# Who passes jakes but kills yearling bucks?



## double lung (Sep 7, 2007)

Not trying to start a war here, but another thread got me to thinking; who passes jakes during spring turkey season? And if you pass jakes, do you kill yearling bucks during deer season?

My guess is that there are a lot of folks out there that pass jakes that don't pass yearling bucks. My theory is that because we have an OUTSTANDING quality turkey hunt, with most hunters getting more opprotunities at mature birds than at jakes, hunters are more apt to pass on an opportunity at a jake. Also, with a 1 bird limit, I am guessing that many will pass on a jake because there is no turkey "mulligan tag"; kill one and you are done. 

On the other hand, I would bet that hunters who get even one chance at a buck older than 1 1/2 years old are the minority, and therefore more hunters are willing to kill a yearling buck because of lack of opportunity. Plus, we have a built-in "mulligan tag" for deer; kill a yearling buck and you can still hunt for a big boy on that second tag.

Like I said, not trying to start a war but I think it is interesting how vastly different the majority seems, at least to me, to view our two resources. It seems that an already phenomenal resource (our turkey flock) leads to hunters passing younger males and supporting a one-tom limit to protect that resource. But a sub-par resource (our deer herd) leads to hunters killing more younger males and supporting a two-male limit, basically further damaging that resource.


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## DEDGOOSE (Jan 19, 2007)

I believe a jake would be better compared to a button buck..


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## double lung (Sep 7, 2007)

DEDGOOSE said:


> I believe a jake would be better compared to a button buck..


I agree that age-wise a jake and button buck would be closer. 

But I think an argument could be made that with a deer's longer life expectancy (without intense hunting pressure), and the fact that a jake will breed whereas a button buck will not, that a jake is more comparable to a yearling buck than to a button buck. 

Also, from a hunter's standpoint, a jake has a beard just as a yearling buck has antlers.


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## double lung (Sep 7, 2007)

DEDGOOSE said:


> I believe a jake would be better compared to a button buck..


I agree that age-wise a jake and button buck would be closer. 

But I think an argument could be made that with a deer's longer life expectancy (without intense hunting pressure), and the fact that a jake will breed whereas a button buck will not, that a jake is more comparable to a yearling buck than to a button buck. 

Also, from a hunter's standpoint, a jake has a beard just as a yearling buck has antlers.


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## aquanator (Dec 1, 2005)

Stikes me as one more thread to stir it up, so I'll bite. 

My view is that a jake has too small of a breast for good eating, so I pass them. Similiar to why I pass a fawn deer. 

A two yr old tom and a 1.5 yr old buck are similiar in that they both produce a reasonable amount of quality meat and often have respectable beards/antlers - so I might pass or shoot them depending on many factors like:

how much meat do I have left in the freezer
how early or late in the season is it
Does someone else in the family need meat or not
is the beard or rack 9" / 90" - ie enough to get excited about
my mood
how many animals I've been seeing (I think this was your point, but it's only one factor and pretty low on the list...)
A better question would be, how can we grow the number of our deer herd to be higher so we see more deer? Which, I beleive starts with shooting a lot less of all deer, including the seemingly rare does these days!


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## Ieatantlers (Oct 7, 2008)

I pass jakes and pass year and a half old bucks, and pass two and a half year old bucks. I wish it was easier to see the hooks on birds, and I'd pass 2 year old toms too. I'd rather have a good video encounter with a less than mature animal any day.


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## Molson (Apr 18, 2003)




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## sslopok (Aug 24, 2009)

I would pass on Jake, breast meat wouldn't make very much turkey jerkey. However, a yearling buck makes plenty of tender jerky, so I normally don't pass. Where I hunt I don't see alot of mature deer so...
sslopok


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## BMoney (Feb 8, 2006)

Id have to say that i agree with if i could see the spurs, that would be my variant. I thinking that a bird with 1 1/4+ spurs is what im after every spring, beard length dont really matter to me. My bird last year had 1 5/8 spurs and like a 8 1/2 beard and I consider that my best turkey though i have shot birds with 11+ beards. As far as 1 1/2 year olds I havent shot one in 4 years save one I shot in standing corn opening day this year, he had some real potential :sad:...


