Jakes Abound

[Miss-A-Lot]

We have had an incredible run of good luck in South Texas with our weather over the past three years. Abundant rain throughout the hatch and poult season has yielded an incredible explosion in successful hatch rates. While it is great for the turkey population, it has yielded an abnormally large number of jakes.

With so many jakes running around in their young bachelor groups, older Toms are hesitant to answer a call. Instead, they slip in silently, and check out who's the pretty thing doing the yelping.

Anybody run into this problem before ? Anybody got a suggestion ?

[2eagles]

Shoot a jake? 

[Happy]

Sounds like you need one of those motorized gobbler decoys. Turn the tables on those jakes and run em around the field a bit. Would be nice if you could make some improvements and go with more of a rock em sock em decoy. Once those jakes get their butt handed to them a few times they will pipe down.

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[Volgobbler]

good problem to have

[BowBendr]

Choot 'em 'Lizabeth 

[Miss-A-Lot]

Thanks for responding. I will be in the woods opening day, and try and stay flexible. I called in 5 old gobblers a couple of years back, after 20 minutes of calling. Never heard a gobble or an answer, then I heard that little hissing noise, and I had 5 of them 10 yards to my right, never made a sound until they were on top of me. They were too close to try and get a bead on them or move an inch, so I just stopped calling and they walked straight away from me. I let them get almost out of sight, then started calling again. They went into full strut and came straight in.

One of them did not leave. Taught me to always stay alert, even if you are not getting an answer back. Thanks again for the advice. All hen decoys and no jakes.

[dejake]

exactly why I don't use a jake decoy.

[turkeyfoot]

A problem we all wish we had later season hunting maybe be better in this situation