Opinions on tactics

[davisd9]

Please post a picture of the bird, full fan means not a jake.

[Hobbes]

I've seen jakes with nearly full fans, at least all feathers were the same length. However, the rest of the feathers told the story.

[High plains drifter]

It's difficult to assume what you should or shouldn't do from your description.  "Hunkered in the brush" is a fairly general explanation of a set up.  In most cases you need to be able to see and be somewhat comfortable from a set up.  I prefer to put a tree at my back and not close myself in a bunch of brush.  Sit still and let the tree break up your outline and your camo do its job. 

Wing beats are no indication of a big gobbler.  A set of wing beats from any turkey sounds big.  It could have simply been the Jake's or a hen either flying down or setting the pecking order straight.  I don't try to move on a bird at 20 yards unless I can see it to know when to move or I know that I'm blocked from their view.  As far as shooting jakes goes, I prefer not to.  Any Jake that I shoot at this point in my life is a case of mistaken identity.

That's exactly what it was.I didn't know for sure it was a jake. I had brush behind me, but in front was the crick, and a nice grassy area. I guess I should have had a  decoy out.On another note, that Jake was better eating than a gobbler,  so there's that.
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[Hobbes]

It's easy to second guess yourself, but you did something right or you wouldn't have killed the jake.  Just keep after them and it'll come together on a tom.

[High plains drifter]

Please post a picture of the bird, full fan means not a jake.ill try, but I could not get it to work.

[High plains drifter]

Full fan is mature bird.
At least from my perspective.

Don't get hung up on beard length. Did it have blonde tips?

it had as all the gobbler characteristics,  but nubs for spurs.Not pointed.He was a decent bird, better eating than one of those 30 pound birds.

[High plains drifter]

Also, I might add, this bird had a full fan.

So, are you certain the bird you shot was a jake?  Mature gobblers can have very short beards (or none at all).  What did the spurs look like?  ....Short, nubby bumps or something more developed?
If you only heard the bird behind you and did not see it, are you certain that one of the two birds that showed up across the creek was not the one you heard?  Regardless, the "full fan" comment makes me curious as to what kind of turkey you actually shot.  Got any pics of the gobbler showing fan, beard, and spurs?....

yeah, I'll try to post a pick. The bird behind me was a gobbler I'm pretty sure.Maybe I could have gotten a look at him.Those 2 Jake's came from across the crick. There was a herd making noice about a quarter mile away, and one lone gobbler down by the river.He may have been coming,  because he shut up.