shooting a jake

[M,Yingling]

Shoot whatever you want!  Your out there to have a good time arent you?  People are way to hung up on trophies anymore.  Just go have fun.

[Timmer]

I spend way too much money and travel too far to go home empty handed.  I pass on Jakes the first few days, but the last day or two all things bearded are fair game.

 

[surehuntsalot]

never have killed a jake and never will kill one

[Strut Buster]

Shoot whatever you want!  Your out there to have a good time arent you?  People are way to hung up on trophies anymore.  Just go have fun.

I love this, finally someone said it.........

The fun has almost been taken out of hunting.
I remember when I was in school, I shot my first deer, a doe.  I was very excited, until I started to tell people about it.  It was big deal, its just a doe from most of my class mates.  
That was 16 years ago, I can only imagine that it is much worse today in the age of the big buck.

We need to get back to the days where if you hunted and where successful, it was a trophy no matter what its size.

Very well put. I usually only have a limited time to hunt. I have killed my share of birds and I get as excited with a jake as a long beard. Some of the toughest birds I have killed were jakes. Never was a trophy hunter be it deer or turkey. They're all a trophey to me.

[Bustabeak]

I took my cousin hunting this morning and we both shot a Jake.  It was his first bird ever and they both came in double gobbling to my calls. I shot and rolled the first one as he popped  his head over the  the hill,  the second one ran ( needless to say I got a little trigger happy on the opening day in ga today). I thought my cousin was going to run after the one running away. I did a fighting purr and that dang thing turned around and ran back to us! He blasted it!! They both were jakes but I will never forget this day since it was his first bird and the excitement he had was priceless!! I thought I was going to have to carry him to the truck!  So as most have said, and i if you can have an experience like we had today, and you want a Jake, then  go right ahead and blast it! Times like today don't come often and they are never forgotten! He kept saying " I'll never forget today"  all the way to the truck with his  turkey over his shoulder!

[Jimbob]

I don't shoot jakes.  I did in the past when I was learning to turkey hunt, but several years ago I decided only longbeards for me!  

I don't care of other people want to shoot a jake though, it's their business.

Right there with ya !!!!

[turkeyhunter60]

        I have no problem shooting a Jake, and I don't have a problem if someone else shoots one.....And where I hunt you can't be that picky.....

[Mag10]

                                                                       
  I have no problem shooting a Jake, and I don't have a problem if someone else shoots one.....I do have a problem with someone else telling me what I am going to shoot......

[paintbrush]

I shot some jakes when I was learning how to turkey hunt, but I only shoot long beards anymore.  However, I don't have a problem with others shooting jakes.

I'm the same way. I've only taken longbeards for years now, but in no way do I have the right to tell someone else what bird he can or can not take.

[Gobblerdn1]

I guided this past weekend over in Tn at the NWTN Kids Hunting For a Cure hunt. We were on gobbling turkeys on Saturday and hunted all day in the rain with no opportunity for a shot, got close but it didn't happen. We went back out this morning with my little hunter who was 9 years old and in 36 degree, damp rainy, and windy weather I called up two Jakes at 7:40 and Cody killed his first turkey!

Jakes are legal there and the thought of not letting the child kill one of those Jakes never entered my mind! There was no way I would have expected that child to have hunted that hard in this weather and finally see a legal turkey and not take a shot.

[kj]

Yes, I did this morning.  He was the only bird I was getting today and should be nice and tender for dinner tonight.

[cptshemp]

i shot one last week after missing a longbeard seconds earlier.  I saw redwhiteblue, a beard and he's on the move = 

I'd do it again, too, like that, depending on the situation.

Especially  b/c I have a hard time leaving the woods, and w/ one bird per day here, if I bag one I have to quit...keeps me from getting fired or divorced