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- Oct 2, 2020
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Awesome! Proud for you both!A little dad brag. 410 to the face! 30 yards and sat him right down.
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Way to rip’em!!!! Congrats!!! Super long beard!!!
After two misses and quite a few close encounters, I knocked another one down.
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Roughly 5 years ago I called in a bird up from a valley. As he crested the hill I saw his big full fan and white head. Clicked the safety off and right before I fired I saw no beard. Had to let him go. He walked 10 yards right by me and I could see the long hooks he had. Bummer.I might be in trouble. Waiting on the warden now because this guy has no beard. He’s coming to look at it. Awesome hooks at 1 3/16”
Awesome hunt! He gobbled a lot and came right in. Shot him at 5 yards!
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Honesty pays. Good dealI was given a verbal warning and GW said he had never seen a mature gobbler with absolutely no beard.
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Good deal man, I was gonna be aggravated if he gave you a ticket for that of all things. I get a law is a law but still.I was given a verbal warning and GW said he had never seen a mature gobbler with absolutely no beard.
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Good deal man, I was gonna be aggravated if he gave you a ticket for that of all things. I get a law is a law but still.
I’m curious though, did it have a place where a beard look like it went? Did it rip its beard totally off?
The start of my Wis. Turkey season I was blessed with a beautiful morning and a beautiful bird. I started out in a blind but It's hard for me to sitA little dad brag. 410 to the face! 30 yards and sat him right down.
Absolutely no reason for even a verbal warning. Esp. considering you called them to report the unique bird.I was given a verbal warning and GW said he had never seen a mature gobbler with absolutely no beard.
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I see where you’re coming from but if the regs say a legal bird must have a visible beard, which is how a lot of states do it for spring turkey, then it seems like the appropriate response. More than that would be against the spirit of the law (let hens live), and less could cause him or others to get themselves in trouble with a less understanding CO another year. I don’t think of a verbal warning as a moral judgement, just a reminder of the law to help someone make sure they don’t break it again.Absolutely no reason for even a verbal warning. Esp. considering you called them to report the unique bird.
I get that and if it was a situation where the officer was checking someone in the field with a bird like that, a verbal warning wouldnt be out of place. This scenario is different though. The bird is obviously a mature gobbler and in this situation a hunter called to report a unique bird. With minimal conversation the officer would be able to ascertain if the hunter is a seasoned turkey hunter or not. A simple reminder of the regs would be one thing but a verbal warning when a hunter has not in any way violated the intent of the law and self reported the kill I feel is excessive.I see where you’re coming from but if the regs say a legal bird must have a visible beard, which is how a lot of states do it for spring turkey, then it seems like the appropriate response. More than that would be against the spirit of the law (let hens live), and less could cause him or others to get themselves in trouble with a less understanding CO another year. I don’t think of a verbal warning as a moral judgement, just a reminder of the law to help someone make sure they don’t break it again.
I get that and if it was a situation where the officer was checking someone in the field with a bird like that, a verbal warning wouldnt be out of place. This scenario is different though. The bird is obviously a mature gobbler and in this situation a hunter called to report a unique bird. With minimal conversation the officer would be able to ascertain if the hunter is a seasoned turkey hunter or not. A simple reminder of the regs would be one thing but a verbal warning when a hunter has not in any way violated the intent of the law and self reported the kill I feel is excessive.
All the regs I have looked at use beard length or full fan as ID for a mature bird. IMO that's how it should be. If the turkey isnt or doesnt strut, ID by beard length, if it comes in strutting, full fan gets shot in the face.
Yep, I have had several opportunities to shoot bearded hens but didnt back when it was legal for us to do so. Dont like that beard rule as a hard fast rule. If you have properly identified the bird, you should be ok to take it. The antler restrictions on a WMA I hunt provides a good analogy. The antler restrictions are a legal buck must have either a 15" inside spread or an 18" main beam. I passed a couple of different bucks this season because I was not confident either met the beam length requirement and one for sure did not meet the spread requirement. Both were in my estimation 3y/o 8 points and the intent of the rule is allow bucks to reach maturity. If a buck had to have 15" inside AND 18" it would suck to have to pass an obviously mature buck with 22" main beams because he had a narrow rack.I just glanced at the VA turkey hunting page (Gator's got it listed as his location) and they say "bearded turkeys only". MN regs are the same as are MI. I think a lot of folks, myself included, wouldn't shoot a bearded hen anyway, but it makes ID/enforcement easier.