Passing on 2 year Turkey?

[TauntoHawk]

One of my favorite things about turkey hunting is it's naturally more pure to me, you really don't know what you have until you've committed to the harvest. The hunt is formed around the experience and then maybe you get a long spurred bird or multiple beards to boot, but often you just have a loud mouth 2yr old. Even size is hard to tell, ive seen lots of 20lb+ 2yr olds with 10in paint brushes.


I have passed birds because there was no excitement to the hunt. Usually it's late season and they kind of just peck past no gobbling, no strutting, head isn't even a vibrant color and it just didn't feel like much of a turkey hunt.

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[Muzzy61]

Jakes get a pass, Gobblers beware!

[shatcher]

Longbeard = shot.  No jakes.

[falltoms]

I'd like to meet the hunter who thinks they can consistently identity a 2 year old from a 3 year old, or older BEFORE the shot. Yes sometimes the way they act you can make a pretty good guess, but I have had older gobblers I've shot in late season act like love sick 2 year olds. A longbeard is all it takes for me to pull the trigger

[Nathan_Wiles]

Full fan, full gobble...if I can hold it together and get off a shot I'm shooting at him.

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[Sixes]

How is the age known without killing the bird? Look at the spurs and then decide? That is utterly insane.

Full fan mean full shot to the face.

[callmakerman]

A full fan gets the hammer regardless of beard or spur length for me.

X2

X3

[Dtrkyman]

How could you possibly tell?


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[DocHolliday]

ANY mature (>2 yr old) turkey called in and killed the way I hunt(no blind, no corn, no deke) where I hunt (SW corner of Mississippi) is a trophy. So no, not checking spur length before I shoot.

[Old Timer]

Nope

[Meleagris gallopavo]

Long beard (at least 7-8") is what gets me to pull the trigger.  I'd hate to shoot a bearded hen and I don't shoot jakes.  I had one Jake hang around me for 30 or more minutes at 15-20 yards 2 days last week and if anything it aggravates me.  I don't like scaring any turkeys if I can help it so I generally sit motionless until he leaves.  It's like I'm being pinned down. 


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[guesswho]

Show me a man who claims he can consistently tell a 2 year old from a 3 and up and I'll show you a man who gives himself to much credit. 

[WV Flopper]

 I respect honesty. Therefore, I will be that. I question some of the other responses. Not all, no way, but some.

It depends on the season I have had. The work schedule I am on, the amount of days I can hunt. I HAVE shot plenty of jakes in the face. I will guarantee that if I live long enough I will shoot more in the face!

Don't get me wrong, I don't go out and shoot the first Jake that strolls by. I like a long beard, I like big spurs, I like flopping a turkey! It depends on a couple factors whether I pull the trigger.

[TonyTurk]

I don't let an adult Tom walk, especially these days, when there aren't near as many of them as there used to be!  And like WVFlopper, I am not above shooting a jake if the mood strikes me. 

[MS TurkeyHunter]

I new of one man who very well dose this. The guy was a customer of mine at my old job so we talked frequently when he would stop by. I always found it hard to not bust out laughing when he would tell me about his described antics of only shooting 4 year old long spurd gobblers. Further stateing that two year olds where easy and no challenge.

This man had a turkey one year that apparently was being a very difficult gobbler to kill. He finally shot that turkey apparently and was astounded it was a sure enough a two year old.


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