There is only one reason to not shoot jakes.....you want to hear them gobble next year. This isn't deer hunting we are talking about. Taking a jake doesn't hurt your breeding structure, your habitat demand, your genetic pool. Jakes can breed just like a 2 year or older bird.

If your concern is wanting to hear more gobbles or take more "trophies" then pass on jakes. If you want to fill your freezer with meat then take a jake.

Me, I'm an opportunist. I passed on a jake one time while waiting for the big guy to give me a shot. The big guy never stepped out from behind a rock and the jake walked past twice before wandering off to a distant hen with the big guy. I didn't get either bird. Hindsight I could have had grilled turkey for supper.

Well the fact is on public land I train jakes. I practice moving the gun, trying different ideas and techniques. Different calls, etc.
I screw up well, I figure I am training that bird to survive to be a 2 yr old or better.

But like I said - it is up to the hunter. I have no problem with it either way. If I didn't hunt 6 to 8 weeks like I do I would probably take more jakes. Least one eater.

JW

I've heard that some old tom's are past the stage of procreation, and are infertile. That's one of the reason's why I prefer shooting mature tom's.

I shoot any legal bird, which here is a jake or a tom. Turkey tastes the same wether its a jake or a mature bird. Dont get me wront id love to fill both tags with longbeards...but if an opportunity presents itself, im not waiting. Done that too many years waiting for the big one. My belly regrets it lol

I shot a couple jakes when I was new to turkey hunting. Now that the worst of the excitement of just shooting a bird is out of my system, I pass on jakes. If it's the last day and a jake walks up on me, I'd probably shoot just to put the meat in the freezer. Otherwise, I'll save the tags for something worth shooting. Passing on a jake this year just means he'll be a shooter next year.

It's just a matter of preference. They all taste the same. Guess I'm just to the point where killing jakes just isn't as fun. They come in as gangs and it'd be easy to pop one off just because they never seem as spooked. It just doesn't seem to take as much skill to call them in.

In my home state, I have a lot of time to hunt
and really enjoy listening to them gobble. When
I pass on a Jake I always figure there is a good
chance I'll get to play with him again next spring.
If I'm hunting another state and only have a few days
to hunt, I'll take a Jake if the landowner doesn't
object , especially if there is a multiple bird
limit.

Yes......and I have!!!

Sometimes yes, sometimes not. Just depends on what time of the season and what I'm after. We get 3 birds in the spring season so I can afford to go after either one or both.

Funny thing is I would shoot one in a heartbeat but never have.

I've always wanted a jake for the tail fan, but never wanted to shoot one lol.
After many years of bringing home some nice toms I was running out of time and it was a Jake for sure on my last day or waiting and hoping for a tom in the last part of the day, so I shot my first jake last year.
So I'd rather get a jake than nothing at all.