Turkey hunting forum for turkey hunting tips

This is a question that was posed to me the other day by someone heading on their first out of state hunt, and with me heading out for my annual NE trip on Monday thought it'd be interesting what others thought. Now that being said I'm not looking for an argument on shooting jakes or bearded hens, because each their own. I'm just wondering how many would go home empty handed or shoot the options. Good luck to all this spring!!



Neal

Full Toms or tag soup, non-issue for me, they sell turkey meat at the store....

mudhen

Go home with my tag still in my pocket.  Done it before, would do it again.  Hunting for a mature bird.  Same with deer, not gonna just go to kill something. 

My success and trip does not hinge on me killing something.  There is so much more to it than that.

I would just have to go home empty handed. Don't bother me if someone else shoots either choice but neither are a trophy for me.

I enjoy hunting longbeards. I love spurs. I won't starve if I don't kill one on a trip. Myself, I'll go home without one and just enjoy the memory.

I want to kill a bird as much as the next guy but I just don't feel all warm and fuzzy of a jake.  You can always frame a tag cheaper than pay a taxi.

Wow, this question hits home.  I was hunting out of state over the weekend and faced this scenario.  I was hunting with a buddy and on the first morning out, called in a jake from a great distance away.  He came within seven yards of me on the ground and was all kinds of lovestruck.  He made every call I've ever heard a turkey make and I tried to mimick it all right back to him.  I ended up letting him walk, but he gave me one of the best interactions a turkey ever has.  My buddy, sitting beside me, asked why I didn't shoot him.  I honestly don't care one way or another and have and will shoot jakes.  I just felt at that moment that he had given me everything I could have asked for.  Killing him wasn't really necessary.  I was fine with eating tag soup.

Patience paid off anyhow.  I shot a really nice tom about two hours later.

Ill gladly go home empty handed (and have before) instead of sacrificing my standards just to say I killed something.

I agree that it is an individual choice and I wouldn't criticize anyone for doing what is legal.  I am headed to SC from Illinois tomorrow morning and unless I have the great fortune of taking a long beard I will come home with my tags.  Now, having hunted Missouri tons I would be very tempted to shoot a bearded hen because I know from experience that Missouri has a lot of hens.

If the mood hits me I have no problem killing a Jake.. and I have and would again kill one on an out of state hunt nearing the end of the hunt ..

That said I passed six jakes this morning and they were gobbling their fool heads off .. the first birds to even give me the time of day in VA so far.. but it is a long season yet to go..

I ate my Ohio tags last yr. . Hope I don't have to eat my WV. tags this yr. . I haven't fond a good recipe yet .

I wouldn't shoot a bearded hen under any circumstances. Never have, never will. Last jake was about 10 years ago. They just don't float my boat anymore. I don't look down on those who shoot jakes because early in my turkey hunting career I was tickled to death to get one. Now, it just isn't fun anymore.

A bearded hen is a different thing altogether. They are legal so as to avoid prosecuting someone for making an honest mistake, shooting because they see a beard. They are not deemed legal to encourage anyone to shoot one on purpose.