"Wrong" to kill hens or jakes?

[John Scifres]

Turkey hunting is not really management like deer hunting is in many places.  There are no carrying capacity issues involved and turkeys aren't the safety or depredation concern like deer.  Turkey hunting is pretty much recreational.  Turkeys are still on the rebound in Indiana so it would be counterproductive to kill hens in the spring.  They are legal in the fall and I'd kill one without hesitation.

[ishiwannabe]

JC....I recently returned from Ga. and I must agree with you about the clarity of the regs. I was surprised to learn that Turkey is considered big game. I had the opportunity to hunt with my nephew on his lease....a total of about 800 acres, 98 percent of which was clear cut. Made for tough hunting for sure. I had one coming in for him, but he was sure it was a fellow lease member so we backed out....sure enough, his buddy wasnt even in that section of woods.LOL.
Here in NY, it is two males in the spring season, and then two either sex birds in the fall. I know most of the guys around here have no problems shooting a hen in the fall.

[joe skipp]

JC...here in NY, toms and jakes are legal in the spring. Anything goes in the fall. I personally don't see anything wrong in harvesting either sex. How else are you going to control the numbers and believe me, turkeys are increasing here in NY.

[Stone Knife]

10% of hens have beards we have our fair share around here, they are legal to shoot in NY spring or fall. I would not want to kill one in the spring for obvious reasons i have killed them in the fall, as far as killing Jake's to each his own i myself see nothing wrong with it. I guess it's like just shooting a big buck thing, everyone has there own goals set before they go out into the woods, as a matter of fact if i get one into bow range this season I'm shooting.

[Pat B]

JC, A few years ago I asked a GA G&F officer about why there isn't at least a fall hen season and he told me that the state was trying to become the Mecca for turkey hunting in the US and they didn't want to reduce the hens because of that. Seems dumb to me. It is unnatural for gobblers to chase after a hen anyway so if the hen population gets too large, the gobblers won't have to travel at all to find a hen. They will be able to fall out of their roost right on top of a hen. Pat

[Huntrdfk]

In New Hampshire you are allowed to shoot any bearded bird in the spring, and also shoot hens or toms in the fall with a bow.......with all that has been said, one of my most cherished trophies and memories is a bearded hen I shot two years ago with the Little Delta Bow, that spring and that hunt rivals any other hunt I have ever had.


David

[T.W.]

JC
No, i'm not a biologist, not sure of the correct way to age a turkey, i think they do it by looking at feathers but not sure.
However, anyone can feel pretty confident in aging a jake, 2 year old and then older than 2 but then it becomes a guessing game for all of us that dont have advanced degrees in biology.

Turkey hunting is my favorite, and North East Georgia just adds to the majic of it for me!

[RC]

It has been my experience with a trad bow in hand Jakes ain`t stupid.As a matter of fact I`m going hunting in the morning and if the Good Lord sends a Jake by I`m gonna try and gaff`em.
  I have seen Turkeys expand here in the south the last 15-20 years and understand why you can`t shoot hens down here. When I first started Turkey hunting if you did not have a lease on the Altamaha you did not have Turkeys or at least on a river swamp.I have seen Turkeys expand to farm land and creeks because of restocking and management.One of the first birds I called for a friend had a band on his leg.
   I could kill hens at will with a gun here in south Ga. Spring or Fall and the wonderful Turkey hunting we have now would go to crap in just a few short years. I can`t speak for middle or north Ga. because I have not hunted there but down here if you opened a fall season for guns you would soon think of now as the good old days of Turkey hunting because the would be cut down and wised up.Just my opinion,RC.

[BTH]

I wouldn't say wrong...except in the context of the wrong season. We have two seasons in CA. Fall and Spring. Fall is either sex including beardless jakes; one bird limit in possession. Spring is bearded, 3" long minimum, jakes or toms; three bird limit in possession. Simple as that for me. If it is legal to take according to my state's regs, then I'll take it if the opportunity presents.

