shooting jakes?

[trackerbucky]

I haven't shot a jake in a long time, but I have absolutely no problem with anyone who does as long as it's legal where you hunt. I've taken many first timers out, both kids and adults.  Some of them have shot jakes and they were all just as excited as those that shot mature gobblers. 

Be proud of your hunt and enjoy your trophy.

[HogBiologist]

I agree that the point about positively identifying your target is one of the fundamental rules for all hunting and shooting, and it should be strictly adhered to.  However, there is a difference between being sure of your target and being sure that the turkey you are aiming at is a mature gobbler or a jake. 

I believe if the truth be told, that there are very few turkey hunters that have not been in situations where they positively identified their target as a male turkey, but could not tell if it was a mature bird or not. 

Living in a state that does not allow shooting jakes any more, you better know what it is.  I can honestly say every turkey I have shot was positively ID'ed as a jake or an adult.  If you pull the trigger without knowing if it is an adult or a jake, then they need to get closer. There is no excuse in not positively identifying the fact of Jake/Adiult in a bird that is 40 yards away.  If it is to thick to see then it is too thick to shoot.

[silverspur]

No problem shooting one and I did this year, I was calling to a longbeard that was coming in, these five gobbling jakes came in ran off the old gobbler and I shot one of them.  They gobbled like they were two year olds and strutted too.  I will say, he was real good in my deep fryer too!

[GobbleNut]

I agree that the point about positively identifying your target is one of the fundamental rules for all hunting and shooting, and it should be strictly adhered to.  However, there is a difference between being sure of your target and being sure that the turkey you are aiming at is a mature gobbler or a jake. 

I believe if the truth be told, that there are very few turkey hunters that have not been in situations where they positively identified their target as a male turkey, but could not tell if it was a mature bird or not. 

Living in a state that does not allow shooting jakes any more, you better know what it is.  I can honestly say every turkey I have shot was positively ID'ed as a jake or an adult.  If you pull the trigger without knowing if it is an adult or a jake, then they need to get closer. There is no excuse in not positively identifying the fact of Jake/Adiult in a bird that is 40 yards away.  If it is to thick to see then it is too thick to shoot.

Granted, your situation is a different matter altogether.  I'm not sure how many states have a no-jake regulation, but in those cases, it would be imperative that the bird be identified as a mature bird before shooting.  My point in this debate was based on the presumption that jakes would be legal birds. 

As for the 40-yard rule, I have been in many situations where I could not see the beard on a gobbler until he was much closer than 40 yards.  Low light conditions, thickness of cover, angle of approach,...all of those factors can make it difficult to ascertain whether a bird is a jake or mature bird. 

That's not to suggest that hunters should ever have a "shoot first and look later" attitude about it.  It is always best to know for sure before pulling the trigger.  My point, however, is that there are times when every hunter reaches that moment of truth where they must decide about whether to shoot a bird that they have not been able to discern whether it is a mature bird or a jake (in those places where both are legal). 

Again, I would bet that many hunters in those situations have chosen to shoot birds that they knew were gobblers but were not certain of their age class.  ...And once again, if anybody here can honestly say they have never pulled the trigger in a situation like that, then they have my utmost respect in that regard. 

[coyotetrpr]

I had not shot a jake in a long time until this year. I have wanted to many times but only having 2 tags in Missouri always pulled me to wait for a longbeard. This year my 7 year old daughter really wanted to go with me on a hunt so I took her down to the creek bottom where I have been very successful in years past. All we heard in the trees were jakes gobbling and when 1 came strutting in to the decoy she was able to watch me harvest a turkey. I guess on this trip getting a bird was much more important to me than the size of the bird.

[RMK]

I only get one bird a year so I make it count or I let them grow. I like taking a mature bird.

[Beard Collecter]

Agreed!!

[PALongspur]

I have no problem with it and still do it occasionally. One of my birds this year was a jake.

[Marc]

Living in a state that does not allow shooting jakes any more, you better know what it is.  I can honestly say every turkey I have shot was positively ID'ed as a jake or an adult.  If you pull the trigger without knowing if it is an adult or a jake, then they need to get closer. There is no excuse in not positively identifying the fact of Jake/Adiult in a bird that is 40 yards away.  If it is to thick to see then it is too thick to shoot.

I have killed a bird with a thick 7" beard that did not have a developed tail fan, and I have killed birds with a developed tail fan and a 5" beard (shot him strutting in knee-high grass)...  Would I be getting a ticket for either of these birds?

Also had tom come in this year with no beard (full tail fan and long spurs for a bird in my area)...  As a bird has to have a beard in my area, he got a pass...  But looking at his size and tail fan, I could easily see making a mistake in tall grass.

What legally classifies a bird as a jake or a tom?

[Cut N Run]

I saw a beardless gobbler in Chatham County last year a couple of times in the same piece of woods. He was full fan and had obvious spurs, but the North Carolina Hunting Regulation digest says it has to have a beard to be legal. What's funny is the gobbler that was running with the beardless bird had a double beard.  I called in the beardless and the double bearded bird for my best friend to tag on 2013 opening day.

On the last day of the turkey season last year, I killed a full fan gobbler in Orange County that had beard rot.  I could clearly see the orange tips on his 3" beard and his spurs before I shot  (11 yard kill), though when I first saw him, I thought I was going to have to let him pass.

Jim

[troutfisher13111]

What legally classifies a bird as a jake or a tom?

I want to know this as well...

[mikejd]

MMMMMM, Jakes are yummy. Especially wraapped in bacon. You guys can chew on them long spurs and brush your teeth with them heavy beards while Im having some tender meat.

[HogBiologist]

Living in a state that does not allow shooting jakes any more, you better know what it is.  I can honestly say every turkey I have shot was positively ID'ed as a jake or an adult.  If you pull the trigger without knowing if it is an adult or a jake, then they need to get closer. There is no excuse in not positively identifying the fact of Jake/Adiult in a bird that is 40 yards away.  If it is to thick to see then it is too thick to shoot.

I have killed a bird with a thick 7" beard that did not have a developed tail fan, and I have killed birds with a developed tail fan and a 5" beard (shot him strutting in knee-high grass)...  Would I be getting a ticket for either of these birds?

Also had tom come in this year with no beard (full tail fan and long spurs for a bird in my area)...  As a bird has to have a beard in my area, he got a pass...  But looking at his size and tail fan, I could easily see making a mistake in tall grass.

What legally classifies a bird as a jake or a tom?

In Arkansas:

ADULT GOBBLER – Male turkeys having at least one of the following characteristics: a) tail feathers which are the same length, b) wing feathers that have white barring all the way to the tip or c) a beard more than six (6) inches in length.

[bmhern]

X2 gobblenut!!!

[doublebarrel]

If they wanna play like a big boy they can die like a big boy. WHO CARES WHAT OTHERS SHOOT.