Shooting a jake looked down upon?

[turkey buster]

2 years ago I called in a jake for pawpaw when he was 73. Hes 75 now.

[davisd9]

I have killed a couple jakes in the past. My first bird was a jake as was my first double with a buddy. I try to shoot just longbeards now but you will not see me look down my nose at you. Hope you bust whatever legal turkey you get a crack at and be proud of him. Good lick


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[JuniorPre 360]

Wow! I would not have guessed that my question would reach 5 pages of nothing but support. I appreciate it all. If my fishing buddy bails on me, my backup plan is a "hike" with my wife on Saturday. We'll be looking for gobblers.

[turkeyfoot]

Its a hunters choice I would never dog someone for it its your tag be legal safe and have good hunt all you'll ever hear from me is congrats. For me personally I wouldn't complain if they made them illegal for adult hunters but thats just my 2 cents I don't even shoot all the long beards I see.

[Gobblerjim]

Smoke his azz. Get one under your belt then you can pick and choose as you become more proficient at turkey hunting.

[Crawdad]

Smoke his azz. Get one under your belt then you can pick and choose as you become more proficient at turkey hunting.

x2, I think you will find like most of us who have hunted Turkeys for awhile, after taking a jake or two you will start to let them pass & only go for the long beards. I don't even have to take a gobbler to enjoy hunting, just hearing them gobble & watching them seems to be enough for me.

[Ruger M77]

Shoot em! I do! Maybe if I had private ground that only I hunted on I would pass on jakes but since I pretty much just hunt public I shoot em. Same with deer I shoot 1 1/2 yr old bucks every year 

[Pressured Gobbler]

You know you guys that "got it made" can let em walk... I my friend hunt public land... And it sucks some times... I don't harvest gobblers each and every spring... So if I'm having a bad season and a Jake comes by I'm lettin him have it

[alclark2]

I've never hunted private land for turkeys. In my county (in Indiana) there was a record 3 birds killed last year. I don't have turkeys so if I go to Alabama and hunt public birds, a wary jake is a trophy in my eyes. I'm still a rookie turkey hunter. However, if I had a club or a big family farm loaded with birds I'm sure I'd challenge myself. It seems natural to challenge yourself to take bigger birds over the years. Every situation is different.

[Frank G]

  If it's your first bird and opening day "toast" and post. Like most things in life the "first" one is allways the most difficult. You can be selective next time your call. You will always have a nay say-er in a group. If someone knocks it just ask to see pics of his first bird. If you take a bearded hen (rare but legal) somebody will ask way you took a egg layer. IMO, your first bird "smoke um and post um" 

[bamagtrdude]

Another jake bites the dust - this is my friend, Adam, who took this jake on public land this morning - his very first bird!  This bird was with a bigger bird, and Adam couldn't take the big one b/c he was behind some brush.  We went together yesterday morning & confirmed that there were two birds; they gobbled like crazy on the roost.

Adam worked HARD to get this bird this morning; been working them for 4 straight mornings -- *and* this is his very first season to ever turkey hunt.  I'm personally VERY proud of him; he put in the time scouting pre-season, had got on these 2 birds, and closed the deal; we're going together in the morning so I can film him taking down the big'un that's still there.

[redleg06]

It's a personal choice and if you're happy with it then, by all means, dont think twice about it. Particularly on someone's first bird, nothing wrong taking a jake.


Most of the more experienced hunters like to pass on jakes so that they can hunt them the next year when they're gobblers. I dont think it's as much about guys getting offended by what you prefer to hunt as much as it's just the mindset that that's one less gobbler they can hunt the next season when a jake gets shot. 

[jwhunter]

if you want to shoot a jake, by all means shoot one!!!

[THattaway]

By all means shoot a jake if you are so inclined. It was red head is dead for a while there for me too, nothing judgmental going on here. My previous comment about letting jakes walk "is the easiest scouting you will ever do for next season" came from hunting public land for 30+ years. In my experience, if you pass jakes mid-season or later on public land then there's a darn good chance you'll see them there a year older too. Best way to hear more gobbling too! Good luck!

[Dan Mallia]

Those of us who have been at this a while tend to like to let the jakes walk for future years.  With that said, first bird, or even one taken late in the season when a longbeard hasn't been killed I am all for someone doing that.  It has to do with what YOU will be proud of and to he#% with what anyone else thinks.  You post your first bird and we are going to be happy for you.

Yes sir!