Henned up jakes...

[Marc]

Hunting a property for about the 4th season...  We had some really bad hatches, and the turkey population got pretty low (at least as far as toms/jakes).  In fact, this is the first season I have actually laid eyes on a jake.

Last year, there were three mature birds that I knew about, and I killed one of them...

This year, there are a ton of birds, but they all seem to be jakes...  I have called in a couple groups of jakes (one with hens as well), and a couple of single jakes with hens.  One jake was with 3 hens, and the other jake was with one hen.

Seeing all these jakes with hens, makes me wonder if there are any mature birds around?  I am by no means the great white turkey hunter, but I do not ever recall seeing jakes paired up with hens, much less with a small harem...  Generally, I have seen singles and bachelor groups.

As an interesting side note, the roads in the ranch have been washed out, and my only access was with a quad; normally, I would never consider a quad, but with both the ranches I have access to, the roads are washed out, and it is simply too far a walk.  I parked the quad some distance from where I set up today, and I must have set up right under a roost...  Sounded like the birds were gobbling right above my quad in the morning...  I managed to see the quad from where I was hunting, and the birds were all around it (hens and jakes) when they pitched down.

[milertyme03]

I think it is possible that mature birds can get killed off due to weather or hunting, leaving jakes to be the only males around.  This happened to a farm that I regularly hunt a few years ago.  No matter how many times I went, I would call in jakes and hens with no Toms around.  You might be better off hitting a different spot if possible instead of wasting time there.   

[catman529]

If you had some real bad hatches and then a good hatch then I'd say it sounds about right that you have mostly jakes. Hope there's a tom or two left for you. If not then think how many toms you'll have next year.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Farmboy27]

Personally, I have never really seen the pecking order established like people talk about. I have seen longbeards with hens in a field and 60 yards away there's jakes with hens. I've seen jakes and longbeards strutting side by side. I'm sure it varies greatly depending on lots of factors. But in my area I've never really witnessed the boss/subordinate/jake pecking order. Everyone seems to get their chance! 

[Spitten and drummen]

I have seen groups of jakes gang up , whip the tar out a long beard and run them off. This season I was working a bird and he was slowly but surely getting closer when all the sudden 7 jakes came from behind me , passed me up and headed to the gobbling bird. Heard a ruckus and no more gobbling.

[g8rvet]

I had a small tract that I hunted and I had 4 jakes ruling the show.  Only year I never saw a single Tom on that tract.  Those jakes gobbled and strutted and were definitely chasing the hens.  Saw it with my own eyes.  The 4 jakes were just like one dominant Tom.  While I did not kill a Tom there that year (I got one elsewhere), I did kill 2 there last year and they were just the right age to have been 2 of those birds.  Maybe coincidence, but after hunting there for a long time, it seems like a reasonable conclusion. 

[GobbleNut]

Tough situation, Marc.  I know you have limited places to hunt, so once you have pretty much confirmed that you don't have any mature birds to hunt, your decision will be whether to go ahead and take a jake this spring or keep hoping a mature gobbler shows up sometime.  If there are turkeys on surrounding properties, there is always the chance that one of them might wander over to look for some new ladies. 

Might also be a good year to do some exploring to other areas and see if you can expand your hunting opportunities.  ...But at least the future is promising on that parcel....

[Marc]

Thanx guys...

I have hunted a couple properties now, and with the previously low population of birds, it is a welcome site to see so many young birds...

I have no issue taking a jake or two, but if I tag out, it will be on a tom.  I am taking my daughter with me this weekend, and if a jake makes a good show of things, he will be riding home with me.

Driving around residential areas that always hold birds, I have yet to see a tom...  This past weekend I saw an awful lot of turkeys, with a fair number of jakes (on properties I cannot hunt but hold birds).  I know there are a few toms around though...

As a side note, I often play with the birds on these residential areas to get a feel for the birds...  If I see a bunch of birds out strutting or milling around, I will call at them and see what happens...  Seems like there are times when they will go right into strutting without gobbling, and there are times where they will gobble like crazy...  And the behavior of these birds often seems to be a good predictor of how the birds in the nearby areas I hunt are behaving. 

Going out for a late morning hunt, and I cannot get those house birds to gobble, I am more likely to stake out a good spot for a longer period of time...  If they are vocal, I will cover some ground until I get a gobble.

[Marc]

I have been hunting two properties...  So far only jakes.

This morning, I targeted a single bird gobbling, and covered some distance to get into position...  He shut up right after he flew down.

As I heard the popping and clucking, and saw three hens coming my way, I was hopeful.  They did those "searching putts" (which I answered), and they came in nervously.  Three hens, 1 jake...  Something did not sit right with them, and they booked out quickly.

The jake will be a tough tom to kill, as the hens were well ahead of him, and he is the bird that sounded the alarm to skedaddle.  Could have killed him today, but I have a feeling he will not be as cooperative next year.

Oddly, it was obviously the hens that came to the call.

Tomorrow, I take my oldest daughter (as an observer), and if a jake comes in, he will be riding home with us...  Most likely tomorrow will be the first morning hunt of the season I do not call in a jake...

[MK M GOBL]

I ran into somewhat this situation, we had a year a few years back and there were an abundance of Jakes, they ran around as "gangs" 3 or 4 together and would run off mature toms, got to a point where toms were hardly gobbling as these jakes would come in on this and run him off the hen. These "gangs" were the dominant bird, I have seen this happen before a time or two but that year was different and even though we still killed longbeards it changed how we hunt (learned quickly not to put out a Jake decoy as toms were shying away from it that year) of course we had a couple of banner years the next 2 after as there were a lot of longbeards

MK M GOBL

[TauntoHawk]

The last 3 seasons my uncle's place has been dominated by Jake's 4-6 they run around strutting and gobbling have the hens and I haven't seen a single mature Tom. Each year I expect next year there will be a bunch of Tom and man wouldnt you know all I can find is more Jake's again.

Not sure what's going on there

Sent from my XT1585 using Tapatalk