch which produces a smaller brood than a normal Hen. Some people consdier a Bearded HePpn a Trophy! I harvested one in North Florida several years ago with a good 7" Beard in the fall season!


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## BERN (Mar 10, 2011)

???


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## Ricochet (Mar 10, 2011)

That might be a bearded hen in the first photo, but it does appear you are seeing the tail of the hen behind it.  The bigger redheaded turkey on the right side is a Jake.  

It looks like the phase hen in second photo is sporting a beard, but I can't say for sure.  It is a hen either way. 

Go after the longbeard in the last photo...good luck!


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## Arrow Flinger (Mar 10, 2011)

Eddie

Here is a bearded hen and a Jake.  You can't tell by the pic but the Jake is much bigger than Hen.  A Jake's beard is USUALLY short and sticks almost straight out.  Every bearded hen I have seen has a hanging but thin beard and most of the time will be with other hens of the same size.  The best way to tell is the color of the bird and head color.  The hen will be a drab colored body and head and the Jake will have more shine and some color in the head.


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## arkie1 (Mar 10, 2011)

dnr also told me that that was how they determined hen or gobbler also.  if it has a beard it is a legal bird, you dont have to prove that it gobbled at you!


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## arkie1 (Mar 10, 2011)

dnr also told me that that was how they determined hen or gobbler.  if it has a beard it is a legal bird, you dont have to prove that it gobbled at you!


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## Jody Hawk (Mar 10, 2011)

arkie1 said:


> dnr also told me that that was how they determined hen or gobbler.  if it has a beard it is a legal bird, you dont have to prove that it gobbled at you!



Someone lied to you. A bearded hen is not legal in Georgia. The regulations specifically state 3 gobblers. 
Websters defines a gobbler as a male turkey. Trust me, I looked it up.


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## GA DAWG (Mar 10, 2011)

Jody Hawk said:


> Someone lied to you. A bearded hen is not legal in Georgia. The regulations specifically state 3 gobblers.
> Websters defines a gobbler as a male turkey. Trust me, I looked it up.


I've had em tell me the same thig Jody..I would not shoot one either way..


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## Killdee (Mar 10, 2011)

I was on a lease in Floyd county some years ago and a guy shot a real small bearded hen. The warden was going to ticket the guy but eventually let him go. I think he felt sorry for him since it was his first turkey.


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## dtala (Mar 10, 2011)

what kind of bread????


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## greybeard (Mar 10, 2011)

we have had a bearded hen on our lease for several years now and have had alot of fun watchin her. she is real agressive. We were also under the impression that three gobblers meant just that. I think it is illegal to kill the hen


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## Jaker (Mar 10, 2011)

I took a buddy of mine turkey hunting for the first time about 5 years ago, it had been real windy early in the morning and never got on a bird gobbling. well spotted one about 300 yds down a power line, and so we decided to try to call it in and see what it was. well the only place to hide, was behind a shooting house sitting on a knoll, so I had him lean directly against it, and i got behind it, I couldn't watch the bird where I was at, but he would be able to see it once it got within about 80yds, anyways I cut a few times and got quiet, about 5 minutes later my buddy said that it was coming, I asked him what it was, and he said he couldn't tell, then said he could see a beard, it hung up about 75yds, so i called again to the bird, and he said it started strutting, anyways it came on up the knoll to us and he busted it at about 20 yds, I jumped out from behind the shooting house, and ran over there, thats when I saw the blue head, and thought oh crap, then I saw the beard. luckily we werent in georgia


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## short stop (Mar 10, 2011)

Jaker said:


> thats the only thing that i see about that bird that would confuse me, none of yall have pointed out that it does indeed have a slightly red head, I don't know if this is due to it being part domestic or if it is in fact a jake. but i can understand where someone would be confused on this bird, it does not look like your typical hen as far as head color, or body color(obviously), if it came by me, id have to let it go just cuz im not positive on the true gender of the bird.
> 
> all yall are spouting off hen, but id like to know why yall think that? body size is the only obvious thing, otherwise you cant see any spurs, but a lot of jakes only have nubs, so that doesn't really mean anything, and the head color would suggest more of a male turkey in my opinion, so Im just curious what makes yall so certain.



  Its  a hen because   feather  pattern ..   reguardless of color phase  ... it could be orange and pokadotted  for that matter .


     I personally have  killed some bearded hens  back in the day when it was legal here -- /   back in the  ealry days   late 80s /90s ... and have no issue  shooting one where legal in another state  on a fall bird hunt  ...

    and  everytime --I knew  when I pulled the trigger   if  it was a  Tom -Jake -or a Hen . 

 I probably see    10+  bearded hens  in Ga  every season .

    Its  iffy cause to wanna  kill something  where laws prohibit  such .. the fine $ on bird issues  arent cheap  at all . 
   ...so   why  risk   ?


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## Jaker (Mar 10, 2011)

short stop said:


> Its  a hen because   feather  pattern ..   reguardless of color phase  ... it could be orange and pokadotted  for that matter .
> 
> 
> I personally have  killed some bearded hens  back in the day when it was legal here -- /   back in the  ealry days   late 80s /90s ... and have no issue  shooting one where legal in another state  on a fall bird hunt  ...
> ...



would you please explain what you mean by feather pattern? I have no problem telling the difference between a hen,jake or gobbler, but I'm confused what you mean by feather pattern when the bird is all white,


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## short stop (Mar 11, 2011)

Jaker said:


> would you please explain what you mean by feather pattern? I have no problem telling the difference between a hen,jake or gobbler, but I'm confused what you mean by feather pattern when the bird is all white,



 the birds in ? are not  all white ...  smoke phase ...  whit /grey /black   ..  and u can still see the  wingbars  and tightness of feathers ...  hens r smaller and will have a smaller feather .. tighter pattern than a  jake or tom  . Looking at the wingbars  are 1 easy way to help determine what you  r seeing .
  The  smoke phase hens   match the  common hens ...  A jake would have a large  but broken up wingbar . A tom will have a solid  bar x2 that of a hen 

   I dont see where someone would ever confuse  a jake in the crowd ..  
 plenty of bearded hens everywhere .. even if they do .have a decent size  beard  ..they are most always  pencil  thin . 


    the story u told about a gobbling -strutting hen  your freind shot ..  well   they do it ..   Ive seen pics on here  and  on youtube of such .   It does happen  but still   if u shot it  here in GA   bearded or not .. Ticket Galore  now if the man decided to  show u a gold ticket ..
 -- tickets for baiting is stout enuf .. U here folks cry and moan  posting threads   on  here of such about paying upwards of $500   for it ..
  I cant imagine what shooting a  hen would win ya ?

 still  ill edit to  add this video ..  cool stuff ..   still a hen  ..lol


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## Jaker (Mar 11, 2011)

thanks for the info, really never have paid attention to wing patterns on a turkey to be honest, its always been obvious to me whether its a gobbler, jake, or hen, until that "smoke" phase bird. As far as the bird my buddy shot, well as I stated previously that was before I lived in georgia, and was not illegal, 

secondly, how do you explain the difference in heads from the "smoke" phase bearded hen to all the others? is that just an abnormality due to the bird itself, ive never seen a hen with anything but a grayish or blue head, never the orangish pink. thats why I was questioning its gender.


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