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Commission curtails bearded‑hen take in new turkey season rules; youth exception added for spring
Summary
The Fish and Wildlife Commission voted to remove bearded (bearded) hens from legal take during fall archery/crossbow and spring turkey seasons, while approving an amendment to allow youth hunters to take a bearded hen during spring; commissioners debated scientific evidence, enforcement concerns and local impacts.
The Fish and Wildlife Commission voted this quarter to restrict the legal take of bearded hens in both the fall archery/crossbow seasons and the spring turkey season, while carving out an exception that allows youth hunters to harvest a bearded hen in spring.
Ben Robinson, the department’s wildlife division representative, told the commission the fall change (amendment to 301 KAR 2,144) is intended to limit the harvest of bearded hens during archery and crossbow seasons while leaving the shotgun portion of the fall season intact. Robinson said the proposal came from the Wild Turkey Working Group and that the working group saw both support and opposition.
“Biologically we don’t think this will have a real negative impact one way or the other,” Robinson said, “but it would have an impact on limiting some opportunity for folks that do enjoy using crossbows and archery equipment in the fall.” (Ben Robinson)
Commissioners debated the proposal at length. One commissioner in the working group read a letter from Turkey For Tomorrow arguing there is no scientific evidence that removing bearded hens from harvest will change population dynamics and warning of potential enforcement issues if hunters cannot reliably distinguish birds. Another commissioner countered that saving even a few hens in localized areas could improve nesting success and cited anecdotal reports of stronger nesting among bearded hens.
“Only hen turkeys lay eggs. I think the saving of one turkey in certain areas would make a significant difference,” a commissioner said during the discussion. (Commissioner)
The fall archery/crossbow proposal advanced on a roll‑call vote and the motion carried; the formal roll call was conducted twice to clarify votes and the motion was recorded as carrying 4–2 with an abstention recorded earlier in the process.
On the spring proposal (amendment to 301 KAR 2,142), commissioners expressed similar tensions between precautionary conservation steps and limiting hunter opportunity. The commission ultimately voted to remove bearded hens from legal take in spring but approved an amendment specifically permitting youth hunters to harvest a bearded hen. The spring amendment passed on a roll call, 4–3.
Why it matters: The changes reflect the commission’s effort to balance conservation objectives and hunter opportunity. Commissioners repeatedly emphasized that the regulation changes would not take effect immediately and that rulemaking timelines mean any change would apply in a future season.
What’s next: The department will finalize regulatory language and conforming edits, and affected regulations will follow the standard promulgation process before becoming effective.
