What to do? Gang of Jakes Causing Problems

[gatrapper]

Hey y'all,

This season has been weird on my property.  Seeing tons of birds.  Every time I go out I am seeing birds.  The problem is they are just unresponsive.  I am pretty sure I have figured out the problem and the answer is a gang of jakes. 

Opening morning I had 2 birds come in right off roost.  They saw my strutter deke and wouldnt come in anymore.  Next hunt I get on some birds about 2 hours till dark.  8 jakes and 1 longbeard in the group.  The birds are all chasing each other around in a field.  I set up my DSD feeding hen deke and start calling.  The birds stop and the longbeard starting working my way while the jakes filter off into the woods. The longbeard gets about 90 yards away and cuts back into the woods toward the jakes.  He gets in the woods and starts chasing the jakes around.   A few minutes later the jakes turn on the gobbler and just start whooping his butt.  Once that was over the jakes all came in to 10 yards and hung around for about 10 minutes eyeing my deke.  The longbeard stayed like 80 yards off the entire time.  The next few hunts I would never hear a peep on the roost, but around 9 or so I could get a bird to fire off.  Last Sunday I had 3 birds fire off around 9:15.  They all gobbled once and a few minutes later I see all 3 longbeards show up about 100 yards out working their way towards me.  All of the sudden they stop and out of the woods runs 11 jakes.  They all group up and such gobbling like crazy.  They dont care about my hen deke and start walking around a creek bottom feeding.  Closest they got was 50 yards. 

Are the jakes just messing up my hunting?  Thats what a few folks who I have spoken to seem to think. 

I have came to the decision that I am going to bust the next jake that comes in.  The problem is they are unresponsive to a hen deke and could care less about calling the majority of the time.  I was thinking about setting up my jake strutter or just a regular jake deke.

What would y'all do?  and what decoy set up should I use?

[sugarray]

I was wondering how things were going. 

I have no idea what to tell ya.  I would get in a blind out in the middle or closer to where you are seeing them.  This will get you more of a shot opportunity.  Maybe try without a decoy and see what happens.  I am anxious to see what others would say.

[RutnNStrutn]

Maybe the jakes are gay!!
Seriously though, I would just keep doing like you are doing. The longbeards will come in sooner or later, and hopefully the jakes won't be around. All I can think of is maybe tone down your calling so the jakes don't get attracted. I wouldn't shoot any of the jakes. Just think of how excellent your season is going to be next year with all of those suicidal 2 year olds running around!!

[gatrapper]

There is no specific area where the birds filter through.  They always pop out along this 300 yards long stretch of woods where it changes from pines to hardwood creek bottom.

Property it up for sale so I dont know if I will have the property next season.  I just cant figure out why 11-15 male birds would rather hang out in one big group late in the morning versus checking out a sexy hen. 

[Nimrodmar10]

Take a full strutt mature gobbler decoy and set it out in the area the jakes have been using. Take a kid or new turkey hunter with you and wait for the bigh group of jakes to come in to your strutting tom decoy. When they all get close to the decoy let your hunter shoot one (preferably the boss jake) right out of the middle of them. This will either break up the jake flock or make them afraid to bother another boss tom. You're going to have problems until you break them up.

[TURKEYSLAYER101]

Try roosting one of the longbeards and then the next morning get close to him and call a few times and shut up. Don't use the dekes. You will kill one!




                                              TURKEYSLAYER 101        

[savduck]

They arent really gobbling that good anywhere in GA. it will get better.

[200racing]

my schedule is packed but im a nice guy and will make time....give me your adress and ill help you out.

[Kylongspur88]

We had that problem a few years ago. Not a terrible problem but it did slow the hunting down. We had one mob in particular that had 6 in it and they wanted to gang up on anything they came across. I cant say we noticed a real difference in the 2 yr olds the next year. We have lots of yotes and the bob cats are hell on the turkeys here.

[TheTwistedOne]

Put out a jake decoy by itself. 

[LX_Trkyhntr]

Try roosting one of the longbeards and then the next morning get close to him and call a few times and shut up. Don't use the dekes. You will kill one!




                                               TURKEYSLAYER 101       

That's along the lines of what I was thinking.

[gatrapper]

I have roosted the longbeard(s) a few times so far.  I have done the hardly calling routine and keeping it quiet.  I either get the bird to gobble, which tirggers the jake alarm, or he is silent and wont come in.

I got 3 tags, its time for me to give a jake a extended nap.

[stinkpickle]

Put out a jake decoy by itself. 

In fact, stick a jake or strutter decoy in every corner of the field EXCEPT for the one you set up in.  They'll keep the jakes busy, while your longbeard hangs out in your corner "by himself".   

[TURKEYSLAYER101]

Put out a jake decoy by itself. 

In fact, stick a jake or strutter decoy in every corner of the field EXCEPT for the one you set up in.  They'll keep the jakes busy, while your longbeard hangs out in your corner "by himself".   

                That sounds like a plan!!!! 


                                            TURKEYSLAYER 101

[Trip]

I would keep doing what you are doing sooner or later something will give. Persistence pays big in the turkey woods. I wouldn't however put out a Jake deke, just for the simple fact that they are bullying the longbeards and that would make the longbeards even more wary of coming in. You already had the Jakes come in once they should come in again, I just wouldnt want to jepordize the chance of a longbeard coming. Do a search on a search engine there was a great article on this I beleive in T&TH magazine. Ill try and dig it up if I can Ill post the link.