Boss Hen with a “Tow Rope” Beard

Legal to harvest in many states during the spring gobbler season, bearded hens are a rare sight in the turkey woods. With most research suggesting only about 10% of adult hens having beards, seeing one is still not all that uncommon. Though many myths exists around bearded hens not being able to reproduce and have nests (FALSE), or those that do have “extra long” bearded offspring (FALSE), the fact is it is a cool sight to see. Though I’ve seen many bearded hens throughout my hunting career, this is definitely the longest beard I have ever seen on one. This video was captured in Missouri, and not only does the hen turkey sport a beard longer than many Toms, she als appears to be the “Boss Hen” of the flock!