Good season so far...

[WNY Bowhunter]

Day 1:

 

I heard two birds on the roost, both hit the ground and went silent.

 

My uncle killed a good one:  22 lbs, 9.5" beard, 1 1/4" spurs

 

 

 

Day 2: 

 

Started out just like day #1.

 

Dad killed a beauty: 20 lbs, 9" beard, 1 1/4" spurs. 

 

 

 

Got love a limbhanger!!!

 

 

Tried my luck with a late morning hunt.  I wasn't 200 yds from the truck when I struck up a gobbler on the first notes from my Halloran Crystal.  The set-up I had to deal with was awful with lots of treetops and thick woods between the birds and me.  What started out as one bird turned into 4 and I was certain that I was into a group of jakes.  I ended up getting a look at 3 of them as they attempted to circle me and it confirmed my jake theory.  Gobbler #4 stayed over the knoll just out of sight but I could hear him drumming and gobbling.  I messed with them for over an hour knowing that often times a subordinant longbeard will buddy up with jakes.  When I glanced at my watch it was 11:55 and time to leave.  They were all still within shooting range so in effort to spook them off I layed the gun down, grabbed a baseball sized rock and raised up on my knees to throw it in their direction.  As I did, I suddenly saw the unseen bird in half strut just below the jakes between two logs!!!  He was in the shadows and I couldn't see his chest but he was definately a bigger bodied bird and had a huge white glowing head.  He spotted me...lowered his tail and stretched his neck up.  I got a quick glimpse of what appeared to be the full fan of an adult gobbler.  Wasting no time, I dropped the rock in my hand...shouldered my Browning and sent a load of heavy shot his way.  Everything happened to quickly that I honesty thought I had missed him.  As I walked over to the logs where he was standing I was relieved to see him laying there stone dead.  Unfortunately, my mystery bird ended up being an honest to goodness 19 lb. jake!!! I was a bit disappointed at first but it was a fun hunt and if I had to do it over I still would have taken the shot.  Back in 2011 I was in the same situation two times and ended up letting birds walk due to not being able to confirm whether they were adults or jakes (both ended up being longbeards).  Not this time...

 

 

 

His body frame was the same size as dad's 3 year old...

 

 

 

 

Edited May 3, 2013 by WNY Bowhunter

[WNY Bowhunter]

Day 3:

 

Heard 5 or 6 gobblers this morning.  Got set up within 80 yds of the closest one...he hit the ground and went the other way gobbling occasionally.  Got onto 2 lone gobbler around 7:00 and called them to within 60-70 yds but they just wouldn't close the distance.  I thought that we were gonna kill on of them.  Hopefully, tomorrow will be better...

[Cabin Fever]

Sounds like some exciting hunts! You're in the action anyway! That was a huge ass jake!

[jjb4900]

nothing wrong with that jake, good job.

[josephmrtn]

Congrats!!!

[landtracdeerhunter]

Some nice  turkeys. Congrats to all. What age u thinking on the first 2?

[hunterman7956]

Great story of your hunts, good shooting by all some good eating ahead...

[WNY Bowhunter]

Some nice  turkeys. Congrats to all. What age u thinking on the first 2?

 

Both had 1 1/4" spurs so the were at least 3 years olds (possibly 4)...

[Pygmy]

Glad to hear you are having a good season.. I agree that those 1 1/4" spurs are 3 year old minimum.. Probably 4 year old minimum...2 year olds seldom have spurs that are 1"..More often 3/4 or 7/8... I always figured that 1" spurs ( or slightly longer) meant a 3 year old and anything longer is probably 4 years old or older.

 

Regarding the heavy jakes... It may be due to the early nesting last year due to the early warm weather..

 

I remember a year back in the 80s when we had some early hatches and a reasonably decent winter, and I saw several 18 pound jakes shot that spring..