Pennsylvania Game News - May 2018 - 64

"C

Bearded Lady

OME ONE, come all; come see the bearded lady!" cried the carnival
huckster. At 10 years old, with just $2 in my pocket, 50 cents was much
too pricey. Besides, I had already seen a bearded lady - a wild hen turkey with a
beard similar to those sported by toms.
The year was 1968, and Pennsylvania's first spring turkey
season was in the books. My older brother had bagged his
first spring gobbler, or what we had thought was a gobbler.
As it turned out, the bird with a scraggly 7-inch beard was
actually a hen. In the remaining dozen years of Rob's short life,
never again would he tag, or even see, a bearded hen.
But they're not all that rare. Research indicates that 10 to 15
percent of hens grow beards. Actually, it's not a beard or hair
at all, but rather a modified group of feathers that form a kind
of coarse bristle.
Typically, the beard of a hen is not as long or thick as that of
a gobbler. Although an oddity to us, these hens don't appear to
be picked on or ostracized by other turkeys. In fact, sometimes they
become the dominant bird, or "boss hen" of a flock.
In spring, male turkeys - whether jakes or mature gobblers - pursue them
with the same vigor as they do other hens. A bearded hen will mate, lay eggs and
successfully raise a brood of poults. In nature, bearded hens seem to be viewed
no differently than those lacking such adornment.
Pennsylvania's spring turkey hunting regulations make no distinction between
bearded gobblers and bearded hens: both are legal game. If you see a bearded bird
that does not have the characteristic red, white and blue head and neck coloring
of a jake or mature gobbler, but rather a grayish-brown head, then it's probably
a hen. Another distinction is that males have black-tipped breast feathers, while
hens' are brown-tipped.
In my many years of turkey hunting, I had never seen a bearded hen afield until
last spring. Just after first light on a drizzly, foggy morning, several gobblers had
sneaked silently into view. Two stayed back while a third inched closer. I could
clearly see a beard, but something didn't seem quite right. With the shotgun's
bead trained on the bird's lower neck, I identified "him" as a "her" and clicked the
safety back on. Nearly 50 years since that inaugural spring season, I remembered
my brother's bearded lady . . . and smiled.

Gregg Rinkus
64



Pennsylvania Game News - May 2018

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Pennsylvania Game News - May 2018