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## QDMAMAN (Dec 8, 2004)

> sslopok said:
> 
> 
> > Where I hunt I don't see alot of mature deer so...
> > sslopok


Any speculation as to why?


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## Liver and Onions (Nov 24, 2000)

double lung said:


> ...... and the fact that a jake will breed whereas a button buck will not.....
> ......


This is not correct. Button bucks will breed, especially the Dec. rut. I'm a little surprised that you have never seen a bb pop a doe.

L & O


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## MERGANZER (Aug 24, 2006)

*Who passes jakes but kills yearling bucks?* 
*Remove this ad.....
become a Supporting Member today.* 

Not trying to start a war here, but another thread got me to thinking; who passes jakes during spring turkey season? And if you pass jakes, do you kill yearling bucks during deer season?









Yeah right you aren't trying to start anything AHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHA! Kinda like starting out with "no offense but...." right before you offend someone. Who cares! Follow the law and take what makes you happy within the law.

Ganzer


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## Burksee (Jan 15, 2003)

MERGANZER said:


> Who Cares? Follow the law and take what makes you happy within the law.
> 
> Ganzer


Well put! If it's legal to do so why question it? It's about choice and what you believe in, thats all that matters. Have a good time while your hunting but do so legally!


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## Ieatantlers (Oct 7, 2008)

What's so wrong with asking what other people do? Its not like he said it was wrong to shoot jakes or adolescent deer. He's just curious what others do. If you have such a problem with it, don't respond. It is that easy.


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## k9wernet (Oct 15, 2007)

Follow up question:

Who waits for a longbeard in the spring, but shoots any bird within gun range in the fall?

KW


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## Rasputin (Jan 13, 2009)

In reality, the last thing you want to do when turkey hunting is to actually shoot a turkey! They are sooo much fun to chase around, and as soon as you shoot one, you're done! After you get a "trophy" turkey or two, what's the point? The grocery store birds taste better anyway. So these days, I take the last season so there is plenty of time to chase birds and let them humiliate me and occasionaly get one in the wrong place at the wrong time and stand up and say "Boo!" instead of going bang! then go harrass another one. Too much fun!

But if that fork horn hangs around and tempts me too long, he will probably end up on the pole!


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## GettinBucky (Jul 18, 2007)

MERGANZER said:


> Who cares! Follow the law and take what makes you happy within the law.
> 
> Ganzer





Burksee said:


> Well put! If it's legal to do so why question it? Have a good time while your hunting but do so legally!


That's why we need new regulation's....


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## k9wernet (Oct 15, 2007)

GettinBucky said:


> That's why we need new regulation's....


What are you suggesting?


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## beer and nuts (Jan 2, 2001)

For one, saying you can't see the spurs so you shoot anyways, tells me you shoot because of the beard!!! As long as you set you goals high enough and scout the birds, one can pick out a bird and see the spurs and target that bird. 

I'm just the opposite, rarely do we get birds with hooks around NLP, I usually look for beard first, good fan second. I have passed birds with full fans and short beards, and passed on good beard with crappy fans.

I'm a bigger fan of experiencing the whole hunt..I gotta have the bird gobbling or a hen yelping etc.. I like the interaction more than anything....one thing I can't do is sit and wait like deer hunting...if nothing in 15-20 min. max I'm off to somewhere else!


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## Molson (Apr 18, 2003)

beer and nuts said:


> I'm a bigger fan of experiencing the whole hunt..I gotta have the bird gobbling or a hen yelping etc.. I like the interaction more than anything....one thing I can't do is sit and wait like deer hunting...if nothing in 15-20 min. max I'm off to somewhere else!


agreed


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