Effects on turkey population shooting multiple gobblers?

[Crghss]

That's a very good thing. Don't shoot jakes or 2 year olds and you should be fine.

Now, what are the folks doing around your property? This will have more of an impact they you will. Good or bad.

[Jstocks]

That's a very good thing. Don't shoot jakes or 2 year olds and you should be fine.

Now, what are the folks doing around your property? This will have more of an impact they you will. Good or bad.

Exactly what does one do to determine a 2 year old on the "hoof"?

[Dtrkyman]

Yeah good luck aging a turkey once mature.  Check spurs, oh yeah that is not an accurate indication of age.

I choose not to shoot jakes, have no issue with one who does but in the struggling populations why not let em go? That bird made it through the hardest part of his life now let em grow up and breed one season! 

[Meleagris gallopavo]

I hunt a piece of land that has a lot of pressure all around it from a hunting club.  One day this year I saw 3 strutters in the field with about 12 hens.  After a while I saw only a Jake and about 6 hens which he stayed with most of the time.  I didn't shoot a bird there but I kept wondering if that Jake would eventually breed them.  They hung out within 15-20 yards from me 2 days in a row which was a big reason I left that spot in search of more mature birds.  The Jake certainly acted like he wanted to breed the hens but they weren't very receptive when I was watching.  I hunted another property where I killed 2 gobblers but they were in different pieces of woods separated by a road.  I had been seeing up to 5 gobblers there regularly, 2 that seemed bigger than the ones I harvested so I felt okay about that.  Plus there were at least 2 jakes there I didn't shoot.  I have seen some spots that became devoid of turkeys for a year or two and I assumed someone was killing them.  Normally after I kill a bird in a spot I check that spot off my list for the year.  Fortunately I have several places to hunt, which is not the case for everyone else.


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