OFFICIAL 2014 JAKE THREAD

[knightrider]

yep i done it!!! why or why not? my tag does not discriminate neither does my deep fryer :grin:

 

[Dover_Mike]

I have heard both sides of the jake argument.

a lot of people say that if you have a group of jakes (7-8) of them that you need to kill one or two because they will gang up and pester the gobbler. In other words make him leave.

I use to hunt a farm that in one season had over 25 jakes. I killed a few toms out of there and every one of them had spur holes all in em. Maybe the jakes were ganging up on them.

I don't kill jakes as a rule because I like to let them mature into toms. More jakes = more toms and better turkey population for the future years. Just my opinion.

 

[bloodtrailing]

I use to hunt a farm that in one season had over 25 jakes. I killed a few toms out of there and every one of them had spur holes all in em. Maybe the jakes were ganging up on them.

Jakes do not have spurs long and sharp enough to leave a hole in a bird.

 

[HDUKE1986]

Ill shoot whatever is legal and believe me if a jake comes close enough its going home with me I usually just turkey hunt a few times so im not wiping out a whole flock but whatever you set your goals and happiness by all means go out and have fun thats what my goal is to get out and enjoy the hunt

 

[Gravey]

I have shot them in the past but no longer will. My son has killed one bird so he has the green light to shoot whatever he wants. To each their own. The main thing is to have fun.

 

[catman529]

I don't plan to kill any jakes this year, but if the hunting is tough or something, I'll shoot one in the face

 

[PickettSFHunter]

Shot a few when I was younger but no more. Why.... because its not much of a challenge and I want gobbling turkeys next year. It is detrimental to be shooting jakes in areas like I hunt where you don't have many turkeys to begin with. I will never allow on it my land unless its a kid. When my son gets here and is old enough to hunt, then I would be all for a jake getting shot if he wants to.

 

[Setterman]

I have heard both sides of the jake argument.

a lot of people say that if you have a group of jakes (7-8) of them that you need to kill one or two because they will gang up and pester the gobbler. In other words make him leave.

I use to hunt a farm that in one season had over 25 jakes. I killed a few toms out of there and every one of them had spur holes all in em. Maybe the jakes were ganging up on them.

I don't kill jakes as a rule because I like to let them mature into toms. More jakes = more toms and better turkey population for the future years. Just my opinion.

Spur holes didn't come a jake, physically impossible for a jake button to puncture anything.

I absolutely refuse to shoot jakes, there's no excitement for me in looking at a rat beard and no spurs. I also get no challenge from them, they either talk and come ambling in or slip in like a scared child. After all they've only been alive for about 9 months, so they haven't learned a lot about survival

It's up to the individual on this one though, and I'd love for everyone to pass on them, I understand that's not going to happen and if it makes a person happy then fire away

 

[Roost 1]

Not for me, but to each their own...

 

[REN]

not my thing personally but shoot what you want.

 

[Grizzly Johnson]

I roasted one as my first solo bird to get the season started.... been longbeards ever since....

 

[stik]

turkeys are turkeys and dead turkeys are good turkeys. If it's legal, I'm shooting.

 

[TLRanger]

What about a "Super Jake"? One that gobbles, struts, and acts like a gobbler but still has the jake fan, spurs and a 3 or 4 inch beard.

 

[deerhunter10]

Not for me, but to each their own...

X2 I don't understand it but its not for me to understand.

 

[Grizzly Johnson]

What about a "Super Jake"? One that gobbles, struts, and acts like a gobbler but still has the jake fan, spurs and a 3 or 4 inch beard.

Gets a pass from me....

 

[Boll Weevil]

No.

 

[Setterman]

What about a "Super Jake"? One that gobbles, struts, and acts like a gobbler but still has the jake fan, spurs and a 3 or 4 inch beard.

Still a jake in my book. Last weekend in Georgia I had 2 of these that came in 3 different times, I would call them in and spook them, each time they kept coming back for more. Dumbest turkeys in the woods IMO, they've got enough testosterone to be a big man but don't have the brains to stay out of trouble. I actually felt sorry for them after a while. When I left the woods they were still hammering away.

