Public area gobblers

M

Matagi

Active Member
took a hike out this afternoon with my kid and found some really good turkey sign on public land. Found a lot of feeding signs, gobbler droppings, strut marks, and heard some gobbles as birds went up to roost. I saw a few jakes there so I really hope they make it through to become longbbeards next year.

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Absolutely Fred, I've seen bearded hens taken and heard someone once tell me that bearded hens can't lay eggs so they need to be taken out. Contrary to some beliefes, Bearded hens do lay eggs as beards are just modified feathers. Beards and feathers do not play a roll in the reproductive organs.
 
Ok, so I ask this to you guys....... I have been getting out for turkey about 2-3 times a year, the last 10 years or so, and never shot one. Would it be ok if I shot a jake, just for my first one????? ;)
 
Sean,

If you get a chance at a jake......Bag it......I think we're only saying that we had some recruitment last spring and we're hoping our turkeys are on their way back.....It's not like it's easy to get any legal gobbler on public land.

I saw well over 40 jakes yesterday (only 3 longbeards)......There's a good chance they'll disperse into areas where the public will have a crack at them.

Breeding is in full swing and some dispersal is happening......With warm weather predicted, hunting for turkeys will be very fluid by the time our season opens.

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Here's what appears to be a jake on my friends property all the way down in southern campo about a rocks throw distance from the border. He's lived there over 10 years and this is the first turkey sighting on his property. Like Steve said, these birds travel!

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It's cool to find out how far they can roam. When I moved home a few years back and got into turkey hunting my first bird was a jake taken in Campo actually.. except not that close to the border.
 
Did a little scouting this morning. Found a single long beard with 4 hens on one spot on public land, 6 gobblers of mixed long beards and jakes in another public spot, and on the way home this single hen came out of some nasty thick canyon near Descanso! These birds are definitely scooting around.

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in years Hunts I could have score several jakes , I held back, and other times I just plained missed with bow & arrow. that's hunting. this year if I go out , it will be shot gun and no mercy, if it'a Tom.
 
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