Contents
Pennsylvania Game News - May 2018 - Intro
Pennsylvania Game News - May 2018 - Cover1
Pennsylvania Game News - May 2018 - Cover2
Pennsylvania Game News - May 2018 - Contents
Pennsylvania Game News - May 2018 - 2
Pennsylvania Game News - May 2018 - 3
Pennsylvania Game News - May 2018 - 4
Pennsylvania Game News - May 2018 - 5
Pennsylvania Game News - May 2018 - 6
Pennsylvania Game News - May 2018 - 7
Pennsylvania Game News - May 2018 - 8
Pennsylvania Game News - May 2018 - 9
Pennsylvania Game News - May 2018 - 10
Pennsylvania Game News - May 2018 - 11
Pennsylvania Game News - May 2018 - 12
Pennsylvania Game News - May 2018 - 13
Pennsylvania Game News - May 2018 - 14
Pennsylvania Game News - May 2018 - 15
Pennsylvania Game News - May 2018 - 16
Pennsylvania Game News - May 2018 - 17
Pennsylvania Game News - May 2018 - 18
Pennsylvania Game News - May 2018 - 19
Pennsylvania Game News - May 2018 - 20
Pennsylvania Game News - May 2018 - 21
Pennsylvania Game News - May 2018 - 22
Pennsylvania Game News - May 2018 - 23
Pennsylvania Game News - May 2018 - 24
Pennsylvania Game News - May 2018 - 25
Pennsylvania Game News - May 2018 - 26
Pennsylvania Game News - May 2018 - 27
Pennsylvania Game News - May 2018 - 28
Pennsylvania Game News - May 2018 - 29
Pennsylvania Game News - May 2018 - 30
Pennsylvania Game News - May 2018 - 31
Pennsylvania Game News - May 2018 - 32
Pennsylvania Game News - May 2018 - 33
Pennsylvania Game News - May 2018 - 34
Pennsylvania Game News - May 2018 - 35
Pennsylvania Game News - May 2018 - 36
Pennsylvania Game News - May 2018 - 37
Pennsylvania Game News - May 2018 - 38
Pennsylvania Game News - May 2018 - 39
Pennsylvania Game News - May 2018 - 40
Pennsylvania Game News - May 2018 - 41
Pennsylvania Game News - May 2018 - 42
Pennsylvania Game News - May 2018 - 43
Pennsylvania Game News - May 2018 - 44
Pennsylvania Game News - May 2018 - 45
Pennsylvania Game News - May 2018 - 46
Pennsylvania Game News - May 2018 - 47
Pennsylvania Game News - May 2018 - 48
Pennsylvania Game News - May 2018 - 49
Pennsylvania Game News - May 2018 - 50
Pennsylvania Game News - May 2018 - 51
Pennsylvania Game News - May 2018 - 52
Pennsylvania Game News - May 2018 - 53
Pennsylvania Game News - May 2018 - 54
Pennsylvania Game News - May 2018 - 55
Pennsylvania Game News - May 2018 - 56
Pennsylvania Game News - May 2018 - 57
Pennsylvania Game News - May 2018 - 58
Pennsylvania Game News - May 2018 - 59
Pennsylvania Game News - May 2018 - 60
Pennsylvania Game News - May 2018 - 61
Pennsylvania Game News - May 2018 - 62
Pennsylvania Game News - May 2018 - 63
Pennsylvania Game News - May 2018 - 64
Pennsylvania Game News - May 2018 - Cover3
Pennsylvania Game News - May 2018 - Cover4
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pgc/pagamenews_202404
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pgc/pagamenews_202403
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pgc/pagamenews_202402
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pgc/pagamenews_202401
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pgc/pagamenews_202312
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pgc/pagamenews_202311
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pgc/pagamenews_202310
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pgc/pagamenews_202309
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pgc/pagamenews_202308
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pgc/pagamenews_202307
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pgc/pagamenews_202306
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pgc/pagamenews_202305
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pgc/pagamenews_202304
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pgc/pagamenews_202303
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pgc/pagamenews_202302
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pgc/pagamenews_202301
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pgc/pagamenews_202212
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pgc/pagamenews_202211
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pgc/pagamenews_202210
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pgc/pagamenews_202209
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pgc/pagamenews_202208
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pgc/pagamenews_202207
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pgc/pagamenews_202206
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pgc/pagamenews_202205
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pgc/pagamenews_202204
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pgc/pagamenews_202203
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pgc/pagamenews_202202
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pgc/pagamenews_202201
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pgc/pagamenews_202112
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pgc/pagamenews_202111
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pgc/pagamenews_202110
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pgc/pagamenews_202109
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pgc/pagamenews_202108
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pgc/pagamenews_202107
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pgc/pagamenews_202106
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pgc/pagamenews_202105
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pgc/pagamenews_202104
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pgc/pagamenews_202103
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pgc/pagamenews_202102
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pgc/pagamenews_202101
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pgc/pagamenews_202012
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pgc/pagamenews_202011
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pgc/pagamenews_202010
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pgc/pagamenews_202009
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pgc/pagamenews_202008
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pgc/pagamenews_202007
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pgc/pagamenews_202006
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pgc/pagamenews_202005
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pgc/pagamenews_202004
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pgc/pagamenews_202003
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pgc/pagamenews_202002
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pgc/pagamenews_202001
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pgc/pagamenews_201912
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pgc/pagamenews_201911
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pgc/pagamenews_201910
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pgc/pagamenews_201909
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pgc/pagamenews_201908
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pgc/pagamenews_201907
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pgc/pagamenews_201906
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pgc/pagamenews_201905
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pgc/pagamenews_201904
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pgc/pagamenews_201903
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pgc/pagamenews_201902
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pgc/pagamenews_201901
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pgc/pagamenews_201812
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pgc/pagamenews_201811
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pgc/pagamenews_201810
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pgc/pagamenews_201809
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pgc/pagamenews_201808
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pgc/pagamenews_201807
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pgc/pagamenews_201806
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pgc/pagamenews_201805
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pgc/pagamenews_201804
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pgc/pagamenews_201803
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pgc/pagamenews_201802
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pgc/pagamenews_201801
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pgc/pagamenews_201712
