3rd gobbler pic

[wrangler95]

posted 04-27-2005 09:59 AM
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I'm sure that a lot of turkey hunters have killed jakes by accident,I did this morning.I set up on a gobbling bird that was 50 yards away,I only clucked 3 times to him and he went completely silent although there was another gobbler about a 100 yards out the ridge that would gobble every now and then.I sat for the next hour and a half without either showing themselves.Finally ,the gobbler out the ridge gobbled about 50 yards away and I knew he was finally coming,he was coming up the log road that I was sitting in.When he got about 40 yards away,he veered around the hill to my left,he got within 20 yards of me but wouldnt show himself.Finally I saw a white head and neck clear the ridge and he stopped,I had a wideopen shot so I fired and a huge gobbler flew off and I couldnt believe I had missed a wideopen shot.I ejected the empty hull and was about to leave when I heard a noise,I looked and saw a wing sticking up in the air and I had killed a big jake by pure accident.The gobbler that was doing all the gobbling was the bird that flew away but it was still the most fun I had ever had while turkey hunting.The reason that I only called to them the one time was that I knew they had been called to alot,it still took me the hour and half to kill him!!!!It weighed 17 lbs with a 5 inch beard.

[WildmanWilson]

Thats why I wait to see the beard or a full fan. I have let several walk because I wasn't sure. You cant go by the gobble because some jakes can gobble like an old tom. Oh well, jakes eat just as good anyway.

[Turkeyhunter5]

aint done that yet but moms b/f did this year. said saw one strutting and gobbling his head off. shot went and looked and it was a jake. he said it gobbled like 50 times.

[trapper_hunter]

Pretty Cool story!:)

[SixPack07]

First turkey I ever shot was a jake. Didn't know it til I walked up on it. It sat behind me for about 30 minutes at 15 yards gobbling and spitting and drumming. Finally walked around where I could get a shot, but I couldn't hardly see a beard, but I knew it was a tom. Being my first year, I didn't realize jakes gobbled and all that stuff, but I was darn proud of that bird!

[SixPack07]

Oh, and he's been the best tasting one so far too.

[Feedman]

I killed one by mistake last year. I had let one jake go by me and the other bird was coming about 20 yards behind the first. Big read head, moving slow and looking around. I shot and boy was I surprised when I got to the bird and saw that it was a jake.

It happens,

[quackrstackr]

Last time I checked legal turkeys were supposed to have visible beards, not just red or white heads. :confused:

How do you not know it's a jake in the spring when that is the rule?

Not trying to start an argument but technically you did something illegal and just so happened to get lucky about it.

[Gobblergetter2.1]

Sorry about your luck, but still, it sounds like a great hunt. Ive saw some jakes that i couldnt even tell had beards! And ive also saw hens with red and white heads.