Strange Birds

I grew up doing some quail hunting in Indiana. In high school and college I tried pheasant hunting in Iowa and turkey hunting in Indiana. My dad, "Outdoor Mike", was really good along with "Big Kenny" and "Wild Bill". I on the other hand seemed to always struggle. I missed way more birds than I bagged. Those seasoned hunters will still recall hunts with amusement in which my gun made a lot of noise with the only results being noise. Over the past four years on the Navajo Nation I went after Merriam's Turkeys in the Chuska Mountains with my hunting partner, Tom. Each year we would hear turkeys, see turkeys, and dream of turkeys, but the only turkeys we brought home were ourselves. This year things changed. We were successful in bagging two turkeys, but as fate would have it for us, these were very unusual turkeys. One was a bearded hen, which only about 10% of hens grow beards. The other, which I actually called in, was a beardless gobbler. This is even more rare but possible as the beard may be lost in a fight with another gobbler. Still, they are beautiful birds that will be very tasty. Several local Navajo people are already expressing desire for the feathers, which they will use in powwows and other ceremonies or art endeavors. We are more than happy to oblige. It's been a long time coming.

THE "BEARDED HEN"





THE "BEARDLESS GOBBLER"