[varmint]

No Fall season here in SC at all.....Gobbler or hen.Probably never will be.It was explained to me that a fall season would be during deer season,and they are afraid too many slobs,and by slobs I mean those that have no regard for the regs,would take advantage of the opportunity even if they were using a rifle for deer hunting.Just no way to be able to enforce......

Although we have a 5 bird limit per season.......

I think if the DNR says it's okay to take hens,or jakes,then it's alright with me.

I personally don't shoot jakes anymore,although I have.I've killed 2 jakes in my turkey hunting career,1 was my first bird ever almost 20 years ago,and the other was an accident when he stepped in front of the Gobbler.

I prefer to hunt the mature birds,more of a challenge for me.....................which is strange if I think about it,because I'll take a spike buck in a heartbeat without a second thought.

I'll let a first time hunter take a jake if the chance arises,and have done it before.

I think as long as it's legal it shouldn't be an issue,as well as if someone chooses not to......to each his own.

[owlbait]

Never shot a hen, but I would if I had a permit to do so in the fall. The jakes I shot have all tasted great coming out of the smoker, as have the longbeards. I've killed 2 with a .410, and missed two with my selfbow over the years, along with the shotgunned ones. Looking to hunt with my T/D recurve or selfbow this year, jake or longbeard.

[MMilin]

Only kill a JAKE instead of a mature gobbler IF
. . . you want the best eatin'.  There is NO COMPARISON.

[Grant Young]

J.C.
  I don't usually respond here-normally I ask questions and once I even got an answer. However, I agree that the turkey/ deer regs don't equate and the turkey here in Kentucky do every bit as much agricultural"damage" as deer. We can kill either sex in the Fall and males only in Spring. A bearded hen is usually forgiven. I think the issue is one that is evident across the govt. board. One answer just doesn't fit all scenarios around most questions, but I believe most WMAs will eventually slap their collective foreheads and say, "Wow these things are doing great, ya'll can hunt'em all." Hunter's who buy tags and hunt within generally accepted ethical guidelines have never been the core problem for game management. I suppose the presence of clearly stated laws and regulations make it easier for the authorities to prosecute poachers, game hogs, and thrill killers so the sportsman ends up regulated to the nth degree. Oh well, small price to pay; ask some Europeans. Might be overzealous but it protects our(sportsmen's) interest so I can live with it. And I've never killed a doe(but would) and only gun hunted(never again-cept maybe quail or rabbits w/my kids) in two seasons over twenty-five years ago.
                                      Grant

[JC]

Thanks for all your replies and input guys, great discussion and regional views.

Troy, just keep that yeller stave away from me and everything will be just fine   :rolleyes:  . Not really hot on turkeys, just got my wheels turning after a conversation with a turkey fanatic and wanted to see what other like minded hunters thought.

I'm sure a bow only fall season would be a viable hunting opportunity here in Ga...but as you and Ray both said, the local gun hunters would never hear of it.

[Duckbutt]

Dtala....What was it Tom Kelly said in The Tenth Legion?  Something like..."a man that takes a turkey with a bow should get to wear a sign that says I'm a better man than you are.  And I'd surely step off of the sidewalk and tip my hat when such a man passed me by."      


I fall hunted with my Dad when we still had a fall season in the SC upstate.  It's different but neat.  Darn shame regs have to be made on a "slob management" basis.

[DW]

JC, VERY INTERESTING THREAD AND A GREAT READ. Don

[Shaun]

I passed a bearded hen (legal here in Iowa) last year and then shot her two weeks later. Any turkey with a stick n string is a miracle. Well, that is with my shooting, JC you could probably HIT them on purpose. Good luck on your spring hunt.

[beaglesandbucks]

Heck no!!!

[Nakohe]

In Texas we can take hens and gobblers in the fall and gobblers only in the spring. We are allowed 4 turkeys a year in 153 counties and 1 a year in 11 counties. So need to check regs for county you hunt in for bag limit.

I like to take gobblers, but will take a hen in the fall and a jake. Not as tough eating.