Here in Ms. a gobbler has to have atleast a 6"beard.Well it was the first year they started that new rule,I was out scouting on some national forest land one morning and I hear 3 gobblers.I eased up on them while they were still on the limb.They flew down in a clear cut and it was 3 jakes.With the new law in affect I figured I would call the birds in.Well they came in and gobbled and gobbled, they wouldent leave so I finally had to spook em off.
Well a couple of weeks into the season I wound up calling the same turkeys in and again I had to spook em off to get em to leave..
The following year these same 3 gobblers were still right there in the same section of land.Couldent get them to work a bit nothing that I did could entice them in to my calling.
That year I was working alot and dident hunt much,but the following year I went back and hunted not even thinking about these 3 particular birds and wound up getting on one early .The turkey wouldent give me the time of day but would gobble here and there at crows and whatever.Anyway I slipped up on the turkey,he was in a food plot with some hens and 2 other long beards.
I have to think that these were the 3 birds that I encountered 2 years earlier as jakes..
I hunted(chased) these birds 2 other occasions and never did bag any of them...