Is it bad to shoot a bearded hen?

[haugenna]

First time turkey hunter here and going out bright and early in the am. I did some scouting and saw some toms and bearded hens.  Never shot a turkey, killed plenty of pheasants, geese, ducks, deer, etc etc....

When duck hunting I very rarely shoot hens.  Is it the same with Turkeys?  A bearded hen is a legal bird but is it frowned upon to shoot one?

[benhuntin]

Your call if I had a choice I wouldnt but it aint the end of the world.  If you got toms around why would you shoot a hen plus they have eggs right now.  I saw a hen with two 8 inch beards last year that would have died if I could have gotten close enough.  Good Luck

[haugenna]

Your call if I had a choice I wouldnt but it aint the end of the world.  If you got toms around why would you shoot a hen plus they have eggs right now.  I saw a hen with two 8 inch beards last year that would have died if I could have gotten close enough.  Good Luck

I am a rookie turkey hunter.  It might be the only reason I pull the trigger on a bearded hen.  Get that first one under my belt. 

Thanks for the feedback. 

Plus I didn't want to get booo'd when I put up a picture of a bearded hen on here.

[benhuntin]

They smoke just as good

[Wayne1]

It's your choice...  it's a legal bird to harvest. Myself...  If I ever shot a hen...  it would be during the fall hunt...  not in the spring when they may be sitting on a nest....  Everyone that hunt's my property in the spring is told to save them till fall....  if they want to shoot one just to get the first one under thier belt...  then I'll direct them to some public hunting land...   just my 2cents

[carpsniperg2]

if its legal its o.k. but they do have eggs this time of year and i my self would not shoot one unless it got late in the season and i could not shoot a jake or a tom. i would rather shoot one in the fall season if i drew a tag to. myself the season is long with many birds around i would have a hard time dropping the hammer on a hen first thing in the season but that is just me.

[haugenna]

Thanks for all your responses.  I think I will pass on the bearded hens for the egg reason.  I know it would be legal, but there is etiquette in this sport just like other ones.  As a newcomer I am glad I asked the question first rather than being judged by my peers later. 

Good luck to everyone tomorrow.  Be safe.

[h2ofowlr]

If your pretty drunk and were to wake up next to a chick with a mustache, would you tell anyone?