Is it wrong to shoot a jake? It's a hot debate that pops up each spring. Here's some things to consider before you pull the trigger on a jake.... Read more... The post Is it Wrong to Shoot a Jake? appeared first on Bowhunting.com. Continue reading...
Here in IL our turkey seasons span a single weekend if we're lucky. My season happens to fall over Easter weekend so I get to hunt Saturday and if I'm really, really lucky maybe one more day during the following week. And keep in mind we can only hunt until 1 pm so each day is really a half day. So you can bet your bottom dollar I'm whacking a jake if one strolls in front of me. There's no shame in this game.
It's all circumstantial, it's the same argument as shooting a under P&Y. We get a whole month in NY but only until 12pm. If you are good enough to arrow a bird o say make it happen. I don't take Jake's with a gun though.
as said above... it's all relative... i personally won't shoot one anymore, but I have shot plenty over the years, but i will never judge anyone for what they choose to shoot.
I get 2 bow tags to use all season, but have limited time to hunt. I normally hold off with my first tag for a larger bird, but this year if a jake presents it self, it’s getting smacked. Have a smoked turkey recipe I’m eager to try on the traeger.... Sent from my iPhone using Bowhunting.com Forums
For me, a lot of it is time.... If I even get one weekend to hunt Turkeys, it's normally a 3 hour drive (one way) and I get to hunt Saturday and Sunday morning... No scouting, seeing what's going on etc... So I'm sending an arrow at the first male that comes in... On the other hand for whitetails and elk (which is where I spend most of my hunting time and money), I'm normally more selective so I understand it both ways...
^^^Exactly^^^. In the spring only Toms are legal here, and that includes jakes. In the fall Toms or Hens are legal. I have taken several jakes over the years, but anymore I hold out for a more mature bird and save the jakes for wives or nieces to try to take. Our season is April 15th to May 25th and my hunting spot is only 45 mins away, so plenty of time to try for them.
I now pass on jakes but back in the day, as long as they gobbled and put on a show it didn't matter to me one bit.
Last year the jakes were like cock roaches on my property. They'd group up in packs of 3 or 4 and took over. I watched 4 jakes one morning run a tom completely off the property. Needless to say, no one shot a tom last year on the property but we shot a total of 10 jakes and they all tasted just as good!
