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Discussion on Jakes vs. Spikes

spitndrum

spitndrum

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Both are legal and u won't see me complain or give u a negative comment about the legal harvest of either. But I wonder what yall opinions are on this.

Say u have a guy that practices QDMA and all young bucks gets to walk...He is also a turkey hunter and he shoots a Jake...kinda the same in my eyes idk?

Thoughts.?
QTMA lol

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I quit killing spikes and jakes years ago
I know if I had a piece of property
the only jakes and spikes killed would be by my daughter and she would probably
pass because she would want a big one
 
Beard Buster":mezrdbnz said:
I quit killing spikes and jakes years ago
I know if I had a piece of property
the only jakes and spikes killed would be by my daughter and she would probably
pass because she would want a big one
Click to expand...
Right and I get that my 6 yr old is up and coming and if he wants to shoot one and the opportunity is there to double with him and he wants me to I'll shoot...not at 65 yards though[emoji1]

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With a 4 bird limit, most people aren't going to "tag out" by the end of the season. Shooting a jake won't restrict the amount of hunting they get to do. A lesser limit would make people reconsider before pulling the trigger.
 
Don't give a crap really. Someone managing their own property can shoot whatever they want and I have no say


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I don't shoot jakes anymore. But I got fooled on Sunday when I watched 2 toms head to the woods to roost, I cut them off, they came down the hill and I shot one. It was a jake that had slipped in with one of the toms. Couldn't believe it. But he's slowly turning into this right here...this is some Quality Turkey Management right here...
e8ac046f8750384df9f5b0ee1fdfaba3.jpg



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Shooting either shouldn't happen to aha seasoned hunter knowingly. Mistakes happen, and those are okay. But for the future of each hunting style both should be off limits.

They're the dumbest members of each species and the meat doesn't warrant the killing when compared to the food content of mature animals. The meat argument is sophomoric and asinine. It only is used as an excuse

Again, mistakes happen, heavens knows I've made plenty of ill advised kills, but both should be illegal to kill or limitd to 1 per season
 
Setterman":yajashk9 said:
Shooting either shouldn't happen to aha seasoned hunter knowingly. Mistakes happen, and those are okay. But for the future of each hunting style both should be off limits.

They're the dumbest members of each species and the meat doesn't warrant the killing when compared to the food content of mature animals. The meat argument is sophomoric and asinine. It only is used as an excuse

Again, mistakes happen, heavens knows I've made plenty of ill advised kills, but both should be illegal to kill or limitd to 1 per season
Click to expand...

Well, for once I disagree with you Setterman. I hope to never shoot another Jake, but usually I won't pass any deer that I get a shot at...spike, 6pt, booner . I just don't have the opportunity to shoot all the deer we need for the year if I pass anything up. We are now a family of 8, and will easily go through 5-6 deer a year. At this point in my life, I deer hunt strictly for the meat whether it's sophomoric and asinine or not :) . I don't know you personally, but from all your posts that I have read, I have great respect for you and your passion and your knowledge. I just disagree on this point.

If anyone wants to give me any meat (hint,hint) I'd be happy to take it!
 
poorhunter":yiy3y2sd said:
Setterman":yiy3y2sd said:
Shooting either shouldn't happen to aha seasoned hunter knowingly. Mistakes happen, and those are okay. But for the future of each hunting style both should be off limits.

They're the dumbest members of each species and the meat doesn't warrant the killing when compared to the food content of mature animals. The meat argument is sophomoric and asinine. It only is used as an excuse

Again, mistakes happen, heavens knows I've made plenty of ill advised kills, but both should be illegal to kill or limitd to 1 per season
Click to expand...

Well, for once I disagree with you Setterman. I hope to never shoot another Jake, but usually I won't pass any deer that I get a shot at...spike, 6pt, booner . I just don't have the opportunity to shoot all the deer we need for the year if I pass anything up. We are now a family of 8, and will easily go through 5-6 deer a year. At this point in my life, I deer hunt strictly for the meat whether it's sophomoric and asinine or not :) . I don't know you personally, but from all your posts that I have read, I have great respect for you and your passion and your knowledge. I just disagree on this point.

If anyone wants to give me any meat (hint,hint) I'd be happy to take it!
Click to expand...

It's all good, and honestly I don't really care anymore about deer, at least in TN. Our seasons are so jacked up, that I understand your circumstance and view.
 
Setterman":2f8ztbrq said:
The meat argument is sophomoric and asinine. It only is used as an excuse
Click to expand...
Yes it is used as an excuse all too often, but it is also true the meat of the young ones is better, both deer and turkey. forget about the "amount" of meat, why do you think they sell cornish hens when you can buy a huge full sized chicken. It's about the quality of the meat. The tenders I fried from the jake the other day were some of the best wild turkey breast I've had, more tender than most any gobbler. I'm still kicking myself for not pulling together and killing one of the toms I called in on Saturday, but at least my weekend trip ended with a dead turkey riding back to camp in my boat, as I had hoped the trip would end.
 
