Jakes and gobblers together
 

I've got a group of birds I'm hunting.....and I need to hear your opinions on strategy.

I'm hunting them from a 10 acre woodlot. The last few times I've hunted them.....they've come from the roost....across a field.....and they've strutted alongside this woodlot in the mornings.

The jakes are with the gobblers.

1. Will the jakes eventually leave the gobblers?
2. What decoy setup would you try to get these birds fired up?

Thanks.

RE: Jakes and gobblers together
 

Jeff,

As you know 10 acres is not a lot of area to work birds, which can be both good and bad. I too have found jakes with gobblers at this time of the season here in IL (early). I would THINK that later in the season as competition for hens gets more fierce, that the jakes would be booted. I am sure there are exceptions, but this is what I have found in my area.

For the decoys, I think a jake is VERY effective. I would use a hen in the breeding position in front of a Jake. With another Jake off to the side.

Good luck, let us know how it goes!

RE: Jakes and gobblers together
 

I have more access.....but the truth is....I'm bowhunting from a blind.....and I may as well be on a .10 acre....lol.

I've made my bed.....;)

RE: Jakes and gobblers together
 

x2

RE: Jakes and gobblers together
 

If you have spot to get a bowshot on a bird that has Jakes with him... Just put a hen out there... I pointher towards me soit look likeshe is walking away from the gobblers no matter if they come in from the left or the right. The Jakes are probably not gonna split... especially if there is a bunch of em... Gobbler would have to spend too much time chasing them away.

RE: Jakes and gobblers together
 

This is exactly what I've been doing.

RE: Jakes and gobblers together
 

My son and I turned a corner the other day walking back to teh truck and found 7 birds in the path, 3 jakes and 4 long beards. I did not think they would still be together now. I am going back this Sat., a week later and going after them in the same area.

RE: Jakes and gobblers together
 

count your stars...i'll take jakes mingling with longbeards over henned up longbeards any day!!

i know what you mean though..when they are like that it can be hard to get them fired up...i seem to have that problem early in the season like icall2much said...

just saturday i took a JR and thought for sure we had a dead bird...loner on my ridge with 5 or 6 others on the far ridge...figured they had the hens..the one i was close to didnt and would most likely come in on a string...HA! he gobbled the whole way...came within 60yds or so then went to the gobblers!

i really dont know what to do in similar situations...i know its frustrating..like they want nothing to do with a hen call...

just stay patient and persistant...

in your situation....is there any way to get the blind setup in the area they are naturally pitching down to?? if so..get in there...dont make a peep till they hit the ground...when they are on the ground start off soft..if that dont work try getting excited and loud..about the only idea i have...

i still cant bring myself to bowhunting turkeys...kudos to you buddy...i just feel that the odds would be much more against me because of my hunting style...no blinds..no decoys...98% of the time no fields...

could hunt fields..could use blinds and decoys...but this is my hunting style...working active gobblers..i say sitting there and waiting is for deer season...but everyone enjoys something different..still kicking around the idea of taking the bow out and trying my luck sooner or later...who says i CANT do it hunting how i do with a bow!?!?

RE: Jakes and gobblers together
 

I would use a Tom decoy, mating with the hen. You got a jake last year right, so I am assuming that you only want a tom. This should make the bass bird mad enough to come in and try to win his hen back. It should also get rid of the small jakes and take some eyes away from around you.
Brent

RE: Jakes and gobblers together
 

Count your blessings! I wish I could move on birds. I hunt a large field, w/ noaccess to the woods and ravines where the birds roost (wildlife sanctuary/no hunting) they are very hesitant to cross the fence and go into the fields at times.

RE: Jakes and gobblers together
 

And I'm assuming (if NC turkey act like VA turkeys, which they usually do) that the gobblers are strutting about 80 yards out and gobbling and carrying on, but staying well out of that magic 25-30 yard window you need for the bow?

Early in the season is the time to challenge the dominant bird!!!!

Sight unseen Jeff, here are a couple of options that I'd consider in your shoes:

1) As far as decoys go, my experience with Mid-Atlantic field turkeys is either go all the way or not at all. A single hen tends to be a receipie for "turkey 100" (thats a hung up bird.... at 100 yards). In your case I think a jake decoy or even a full/half strutt decoy would be just the ticket. I am assuming that the gobbler(s) are keeping the jakes in line and not letting them strutt correct? Nothing harder to kill than a gay turkey.... I chased one for 5 years in my late high school early college years and never really even came close. I'd go with one, or perhaps even two jake decoys flanking a contented hen. If you know how to fight purr with a pot call or mouth call (or if you have the old "fighting purr" call), this is the time to break it out. Simulate a fight and as long as the turkeys are out of sight when you do so, I suspect you'll have them come a running your way. Feel free to pour on some wing flapping, or chest thumping to simulate the wings being flapped as the boys duke it out for the hen... stuff like that really makes a huge difference, just like leaf raking does.

2) Sans decoys totally. If the birds are normally walking/traveling in range of your set up spot, then let them come on in. Try maybe a few soft yelps early, but limit your calling. If you pour it on too strong, the gobbler will think the hen is coming to him. When it comes to calling, you're an old waterfowler, so you have the advantage of understanding when to call and when not to call.... there are massive similarites between waterfowl calling and turkey calling, but with ducks, you have to be MUCH more tone, pitch and cadence specific.... you can call turkeys with some pretty poor noises... but not ducks.

Do you have the roost/flydown and destination spots pretty much nailed down?

RE: Jakes and gobblers together
 

Dr Andy, it is nice being able to run ridges and when the birds shut down, run n gun and find a hot bird.

i cannot sit and ambush turkeys...or sit and wait and hope one hears my calls. i know it will bring me home more birds....but to me, turkey hunting is interacting and working the birds..i cant sit and wait more than a half hour...HOUR TOPS without respondance to my calls...here at school i have atleast 10k acres of gamelands at my finger tips...they shut down i run n gun blowing the locator call till i found me a hot one...just how i hunt...im working on patience...but still cant sit there without a reply...or without knowing im in a strut zone or great mid morning spot they WILL come back to...even then i usually run n gun till 9am or so then come back to setup right as they are making their way back...

its also great being able to figure out the direction they are heading and try getting ahead of them and setting up if they keep talkin but arent coming to me...

but, dont get me wrong...i have spots that once they fly down they are either dead or on the next property and wont be back till dark and im leaving the area....will actually hunt a spot like that for the opener...i just gotta hope that they roost there friday night!!! ive had days i went in and there wasnt any birds there...tiny strip of woods...but if they are there, its usually a good hunt...actually dont like hunting at home...im stuck to small wood lots...once you try the set and they move on they sit in the fields all day...or are just quiet because they dont have much of anywhere to go..almost like they are flocked up all year...

my buddy that doesnt turkey hunt keeps tellin me and my buddy of these spots "to sit and wait for one" because they pass by there daily...i might hunt those birds...but i aint sittin at the big oak tree waiting on them to mosey by...just not my style...