Help...Gang of jakes

[BowBendr]

I'm hunting a 250 acre tract in the mountains of NC that is being completely dominated by a gang of 9-10 jakes.
There are some mature toms on this property that i've located, but i'm not having much success with them.

The toms don't gobble much on the limb and seem timid when they do. They'll honor your calling and approach your set-up cautiously, but the jakes show up to ruin the show. I was working a bird this morning that I found after fly-down that turned and scrammed when the jakes showed up 10 minutes after he (mature tom) made his 1st gobble and started coming my way.

I looped around them all after they left, got on the tom again and the jakes made a bee-line straight to our set-up again, by-passed us and went straight toward that gobbler.

In 30 years of bird hunting, I ain't never seen this happen to the point mature toms were scared. I've heard jake gangs would whip big toms....so what do you do ? These are strutting, gobbling jakes.

I hate to eliminate future gobbling stock, do you kill one out of the pack, stand up and scare the bejeepers out of 'em.........what to do ?

[Trevor2]

I would personally bust their noggins but that is ur call, as I don't have a problem shooting jakes

[shad309]

Had the same problem recently on a game preserve that I was taking photos and practicing for my opening. Same thing 2 mornings in a row. The last time they came in and the gobbler took off I waited a few minutes then stood up and said hey, they were running into each other and scattered like the wind. They haven't bothered me again.

Not sure how I would handle it on property that I can hunt though....

[Basser69]

If they are strutting and gobbling I shoot one or two of them. Strut like the man, die like the man.

[870BkWht]

I agree with others, shoot a Jake.  A bird in the hand is always worth 2 in the bush in my book.

[RS]

We had similar situation on some land my club in here in NE NC used to have.  7 jakes were pretty much bullying any long beards that came around one end of a 800 ac. tract.  Like the post above said we figured if they're going to act like a big bird they're gonna get shot like a big bird.  Myself, a couple of other club members, and my Dad each took one a piece. Low and behold the longbeards started showing up about the last 10 days of the season.  I will say though that we really weren't too worried about shooting next years longbeards too much because the landowner had informed us that he was going to terminate our lease at the end of the season so he could lease to an outfitter for almost twice the money.

If you chose this path and would rather not shoot a jake and can bring other folks on the land you could always bring some young'uns or new hunters and let them get their first turkey.

[BowBendr]

If you chose this path and would rather not shoot a jake and can bring other folks on the land you could always bring some young'uns or new hunters and let them get their first turkey.

Good advice Randy.
Never thought about it that way. That just may be exactly what I do. Thanks.