I haven't killed a jake in years but might shoot one if one comes in and I feel like shooting him. Where I deer hunt I'm lucky to have a shot opportunity at 1 or 2 bucks per year and prob wouldn't pass up a spike. I hardly bow hunt and we only get a week or 2 to kill a doe during muzzy and gun.
 
catman529":2firp3gm said:
I don't shoot jakes anymore. But I got fooled on Sunday when I watched 2 toms head to the woods to roost, I cut them off, they came down the hill and I shot one. It was a jake that had slipped in with one of the toms. Couldn't believe it. But he's slowly turning into this right here...this is some Quality Turkey Management right here...
e8ac046f8750384df9f5b0ee1fdfaba3.jpg



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Click to expand...
I read about that and I'm talking intentionally

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TOTALLY different from a biological standpoint, just can't even be compared.

The vast majority of spikes are capable of reproduction. Combine that with the number of bucks TN has, AND the 2 buck limit, and we wouldn't hurt the overall deer population one tiny bit as there are enough males remaining in the herd to ensure every single available receptive doe still will get bred the following year.

The vast majority of jakes are incapable of successfully reproducing. Combine that with a much lower turkey population than deer AND the 4 bird limit, and it is very, very easy to remove the male segment of the population in an area resulting in no successful mating the following year. As I've said before, simply protecting all jakes and ensuring the season opens after the majority of hens are bred and there would even be no need for a spring gobbler limit, as last years jakes would be 2 y/o's and be able to service the hens.

As far as the quality of meat, to me there is no difference in a spike versus a 4.5 y/o buck or a jake versus a 4.5 y/o tom. It's all the worst stuff on the planet if you don't do the proper prep work and care of the meat before you cook it, and it's all the best stuff on the planet if you do go through all the prep work effort. The best vension I've ever eaten came from a 5.5 y/o buck, and the best turkey meat I've eaten came from a 3 or 4 y/o LB.
 
Buzzard Breath":upfgwyfj said:
With a 4 bird limit, most people aren't going to "tag out" by the end of the season. Shooting a jake won't restrict the amount of hunting they get to do. A lesser limit would make people reconsider before pulling the trigger.
Click to expand...


I don't know if I agree with this. People don't trophy turkey hunt like they trophy deer hunt. I know some do, but remember, people on this forum (for the most part) are not your regular hunt a few times a year type of people. Less hunters are concerned with trophy turkeys than trophy deer. Most turkey hunters are hunting to put as much meat in the freezer as they can. You don't get a ton of meat off of a turkey, whether it is a Jake or a Tom, unless you pluck the whole bird (and most don't) so they just go out and boom, boom, boom, boom and then they are onto something else, like fishing or golf. If the limit was 2 many would shoot 2 jakes if that is what came in. Not many on here, but again, most on here are die hard hunters.
 
megalomaniac":1nna1l9g said:
TOTALLY different from a biological standpoint, just can't even be compared.

The vast majority of spikes are capable of reproduction. Combine that with the number of bucks TN has, AND the 2 buck limit, and we wouldn't hurt the overall deer population one tiny bit as there are enough males remaining in the herd to ensure every single available receptive doe still will get bred the following year.

The vast majority of jakes are incapable of successfully reproducing. Combine that with a much lower turkey population than deer AND the 4 bird limit, and it is very, very easy to remove the male segment of the population in an area resulting in no successful mating the following year. As I've said before, simply protecting all jakes and ensuring the season opens after the majority of hens are bred and there would even be no need for a spring gobbler limit, as last years jakes would be 2 y/o's and be able to service the hens.

As far as the quality of meat, to me there is no difference in a spike versus a 4.5 y/o buck or a jake versus a 4.5 y/o tom. It's all the worst stuff on the planet if you don't do the proper prep work and care of the meat before you cook it, and it's all the best stuff on the planet if you do go through all the prep work effort. The best vension I've ever eaten came from a 5.5 y/o buck, and the best turkey meat I've eaten came from a 3 or 4 y/o LB.
Click to expand...
around here there is not a "much lower turkey population than deer". We have a lot of turkeys and deer. I know that is not the case for the whole state, and populations vary quite a bit, even within the same counties.

Also. The meat quality, I have eaten jakes, poults (fall season), button bucks, doe fawns, even a spotted fawn. The younger animals are more tender. The older ones are really good too, but the meat on a young critter is always more tender than its mature counterpart. Why do they slaughter calves for veal, because it's a delicacy. Now that has nothing to do with the biological/management part of killing jakes or spikes. There's a lot of variables... who owns the land, size of property, population, recent hatches, number of hunters on and surrounding the property, predators, etc. Can't be a one size fits all kind of deal. Nothing wrong with killing jakes if you have a healthy population and it doesn't cause strife with other hunters who share the same land. Me personally I don't want to kill another jake if I can help it. I quit wanting to kill jakes back in 2012, the year I started whacking longbeards, only a year after my first turkey (a jake). I don't impose my personal rules on anyone else. I don't control the flock, or the land that I hunt, so it's not my business what someone else shoots, as long as they are following the law.
 

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