# Shooting a Jake



## Chase4556 (Mar 23, 2012)

What are yalls thoughts on shooting a jake? If you are getting pressed to get some lunch meat in the fridge and you just cant find that ol' tom, will you take a Jake?


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## turky93 (Mar 23, 2012)

I'll rock his noggin any day if he gets me excited. 
If he can act like a tom, he can die like a tom.


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## ButcherTony (Mar 23, 2012)

never.......


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## bucktail (Mar 23, 2012)

turky93 said:


> If he can act like a tom, he can die like a tom.



x2 for sure!!


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## sea trout (Mar 23, 2012)

too skinny for a turkey fry at my at my house. i got some eaters at our parties!
they'd be good  is the casserole with some cream of mushroom......or cream of anything.......man thats good!!!


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## Arrow3 (Mar 23, 2012)

ButcherTony said:


> never.......



I about spit tea all over my computer.....


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## jeremy1217 (Mar 23, 2012)

called up five last year and let them walk  hope they are still around this year


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## Tvveedie (Mar 23, 2012)

jake, jake jr., Jake III, they all make sandwiches pretty good.


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## Mark K (Mar 23, 2012)

I swore never until one got in my face and gobbled then went in strut!! He died acting like a gobbler!!


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## sea trout (Mar 23, 2012)

Mark K said:


> I swore never until one got in my face and gobbled then went in strut!! He died acting like a gobbler!!



sounds like a good death! brave bird! my hats off!


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## ALLBEEF (Mar 23, 2012)

I don't.......


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## Coach Reynolds (Mar 23, 2012)

Is it turkey season?


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## dtala (Mar 23, 2012)

me personally...NO

Guiding a kid...certainly..once.


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## Jeff Raines (Mar 23, 2012)

Yep
I'm gonna shoot the first legal bird I see,got me a hankering for some home made turkey pot pie.


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## Melvin4730 (Mar 23, 2012)

If its your first or second bird ever, there's nothing wrong with it. I guess theres nothing wrong with it anytime, but is like killing a small spike. I would rather go find a more mature bird.


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## nhancedsvt (Mar 23, 2012)

ButcherTony said:


> never.......



You're my hero Latonya


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## Jeff Raines (Mar 23, 2012)

Melvin4730 said:


> If its your first or second bird ever, there's nothing wrong with it. I guess theres nothing wrong with it anytime, but is like killing a small spike. I would rather go find a more mature bird.



Agree with you to a point,as I do not shoot small deer either.
BUT-when deer hunting we are allowed to shoot does to control the population and fill the freezer.
We can not shoot hens,so jakes are shooters for me.


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## Turkey Trax (Mar 23, 2012)

no way. whether he gobbles or struts or not. he's still a young dumb bird.


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## grouper throat (Mar 23, 2012)

I try not to kill them but it happens sometimes. I got a buddy that will pile'em up though.


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## Mark K (Mar 23, 2012)

> no way. whether he gobbles or struts or not. he's still a young dumb bird



A 2yr old is a dumb bird too!! You don't shoot them??


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## Wastin Bullets (Mar 23, 2012)

This is my first year Turkey hunting... so I am killing the first legal bird I see


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## goblr77 (Mar 23, 2012)

Won't do it.


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## Turkey Trax (Mar 23, 2012)

Mark K said:


> A 2yr old is a dumb bird too!! You don't shoot them??



if i could distinguish between a 2 year old and a 3 year it would be different. But yeah if i could I would. Im just that good. 


But I'm not sure why that has anything to do with anything that was asked in the original post. He asked if I would shoot a jake. Maybe start your own thread.


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## Jeff Raines (Mar 23, 2012)

Turkey Trax said:


> Im just that good.




Some folks would call that cocky.................I call it confidence.


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## bangbird (Mar 23, 2012)

Jakes don't do anything for me.


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## blood on the ground (Mar 23, 2012)

kids shoot jakes all day every day!


