Shooting Jakes ??

[ScottTaulbee]

Most Jakes don't survive until the second year, and not only that but Jakes do no breeding. If they do, they aren't fertile. So realistically, killing a Jake has zero impact on the population, where as killing a breeding gobbler during breeding season does. I'm not above shooting a Jake, and if he comes in gobbling, he's taking a ride in my truck. I don't discriminate. I get very few days to hunt anymore and it's what I dream about every day, at least once a hour, all year long.

Here is a scenario that is very likely to happen in my life


After working 36 days straight, I get a day off, I have no clue when I might get my next one, I found a piece of public that surprisingly doesn't have 10 trucks at it, I am in god's creation, watching the spring woods wake up, feeling the cold morning air, hearing whipoor wills, and the little birds, a turkey gobbles, on the mountain, I climb 1,300 feet straight up, I respond, he gobbles again, closer, I respond, he goes silent. My heart is in my throat, my palms are sweating, I have no clue how everything can't hear my heart beating, 5 minutes later a red head pops up and he has a 4 or 5" beard, long legs, a Jake. I've played the game, I've won, and I'm pulling the trigger. It makes no difference to me if he has button spurs and a 4" beard or 1 1/2" spurs and a 11" beard. Once I get home, the kids ohh and aww over it a little, we take a picture and then the spurs and beard go in a box with the rest of them. The real trophy was the experience and that fine eating you can't get elsewhere.


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This is actually fals.  The Mississippi study conducted on jake mortality was only 6%.  Effectively 94% of jakes made it to their second year of life.

To add to that, most recently Chamberlain recently released a study where 85% of gobblers in UNHUNTED populations survived annually.

Point being, male turkey mortality is most significantly influence by HUNTING.

How you view success and what you're looking for out of a hunt is certainly your personal prerogative but justifying killing a jake due to low survivability just isn't a thing.

As far as male turkey mortality, it's absolutely no secret that the most are killed by hunting. They have very few predators that will get them other than a hunter. My point is, why is shooting a Jake frowned upon?. You can't manage turkey like deer. You're pissing in the wind to try. You can't stock pile them and you can't expect the turkey you see today to be there next season. As far as a Jake vs a 2 year old gobbler. What is the difference other than 3" of beard and 1/4" of spur?. A two year old is no more wary than a Jake but hunters love em and some how it's more socially acceptable to shoot them?. I'd rather see someone shoot a Jake than reap a gobbler, shoot him at extended range, or decoy one in. But, if it's legal, knock yourself out. I hunt for me, not to be accepted in the "in crowd".


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[Zach.Hannigan]

This is my 3rd spring turkey season. Was able to tag two gobblers last year. My first spring season I missed my first gobbler I'd ever seen in shotgun range. About a week later hunting the same property I called a jake into about 20 yards. Once I identified it was a jake. I let him go on about his business as I started out my turkey journey wanting to harvest an adult bird. I didn't call anymore for about 30 minutes sitting in the same spot. This was on only about 40 acres so if I was kind of deer hunting and just blind calling every so often. Well I done another soft calling sequence and 5 minutes later this suicidal jake stepped in the same exact spot he was previously in. So I let him have it lol. I didn't feel bad about it seeing it was my first season and first bird and I was dang proud of him. His fan and beard are displayed in my home. But after that I have zero desire to shoot another jake whether I eat all my tags for that season or not. To each his own if they want to take a jake I don't stick my nose up to anyone however they want to hunt. But early on in my journey that's just the way I want to do it.

[Kygobblergetter]

Never intentionally. But I have been fooled twice and walked up on a dead jake that I was expecting to be a longbeard


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[WV Flopper]

 I love to kill a nice long beard. BUT, if a Jake gives me a full hunt and I am in the correct mood I will kill them. Does not bother me a bit.

Matter of fact, looks like I need some Jake wings this year for calls. It's your hunt, do as you want. But no one should give a person a hard time for shooting a Spike, or a Jake.

[Marc]

I have some degree of access, and reasonable time to hunt currently...

I will pass on a jake the last day if I have already harvested a bird...  Last one I shot was mistaken identity.  (Clearly saw two toms coming to me through the brush. They were gobbling on the other side of some dense brush, and when one put his head up, I shot him only seeing his head.  Two toms flew off with beards swinging, and I confusingly thought I missed until I heard the flopping in the brush).

I think those of us that are more particular, have time and access to hunt where birds are.  If it is not detrimental to the population, and you want to shoot one, do so...  They certainly eat better than some of the old tough toms I have taken.

I hunt some private areas, and some years there are lots of birds, and some years are tough...  I do NOT believe in my area that hunting plays much, if any role in turkey populations...  Disease, lack of food/water, and predation play far larger roles than hunters killing a couple jakes on these properties.

[dzsmith]

Have done it by mistake, and by mistake they fully gobbled and I actually thought I was looking at a beard when I wasn't . It messed me up for a while I was scared to pull the trigger but got over it . Even where legal, I don't , I'll go home empty handed

[High plains drifter]

I've shot 3,in 30 years of hunting. 23 gibblers.

[Howie g]

 Not legal in my state , I wish every state would follow suit . Youth only .

[Happy]

I will pass on Jake's. If I am guiding someone its their call. I am pretty sure at this point that anyone I hunt with isn't going to pull the trigger either. My youngest boy passed on Jake's last springhoping for a longbeard and since he got his wish. It doesn't seem like they are on the table for him at this point either.

Good-looking and Platinum level member of the Elitist club

[Sir-diealot]

I am not against it per se, I am just against it for me in the Spring and I am not sure how I feel about it for me in the Fall, seems to make sense in the Fall since it will be an eating bird. (They are all eating birds but a younger piece of meat tastes better imo which is why I only shoot younger deer and don't go in for the whole rack has to be so big crap)

[Cowboy]

To each his own, but personally,  I don't want to kill a jake anymore.  Been several years since I have. I would say maybe 28 or so years ? I did just have this conversation with the boy, he's 13, and I asked do you want to shoot a Jake this youth season? He responded I don't know? I said, well if you want to that okay with me. He's not killed a turkey yet, but his sister has. It's entirely up to him.

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[TauntoHawk]

If I have a kid or a new hunter out and their pulse is racing, heart thumping and the Jake gives them a "gobbler" experience ie. Gobbling and/or strutting I encourage them to take the bird.

Myself I'm not spending a tag on a Jake, I've let toms walk if they don't provide the excitement and walk in not gobbling with no color to their head.

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[Notsoyoungturk]

I would not personally shoot one.  I would rather shoot him later as a gobbler.  If I were taking a first time younger hunter, Mr. Jake can smile for the special 20 gauge camera.

[Joneshunter]

I wouldn't unless I was youth but I'm not.. even then I would try to not shoot a Jake unless I couldn't call a longbeard in as a youth

[paintbrush]

I wont shoot jakes any more. Haven't for years now. I've eaten many a tag over the years because of that practice.