 

[PalsPal]

Not usually, but learned a long time ago not to say never again !

I took an old fella last year on a hunt. We had a flock of 3 jakes, 2 longbeards, and a few hens across a big field from us.

They slowly made their way toward us, with the jakes leading the way.

I told him that I thought the longbeards would eventually come over for a peak if he wanted to wait. "Why?", he asked, "a jake will eat better any way!" Hard to argue with his logic.

He ended up missing one of the jakes with his gun, but then after a while I was able to coax the longbeards into range. I had slipped him my gun, and he killed one of them.

 

[TheLBLman]

Me, personally, no desire to shoot a jake.
Jake's are about to turkeys what a button buck is to deer.
Both are less than a year old, and neither approaches the hunting challenge they will should they survive at least another year.

Another thing to think about:
The more male birds you have relative the females, the more gobbling you usually get from the males. In other words, having more 2-yr and older Toms (by not shooting jakes), increases your chances of taking a longbeard, not just because you end up with more longbeards, but also because the longbeards will gobble more frequently.

You'll kill more longbeards if you kill fewer jakes, often same day, you'll pass up a jake only a little later to have an opportunity at a longbeard. (Kinda like when you pass up a young buck, then an older ones comes along a little later that morning.)

That said, jakes are legal birds in TN (if beard is visible). Early season, many jakes will not have a visible beard.

As to those "super jakes", I figure they just have a head start on being a bigger older Tom, kinda like when you have a 1 1/2-yr-old buck that starts out as an 8-pointer: Best ones NOT to shoot if you're in to managing your herd/flock.

 

[Tracker]

Who gives a DAMN what a man shoots. Whatever makes you happy brother, Congratulations on the kill!!!!!!! He be on the table soon.

 

[catman529]

Me, personally, no desire to shoot a jake.
Jake's are about to turkeys what a button buck is to deer.
Both are less than a year old, and neither approaches the hunting challenge they will should they survive at least another year.

Another thing to think about:
The more male birds you have relative the females, the more gobbling you usually get from the males. In other words, having more 2-yr and older Toms (by not shooting jakes), increases your chances of taking a longbeard, not just because you end up with more longbeards, but also because the longbeards will gobble more frequently.

You'll kill more longbeards if you kill fewer jakes, often same day, you'll pass up a jake only a little later to have an opportunity at a longbeard. (Kinda like when you pass up a young buck, then an older ones comes along a little later that morning.)

That said, jakes are legal birds in TN (if beard is visible). Early season, many jakes will not have a visible beard.

As to those "super jakes", I figure they just have a head start on being a bigger older Tom, kinda like when you have a 1 1/2-yr-old buck that starts out as an 8-pointer: Best ones NOT to shoot if you're in to managing your herd/flock.

I thought super jakes were early born so they are a little more developed. Who knows. Sometimes it's more about the hunt and killing a bird you called in than having the most number of toms next year. A jake or two wont hurt the population where I hunt. But some places I wouldn't even want to shoot more than 1 tom by the numbers I've heard.

I'm much more satisfied when I kill a longbeard vs jake however I have nothing against killing one if it's what you want and you do it legally...

 

[TLRanger]

As to those "super jakes", I figure they just have a head start on being a bigger older Tom, kinda like when you have a 1 1/2-yr-old buck that starts out as an 8-pointer: Best ones NOT to shoot if you're in to managing your herd/flock.

I thought super jakes were early born so they are a little more developed. Who knows. Sometimes it's more about the hunt and killing a bird you called in than having the most number of toms next year. A jake or two wont hurt the population where I hunt. But some places I wouldn't even want to shoot more than 1 tom by the numbers I've heard.

I'm much more satisfied when I kill a longbeard vs jake however I have nothing against killing one if it's what you want and you do it legally... [/quote]

I think super jakes are late hatched rather than early hatched. They are over one year old but less than two, like hatched in the fall of the previous year. Not many late hatched birds survive so they are sort of rare. I have killed a couple of them in the past but don't shoot them unless I mistake them for a two year old.

 

[timberjack86]

I don't plan to kill any jakes this year, but if the hunting is tough or something, I'll shoot one in the face

x2!!