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pgc/pagamenews_201711
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pgc/pagamenews_201710
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pgc/pagamenews_201709
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pgc/pagamenews_201708
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pgc/pagamenews_201707
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pgc/pagamenews_201706
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pgc/pagamenews_201705
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pgc/pagamenews_201704
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pgc/pagamenews_201703
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pgc/pagamenews_201702
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pgc/pagamenews_201701
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pgc/pagamenews_201612
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pgc/pagamenews_201611
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pgc/pagamenews_201610
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pgc/pagamenews_201609
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pgc/pagamenews_201608
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pgc/pagamenews_201607
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pgc/pagamenews_201606
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pgc/pagamenews_201605
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pgc/pagamenews_201604
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pgc/pagamenews_201603
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pgc/pagamenews_201602
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pgc/pagamenews_201601
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pgc/pagamenews_201512
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pgc/pagamenews_201511
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pgc/pagamenews_201510
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pgc/pagamenews_201509
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pgc/pagamenews_201508
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pgc/pagamenews_201507
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pgc/pagamenews_201506
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pgc/pagamenews_201505
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pgc/pagamenews_201504
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pgc/pagamenews_201503
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pgc/pagamenews_201502
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pgc/pagamenews_201501
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pgc/pagamenews_201412
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pgc/pagamenews_201411
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pgc/pagamenews_201410
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pgc/pagamenews_201409
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pgc/pagamenews_201408
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pgc/pagamenews_201407
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pgc/pagamenews_201406
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pgc/pagamenews_201405
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pgc/pagamenews_201404
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pgc/pagamenews_201403
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pgc/pagamenews_201402
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pgc/pagamenews_201401
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pgc/pagamenews_201312
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pgc/pagamenews_201311
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pgc/pagamenews_201310
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pgc/pagamenews_201309
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pgc/pagamenews_201308
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pgc/pagamenews_201307
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pgc/pagamenews_201306
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pgc/pagamenews_201305
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pgc/pagamenews_201304
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pgc/pagamenews_201303
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pgc/pagamenews_201302
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pgc/pagamenews_201301
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pgc/pagamenews_201212
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pgc/pagamenews_201211
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pgc/pagamenews_201210
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pgc/pagamenews_201209
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pgc/pagamenews_201208
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pgc/pagamenews_201207
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pgc/pagamenews_201206
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pgc/pagamenews_201205
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pgc/pagamenews_201204
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pgc/pagamenews_201203
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pgc/pagamenews_201202
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pgc/pagamenews_201201
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pgc/pagamenews_201112
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pgc/pagamenews_201111
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pgc/pagamenews_201110
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pgc/pagamenews_201109
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pgc/pagamenews_201108
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pgc/pagamenews_201107
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pgc/pagamenews_201106
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pgc/pagamenews_201105
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pgc/pagamenews_201104
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pgc/pagamenews_201103
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pgc/pagamenews_201102
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pgc/pagamenews_201101
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pgc/pagamenews_201012
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pgc/pagamenews_201011
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pgc/pagamenews_201010
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pgc/pagamenews_201009
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pgc/pagamenews_201008
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pgc/pagamenews_201007
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pgc/pagamenews_201006
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pgc/pagamenews_201005
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pgc/pagamenews_201004
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pgc/pagamenews_201003
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pgc/pagamenews_201002
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pgc/pagamenews_201001
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pgc/pagamenews_200912
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pgc/pagamenews_200911
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pgc/pagamenews_200910
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pgc/pagamenews_200909
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pgc/pagamenews_200908
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pgc/pagamenews_200907
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pgc/pagamenews_200906
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pgc/pagamenews_200905
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pgc/pagamenews_200904
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pgc/pagamenews_200903
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pgc/pagamenews_200902
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pgc/annualreport2008
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pgc/pagamenews_200901
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pgc/pagamenews_200812
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pgc/pagamenews_200811
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pgc/pagamenews_200810
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/pgc/pagamenews_200809
https://www.nxtbookmedia.com