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## southernboy2147 (Mar 23, 2012)

i prefer not to let them walk, cause the more times there called up and let go. the wiser they get... and i dont like wise birds they ruin my day


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## Marietta Mike (Mar 23, 2012)

Good question. Answer depends on opportunity, trigger finger and marksmanship. Test starts tomorrow morning.


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## deebo (Mar 23, 2012)

Wastin Bullets said:


> This is my first year Turkey hunting... so I am killing the first legal bird I see



X2...I've been a couple of times, but only half hearted efforts.  This will be my first full season, and I agree.  I'm I'll be doing good just to see a legal bird.  And the first one that gets within range won't be walking away - Jake, two-year old, Old Tom - I'm not gonna be picky with my first!  If it turns out to be a jake, I won't celebrate by posting it on this forum, but he's gonna go down.


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## Duff (Mar 23, 2012)

Turkey Trax said:


> Im just that good.


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## bnew17 (Mar 23, 2012)

i wont shoot them , kinda like shooting a small buck to me...they just dont do it for me...but if im taking somebody who hasnt killed a bird before ill let them.


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## Steven Farr (Mar 23, 2012)

Duff said:


>


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## Wastin Bullets (Mar 23, 2012)

deebo said:


> If it turns out to be a jake, I won't celebrate by posting it on this forum, but he's gonna go down.



Heck I will... I don't care what people think.. I'm not breaking any laws and I will be proud of my first bird reguardless of what it is... I can careless if people agree with killing one or not...


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## Jeff Raines (Mar 23, 2012)

Wastin Bullets said:


> Heck I will... I don't care what people think.. I'm not breaking any laws and I will be proud of my first bird reguardless of what it is... I can careless if people agree with killing one or not...


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## Turkey Trax (Mar 23, 2012)

Duff said:


>



You know it.... Lol


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## Rob (Mar 23, 2012)

If you are happy with him - shoot him


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## Mark K (Mar 23, 2012)

> Im just that good.



I heard you thought you were.


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## bownutz (Mar 23, 2012)

Ive been bowhunting turkeys without a blind for a few years and have only shot one jake. If one comes in tomorrow at redlands hes going down. That would probably be my last jake.


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## GA DAWG (Mar 23, 2012)

First 3 I ever killed were Jakes. Graduated to the big boys after that. No way in hades ID kill one now. Even if it means I go turkey less.


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## Palmetto (Mar 23, 2012)

I try not to but over the past few years between work and kids I end up with about one weekend a year to hunt.

With such little time to hunt I will bust a jake if that is the only chance I get at a bird.


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## dawg2 (Mar 23, 2012)

Chase4556 said:


> What are yalls thoughts on shooting a jake? If you are getting pressed to get some lunch meat in the fridge and you just cant find that ol' tom, will you take a Jake?



It wasn't that long ago they were referred to as "young gobblers."  I have shot them before when with kids or trying to get someone into hunting.  I let them walk otherwise.


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## Killdee (Mar 23, 2012)

I dont, but I have no problem with what anyone else shoots. In 35 years of turkey hunting I killed 1 jake that I found flopping behind a mature tom I killed.I have called up a bunch that others have killed and had a blast doing it.


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## jmharris23 (Mar 23, 2012)

Mark K said:


> I heard you thought you were.


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## Tvveedie (Mar 23, 2012)

i live by "only the good die young"  

sorry Jake


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## dawg2 (Mar 23, 2012)

Turkey Trax said:


> no way. whether he gobbles or struts or not. he's still a young dumb bird.


They don't get much smarter with age.  They may get more wary, but not smarter.

Indians and others would put grain in a row on the opposite side of a low tied limb.  The turkeys would walk up stick their head under the stick and eat the grain.  When you ran straight at them they will  lift their head and they are stuck.  They would grab them by their necks without losing an arrow. Even a 5 year old bird will do this.


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## oops1 (Mar 23, 2012)

I have killed my share of em so I lay of them now. It's against the rules on our lease. That being said. ...if one walks out in front of me and my eight year old in the AM...we will be violating the rules.


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## carter (Mar 23, 2012)

better hope i dont see two in the am , im hungry


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## Arrow3 (Mar 23, 2012)

Mark K said:


> I heard you thought you were.