 

[timberjack86]

Me, personally, no desire to shoot a jake.
Jake's are about to turkeys what a button buck is to deer.
Both are less than a year old, and neither approaches the hunting challenge they will should they survive at least another year.

Another thing to think about:
The more male birds you have relative the females, the more gobbling you usually get from the males. In other words, having more 2-yr and older Toms (by not shooting jakes), increases your chances of taking a longbeard, not just because you end up with more longbeards, but also because the longbeards will gobble more frequently.

You'll kill more longbeards if you kill fewer jakes, often same day, you'll pass up a jake only a little later to have an opportunity at a longbeard. (Kinda like when you pass up a young buck, then an older ones comes along a little later that morning.)

That said, jakes are legal birds in TN (if beard is visible). Early season, many jakes will not have a visible beard.

As to those "super jakes", I figure they just have a head start on being a bigger older Tom, kinda like when you have a 1 1/2-yr-old buck that starts out as an 8-pointer: Best ones NOT to shoot if you're in to managing your herd/flock.

This sounds all fine and good but comparing a jake to a button buck is hogwash.Just because you pass a jake that does not mean he will be there next year. Way to many critters eat turkey year round.

 

[Vermin93]

It depends on your situation and priorities. Jakes, fawns...I don't see the difference if your primary goal is to put wild game on the table. They all eat great.

 

[megalomaniac]

Me, personally, no desire to shoot a jake.
Jake's are about to turkeys what a button buck is to deer.
Both are less than a year old, and neither approaches the hunting challenge they will should they survive at least another year.

Another thing to think about:
The more male birds you have relative the females, the more gobbling you usually get from the males. In other words, having more 2-yr and older Toms (by not shooting jakes), increases your chances of taking a longbeard, not just because you end up with more longbeards, but also because the longbeards will gobble more frequently.

You'll kill more longbeards if you kill fewer jakes, often same day, you'll pass up a jake only a little later to have an opportunity at a longbeard. (Kinda like when you pass up a young buck, then an older ones comes along a little later that morning.)

That said, jakes are legal birds in TN (if beard is visible). Early season, many jakes will not have a visible beard.

As to those "super jakes", I figure they just have a head start on being a bigger older Tom, kinda like when you have a 1 1/2-yr-old buck that starts out as an 8-pointer: Best ones NOT to shoot if you're in to managing your herd/flock.

This sounds all fine and good but comparing a jake to a button buck is hogwash.Just because you pass a jake that does not mean he will be there next year. Way to many critters eat turkey year round.

That logic for not shooting jakes is completely fallacious. Very, VERY few birds which reach adulthood are preyed upon. Now your neighbor is probably a completely different story

I like big, old, boss birds. And I've killed so many turkeys in my life that I have no desire to ever shoot a jake (heck, I don't even shoot 2 y/o birds if I can tell that before I shoot). In fact, I usually limit myself to 1 bird a year just to keep my streak going. I love the hunt. I'd rather spend a day calling in 7 or 8 birds into gun range and pass them all than shoot a single bird early in the am and be done for the day. The more birds I pass up, the more birds I get to keep calling back in later in the season, sometimes over and over. Strange, I never thought I'd become a 'catch and release' turkey hunter

 

[timberjack86]

Bobcats are very efficient turkey killers. It nothing to find a pile of turkey feathers any time of the year. I have found a gobbler that a bobcat was eating once.

 

[TNhunter]

If all the jakes that people pass made it to two and three years old the woods would be full of full blown toms. In my opinion more of them don't make it 2-3 than do due to natural causes. Some jakes get passed on and some don't. My son had a nice longbeard he could never get a shot at last weekend even though I called it into 30 yds. Right after that 6 jakes came in to 15, and we just watched them. Today, opening day - several toms were in the field but hens led them away. After about an hour 6 jakes came 200 yds across the field, one strutting the whole way. We took the opportunity to double at the same time amd took two of them. My son shot the strutting one, 22 pounds and I took one of the others, 17 pounds. Mine had his breasts smoked this afternoon and were enjoyed for dinner tonight.

 

[Inkstainz]

I say if yo at happy with it, then it don't matter what anybody else thinks