Story of Yesterday morning's hunt for those that like to read:

Yesterday morning me and a buddy headed down to some public land that is only accessible by boat. He had seen some turkeys in the area on a private field and secured permission from the landowner to access the public land via her property. The public land is not a large piece. It is about 300 yards deep and is sporadically located along the banks of the river. 200 yards of that depth is cut timber and it is THICK. They left a 100 yard strip along the river of mature, beautiful hardwoods. We suspected the turkeys would be roosted on the edge of the private field and we would have to coax them back into the public land.

We got in there early and were able to use the full moon light to get all the way to the back of the public land near the river without busting any birds off the roost. There is a cove off the river in the middle of this parcel of public land and the hardwoods are much deeper to the right side of the cove, so that's where we hiked to. About 6:15 the turkey started gobbling. He was on the hardwood ridge on the opposite side of the cove. We heard him gobble a couple times and decided to make the trek back around to get close to him.

We snuck our way to less than 100 yards from his roost tree without getting busted. By the time we got in position he was gobbling pretty good. We were set up on the top of a steep finger ridge that went out to the river. It dropped off fast on either side and he was roosted off the side of the ridge up against the river.

Everyone knows how loud a gobble is when you are that close to one, especially when he is still in the tree. We waited for awhile and I started giving him some light tree yelps and clucks on the trumpet. He would cut me off gobbling. Big full gobble that rang out across the hardwood ridges and echoed in the bottoms.

About 6:55 I see a bird pitch down to the left. This bird had not gobbled at all. I hear my buddy behind me say "Don't shoot that one, it's a jake." About that time another bird pitches down to the right, that is the bird that was gobbling. It all makes sense in my head at this point. Jake was roosted separate from the Tom and didn't gobble. Dominant tom is the bird that just pitched down to the right, so I turn to the right and get pointed in that direction.

He had pitched down on top of the same ridge we were sitting on, but he was probably 75 yards away. It was thick enough I couldn't see him. A couple minutes go by and I decide to call. He gobbles, but he is down off the side of the ridge further to the left from where he flew down.

I turn that direction and I think he saw my movement. I couldn't see him at that point but I think he saw me. Finally I see his big red head putting from right to left. He was high heading looking around for us. I called and he wouldn't stop, so I called really hard and he stuck his neck out to gobble. When he did that I let the 410 bark and put him down.

He was over the lip of the steep ridge and I never did see his body when I shot. All I saw was his head and I knew it was the gobbling turkey that had flown down to the right.

Went to pick him up and he was a jake too! I couldn't believe it. I have been seriously turkey hunting since I was a kid and haven't ever shot a jake. I've prided myself on being able to tell a jake gobble from a true tom gobble, but this one had me completely fooled.

As far as turkey hunts go, it was picture perfect. Right off the roost on a beautiful hardwood ridge right beside the river. Ducks and geese flying the river and calling. It was a 10 out of 10 turkey hunting experience.

I'd have bet my life he was a Tom, and even though the hunt ended with a jake it was one of the better hunts I've ever had. If I had to do it all over again it would have the same outcome.

The new Henry 410 put him down at 22 yards. Fella never even flopped.

He won't fool anyone else again, now. Great story and great bird.

Stupid law her in Pennsylvania is that you must see and identify a beard before harvesting. I’ve had to let strutting, redheads walk because they didn’t have a beard from either froze off or beard rot

Congratulations

Nice one

Great story

We refer to those kind as “bull” jakes. Bigger bodied than most, perhaps earlier hatched, whatever the reason, they are more dominant than most other jakes. Some of them there is no way to tell their gobble from an adults.
Sounds like you found ya one!

Thanks. I enjoyed that.

Keith

Nothing wrong with jakes. Good hunt.

Great story and hunt man!!
Don’t feel bad, 3 times this year I’ve either set up on or called in jake’s that I swore were adult gobblers just based on their gobble!! Generally I can tell easily with Eastern’s, it’s Merriam’s and Rio jake’s and gobblers that all sound the same to me, so a full fan or beard is my judge with those birds.

So did you wait til he was that close or do you think you could have taken him at a longer range? This .410 thing interests me.

I never saw him until he was that close. We were setup really close to where he was roosted.

I try to limit my shots to 40 yards and in, but really out to 50 that little gun is extremely lethal.

You don’t have to limit yourself to super close ranges. It’s a very effective option with TSS

good read thanks for posting,