Shoot a Jake or wait for a Longbeard?

[CDNduckslayer]

Long beards only for this guy but nothing wrong with someone shooting a Jake if their boat is a floatin!!


I definitely incurage new hunters and the weekend warriors I may be hunting with to shoot jakes that present a good shot.

[1iagobblergetter]

To each his own, for myself I'll pass on jakes.

MK M GOBL

Ditto....Ive had Jake's come in last hour/last day of season and give them a pass.

[WNCTracker]

Some of my favorite kills were jakes. The thrill is in the dance, not the score of the bird. I say go for it if you want and be guilt free. I think Opinions evolve with experience and at a point jakes feel like less of a challenge so the bar goes up for what feels like an accomplishment.   A fired up jake that gobbles his head off all the way but hangs up at 50 yards and takes another 5 or 10 to close the distance still gets my adrenaline up even though I personally don't shoot jakes at this time.


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[blake_08]

Depending on circumstances. In my home hunting grounds, jakes always get a pass from me, whether it's the first day of season or the last day. If I'm traveling and the hunt is winding down to the final day or so, i may shoot a jake. I've only killed 2 jakes in my life and if i never killed another that would be fine with me.

[pabossie255]

I have no problem with someone who shoots a jake if it makes you happy go for it. My first gobbler was a mature bird and after that I made it a goal not to shoot anything but a mature long beard.

[LaLongbeard]

No Jakes for me.
I have no problem if a young hunter or very first turkey but not 40 year olds that can't get it done. There's no spurs barley any beard and not even a decent fan I see no reason to kill them.

[Gobble!]

A jake will get a pass even if its the last sit on my chance at a single season slam.

[SIUCpilot]

There's no spurs barley any beard and not even a decent fan I see no reason to kill them.

Because they eat just like jakes do and it is public land on a two day hunt?

Dave

[SteelerFan]

As many have said - individual choice. My personal yardstick = jakes get a pass, most all of the time. That said, I truly believe the trophy is in the details of the hunt.

Kind of like snapper1982... A couple years back, I was concentrating on getting a bird for my son in Pa. We had hunted the first couple of weeks of the season (3 or 4 days worth since he was in college). After working a couple of birds unsuccessfully that faithful morning, we started our way off the mountain and we were hunting our way out.  Around 11:30 we struck a gobble and had to position ourselves rather quickly. We got set up and called again - getting cut off by the gobble of a closing bird(s). In a matter of moments, two jakes were cruising down the ridge towards our location. I whispered "jakes" to my son... he whispered back, "I don't care!" He let the lead bird get to 25 yds and clear, and dumped him. The 2nd bird ran 30-40 yds and I started cutting hard. The 2nd bird reversed course and came back to exert his new found dominance over his buddy that was on the ground. I shot him.

We had doubled on our final hunt of the season, at 11:45... and did I mention my son was the only one with a gun that morning? I was lazy, and I just wanted him to shoot a bird so I never carried one. After his shot, he passed me the gun and whispered "kill him if he comes back". I did, and that memory (2 birds - 1 gun) will forever be a part of what we share in our hunting lives... forever.

It was at that moment that I became a believer in the mantra: sometimes, the trophy is in the details.

[sswv]

I was in the Hunting & Fishing business for more than 20 years and I would always tell my hunting clients...never pass on something the first day that you'd be happy with on the last.  I've been spring turkey hunting for over 40 years and back in the day I would shoot a jake if it was legal but, not so much these days. now with that being said, if I get a taste for a young turkey breast and there's a good crop of them where I'm hunting then yes, I'd bring one home and I'd never look down my nose at anyone else for doing the same as long as it's legal.

[batsonbe]

I use to be against shooting jakes but it is situational for me. I took 2 longbeards and 1 Jake this season. Very blessed and a great season for me.

[Swenny]

Most of the time no, but situationally yes.

[High plains drifter]

When I first started,  I shot a few, and was happy about it.Now, I will pass.Ive gotten a lot better at hunting since my early days.

[Meatseeker]

I found myself passing more often than not but in my earlier years as a turkey hunter I would shoot jakes and loved every minute of it. That being said Shooting the occasional jake is not beneath me if they do everything right gobble strut etc Iv been known to still shoot one if the urge strikes me.

My exact sentiments

[LaLongbeard]

There's no spurs barley any beard and not even a decent fan I see no reason to kill them.

Because they eat just like jakes do and it is public land on a two day hunt?

Dave

It's the same reason hunters don't shoot ducks on the water or doves on power lines, fawn deer,or penned animals. Some people do these things but it is not sporting. For the amount of meat you would get from a 14 pound Jake unless you killed him with a stick the price of a decent shotgun shell would buy that much meat at Krogers lol. What I find funny is the guys with the tactical stock shotguns with scopes, custom Cerkote finish 400$ worth of decoys etc. etc. that shoot hens and baby turkeys and say they do it for the meat apparently theses folks can't do simple math.