Naaaaa. He is....Trax is a killer...

I agree with him 100%....No way I'm shooting a Jake unless its on accident ...


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## mr_aaron_ricks (Mar 23, 2012)

*yep*



Wastin Bullets said:


> This is my first year Turkey hunting... so I am killing the first legal bird I see



 Me to man....


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## harryrichdawg (Mar 23, 2012)

I haven't killed many birds over the years, so if it gobbles and struts like a tom, I'm shooting.  Otherwise, I probably won't shoot unless it's late in the season and I'm in a killing mood.


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## BOB_HARWELL (Mar 23, 2012)

I only shoot gobblers with spurs 'outside' their ears.

 Bob


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## 1776Flintlock (Mar 23, 2012)

It is up to the hunter. Any legal deal is fine.


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## Dupree (Mar 23, 2012)

I wont shoot one.


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## WestGaJohn (Mar 23, 2012)

Melvin4730 said:


> If its your first or second bird ever, there's nothing wrong with it. I guess theres nothing wrong with it anytime, but is like killing a small spike. I would rather go find a more mature bird.



This was me.  My first bird ever was a jake.  As I gain experience, the only time I'd take one is if I had my son or daughters were with me & one of them was shooting.


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## r_hammett86 (Mar 23, 2012)

tomorrow morning and any morning during the season that i have a tag to fill, ol jake can fill that void. it'll tast the same as a tom. Im proud to say if its in gun range its dead.


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## ballgroundhound (Mar 23, 2012)

My son will fire ones head slap up boys and ill sure b proud


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## stick_slinger (Mar 23, 2012)

This is mine and Wastin Bullets first year chasin birds.. For the longest i was a deer only guy.. I am quickly expanding that, to pretty much chasing everything nowadays.. So with that said, first legal bird that steps in front of either one of us is going down..
Good Luck to everybody.

CJ


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## Hawken2222 (Mar 23, 2012)

Rob said:


> If you are happy with him - shoot him


 x2  I have shot  five jakes over my 25 years hunting turkeys.  Right now I am at the stage where I will give them a pass, and wait on amature bird.  However, if it's late in the year and I don't have a bird in the bag, I'll shoot a jake in a minute.


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## Jellyhead Joe (Mar 23, 2012)

I will, but I don't want to tag out on three jakes in a season.


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## Chase4556 (Mar 23, 2012)

Glad asking the question didnt stir up a hornets nest! Ended up with a good batch of answers. This will be my first bird, so if a jake comes out, I will probably shoot him, I did however roost what I believe to.be a tom this evening... So I am headed there in the morning and we will see what happens.


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## r_hammett86 (Mar 23, 2012)

Jellyhead Joe said:


> I will, but I don't want to tag out on three jakes in a season.



amen but that wouldn't stop me if thats all i had. Im all for a long beard, and long spurs, but taxidermy bills these days are rough of the wallet. how ever jakes are easy on the stomach.


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## Jeff Raines (Mar 23, 2012)

r_hammett86 said:


> but taxidermy bills these days are rough of the wallet.


Ain't no way I'd mount a turkey,don't need a $600 dust collector,deer heads are bad enough.


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## insanehunter (Mar 24, 2012)

shot 3 when i started turkey huntin want shot another one unless i am starvin!


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## chevyman2000 (Mar 24, 2012)

Every year since my first year I have been lucky enough to tag out all in Tom's. This year might be different. Mild winter very early spring. Last years great hatch will produce alot of jakes running around the Tom's. I guess it all depends how much patients I have.


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## Ricochet (Mar 24, 2012)

Nope, but it could happen in some rare cases.


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## mailman6 (Mar 25, 2012)

Ok for 8 or 10 yeard old, but no way should a grown man be shooting jakes. Just like shooting little button bucks. He will be a nice bird at 2 years old and easy to call up 2yr old ones. Real turkey hunters just don't do it, but I realize not everyone is.


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## Buck killers Wife (Mar 25, 2012)

What is a jake?


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