Passing on 2 year Turkey?

[Yoder409]

Haven't shot a jake in about 30 years.  My choice.........don't care what yours is.

But in 4+ decades of killing these things, I've yet to figure out a way to see a turkey's spurs at 40 yards in the rainy woods at 6:25 AM (yesterday)...........or at 33 yards in 6-8 inch tall grass at 6:18 AM (this past Saturday)............or in a zillion other situations over the years.

Full fan and visible beard (shot some older birds with 3-4 inch snapped off beards before) and he's eligible.

[Gobble!]

No, it's turkey hunting, not deer hunting


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

Says it all.

Full fan is an adult bird and gets it.

[RutnNStrutn]

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.

This!!!! ^^^^
Absolutely!!!

Sent from deep in the woods where the critters roam.

[tracker#1]

Yesterday I could have tagged out. My choice. I'm hunting a certain bird. Yesterday a full fan mature tom walked within 5 yards of me and could see his spurs, 3/4? He was the boss that day in the field because he kept 3 other full fan birds at a distance guarding his hens. I almost pulled the trigger but I held. It's only day 7 of the season here and I just want to keep hunting because I love the game. Bird population down here so if I eat the second tag, so what. It was one of my best turkey hunting days in the woods so far of my life and all on the video to remember...I thank God for such a great hunt.

[guesswho]

Yesterday I could have tagged out. My choice. I'm hunting a certain bird. Yesterday a full fan mature tom walked within 5 yards of me and could see his spurs, 3/4? He was the boss that day in the field because he kept 3 other full fan birds at a distance guarding his hens. I almost pulled the trigger but I held. It's only day 7 of the season here and I just want to keep hunting because I love the game. Bird population down here so if I eat the second tag, so what. It was one of my best turkey hunting days in the woods so far of my life and all on the video to remember...I thank God for such a great hunt.

Four full fan strutters in a field, and your population is down?    Must be nice.   Around here your lucky to find one strutter in four fields now. 

[tracker#1]

Guesswho,  I have several places to hunt, mostly public. Those spots are overhunted with hunters walking up to me asking if I "heard anything". The one-piece I was on is private land and has been managed for years for 1 bird limit only. In WNY the population has been dropping for years with no clear answers from DEC wildlife officials and yes, it is "nice" and I am blessed to have a spot that's managed and not overhunted...

[OJR]

Gobble at me and show me a full fan and some lead is coming your way!

[stinkpickle]

To be sure, I first shoot the bird.  And then I cut off a leg and count the rings to see if he's at least 2 years old.  If not, I stitch the leg back on, pick any shot left in his body, revive him using CPR, and return him to the wild.

[Howie g]

God bless John Wayne / aged whiskey/ and 2 year old gobblers !!!

[Gobbler-one]

I hunt Long beards. A two year old fits that bill and I'm thankful for them. I don't shoot jakes by personal choice nor do I allow jakes shot on land that I manage unless it's a first bird. I have been fooled by super jakes (early hatched gobblers from the year before) with full roll gobbles and at the same time I'm certain I have given gobblers with beard rot a pass thinking they were jakes.
If it's a legal bird taken legally I don't have a problem with what others prefer. If you can age and let a two year old walk, more power to you. In over 40 years of chasing these wonderful creatures, I can only recall a handful of circumstances where I was able to see a gobblers spurs when called up. Of these, most occurred while I was working the bird for another shooter. If I'm on the gun I'm not looking at spurs.
For me a mature gobbler is a trophy. I'm also referring to spring turkey hunting, my state doesn't offer a fall season.

[Tail Feathers]

I've never been able to judge the age of a gobbler before I shot it.  If more than one comes in, my criteria are take the biggest, take the best beard or take the one that appears to be dominate, in that order of selection.  Sometimes none of those criteria matter and you take the one that gives you the shot.  I try to lay off jakes and let them grow up but that's not ironclad.  On an out of state trip, if a jake makes the hunt successful he may get shot.

But I say, and truly believe, they are all trophies.