Passed on a Jake

[easy45]

And it was harder than normal for me, as a general rule for myself any male turkey is fair game on public land but on my private spots I hunt toms only unless its the last week or so and I haven't killed one. Well I don't have a good spot this year and the wife and I went to a place that is historically void of wildlife but landowner leased to a farmer this year and the fields are lush and green with wheat, we went mid morning and had been sitting for less than 10 minutes and I had called a bit when a jake, which was definitely bigger than average, he looked to be bigger body wise than my tom last year, came walking out at 10 yards. We decided to pass on the hope that since this place has some nice green fields on it that there may be a few more there in the past.

 

[Setterman]

You can't go wrong either way, it's up to you when to pull the trigger on a jake. I have most certainly busted them before,but over time started letting them pass.

It's always good to think about the future, and hopefully he be around next year hammering away at daylight and strut down your gun barrel.

 

[woodsman87]

Yep. I used to shoot jakes too as a kid. Then one day I had a gobbling strutting Jake, the jakes most people shoot, I just never shot him and could have.

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[Deerbuster1996]

I had 2 come in to about 5 yards opening morning. Just sat and watch them try to impress a hen.


Hunt just about everything

 

[PalsPal]

he looked to be bigger body wise than my tom last year

Did you see his fan? Could it have been a gobbler with beard rot?

 

[Hunt 365]

Commendations

 

[easy45]

he looked to be bigger body wise than my tom last year

Did you see his fan? Could it have been a gobbler with beard rot?

Didn't see the fan but he didn't have any spurs


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[Setterman]

he looked to be bigger body wise than my tom last year

Did you see his fan? Could it have been a gobbler with beard rot?

Didn't see the fan but he didn't have any spurs


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I've convinced myself a couple of times over the years that a bird was gobbling to well, to big etc to possibly be a jake. Talked myself into pulling the trigger and they always were jakes lol. About 10 years ago I quit convincing myself of things I knew were not as I hoped.

Of course a few years ago in GA I passed on a large bird, that gobbled well, only to find out that another guy shot it and it was a mature bird with a 4" beard that had 1 7/8" Spurs. Figures I guess.

No harm in killing a jake every now and then, but the mature birds are a lot more fun to me, therefore I try to avoid killing them at all costs

 

[Gravey]

I shot some in my younger days but haven't in years. Watched 6 walk by within 10 yards opening morning. My son has only killed one turkey so he has the green light on anything he chooses.

 

[ZachMarkus]

Sunday morning I had two birds gobbling like crazy on the roost, I couldn't tell a bit of difference in their gobbles, they flew down and one of them headed my way gobbling every step, he came over the rise and I realized he was a jake, he had 4 of his buddies with him, he strutted and gobbled in front of me for 30 min, i really wanted to shoot him but i knew he would be bigger next year, It was a fun hunt, I got some very good video footage of him. I made a move on the Tom but he had a bunch of hens with him and I never could get him to commit, maybe this weekend.