Have hens EVER been legal to hunt with bow?

[SaltwaterWalt]

Has Tn ever allowed hens being taken by archery equipment in fall?

Had this discussion with a friend from Ky who showed me their regs that allow for a hen to be taken with bow and arrow. I've always thought Tn was bearded bird only, regardless of weapon. Can't really find anything on the internet if Tn ever did have a hen season. They only show bearded birds only.

 

[Iglow]

Back years ago they were legal.

 

[Pic IN the Casa]

Yes.

 

[Spurhunter]

Wasn't even that long ago. In the fall you could even kill them with a shotgun.

 

[UCStandSitter]

Could be mistaken but I believe you still can if they have whiskers.

 

[clwg97]

In Missouri you can kill them with a shotgun during the month of October for fall turkey season, and with a bow throughout all of bow season. When you buy your bow tag you get 2 any-deer tags and 2 any turkey tags.

 

[Creek bottoms]

In Missouri you can kill them with a shotgun during the month of October for fall turkey season, and with a bow throughout all of bow season. When you buy your bow tag you get 2 any-deer tags and 2 any turkey tags.

Might explain why MO numbers are down.

 

[clwg97]

Might explain why MO numbers are down.

I don't disagree, but it has been this way forever and the population was booming way after these regs were put in place so I am not sure. We dont shoot hens, but I know some people do.

 

[DoubleRidge]

No way I'm shooting a hen...never made sense to me why it was ever legal? Hens lay eggs and have enough challenges already without us hunting them.

 

[Gravey]

No way I'm shooting a hen...never made sense to me why it was ever legal? Hens lay eggs and have enough challenges already without us hunting them.

What he said. Beard or not I'm not killing one.

 

[Gobble4me757]

Why would you want to bearded or not they still make babies

 

[Carlos]

Why would you want to bearded or not they still make babies

For the bragging, I guess.

 

[megalomaniac]

Hens without beards were legal with a bow or shotgun in TN until just a few years ago.

It wasn't all that long ago you could legally kill hundreds of hens in the fall with a shotgun if you bought the leftover permits.

Then the population crashed

 

[Flintlocksforme]

Limit of 6 per county if you really wanted to do some damage in southern middle TN.

 

[Setterman]

As of others have said it used to be legal and the limits were stupidly high. I remember seeing pics from some real stellar asshats on tnturkey with piles of dead hens. I naturally got banned for calling out what they were doing and how it was wrong.

 

[redblood]

No way I'm shooting a hen...never made sense to me why it was ever legal? Hens lay eggs and have enough challenges already without us hunting them.

Me either. Never understood it. And if you cant tell a bearded hen from a tom, your azz dont need to be carrying around a gun anyway. Just saying.

 

[redblood]

As of others have said it used to be legal and the limits were stupidly high. I remember seeing pics from some real stellar asshats on tnturkey with piles of dead hens. I naturally got banned for calling out what they were doing and how it was wrong.

I remember seeing videos posted on here of hens being sprayed shot and killing multiples with one shot- whole flock a floppin. It was legal, but not a good look

 

[redblood]

For the record- id be ok with s tom being able to be harvested in bow season, i dont think that woukd really affect turkey numbers much

 

[TITANSFAN2104]

Wasn't even that long ago. In the fall you could even kill them with a shotgun.

For years, you could kill 6 hens in Smith county and then go to Wilson county and kill 6 more!!! I never did like that mess but didnt hate on people for doing it.

 

[Flintlocksforme]

For the record- id be ok with s tom being able to be harvested in bow season, i dont think that woukd really affect turkey numbers much

Well the problem with archery turkeys for me from a tree is it's takes a few to learn where to hit them. I hate to think of the death a few gobblers had from me hitting meat only and no organs. Seems like it's an easy target but for every one I have killed from a tree I have hit 2 in the breast and they probably died of infection. Ground blind seems like the best way to go for archery.