My wife, Colleen, had the weekend off so we decided to head out to the woods for a last-minute hunt and see if one might walk by the blind.

Colleen was a little hesitant to come out with me, as she had never been hunting before, but I guess she finally got sick of me asking her to come with .

When we pulled up to where we park at our lease, there was a big tom in full strut sitting right in the drive way...go figure! Naturally, I'm thinking "So this is how this day is going to go".

We make our way to the blind and once we sit down, I let out a couple yelps and Colleen pulls out the snacks, haha! After a pack of peanut butter crackers, I let out a couple more yelps and I immediately hear a yelp behind us. I tell Colleen, I think there's a bird coming in behind us, she just rolls her eyes and says "uh huh" and goes back to playing games on her phone and munching on some fruit snacks.

About a minute later, I see a bird coming out of the tall grass, into the woods on my left (the blind was in the woods on the side of a field). I could tell it was a hen, but I could see a beard! I let Colleen watch it for a bit before I layed it out with the 12ga at about 40 yards.

We were in the blind for all of 10 minutes (Colleen complained she didn't get to eat all her snacks or finish her game on her phone, HAHA). Definitely cool to bag my first bearded hen and for it to happen with Colleen in the blind!

Great Job Alex

Congrats, I got my first bearded hen in Missouri a few years ago and then got another one this year in Georgia! The one in Missouri had a 5 inch beard and the Georgia hen had a 7 inch beard. Again congrats on a rare trophy bird!

Congrats on the bird.

Congrats on the bird and on the special memory to share with your wife.

It had an 8.5" beard!

Good job Alex ....great picture by the River

Congrats and it is fun getting the wife out for sure.