Jake vs Gobblers

[tracebusta32]

I hunt an area that is completely overwhelmed with Jakes this year, We have counted 24 jakes on a 1000 acre tract and I am sure there are more. My question is will all these jakes who hang out in groups of as little as 4 and as many as 9 that I have seen shut the big toms down? I had a big boss come into me this morning on a string, he stopped at 60 yards and threw his head up. I looked to my left and here came 9 jakes busting through the woods like a mack truck..That Tom saw them and turned the other way and didn't make another peep. So far we have heard very little gobbling and I wonder if is because of all the jakes? I know they will whup a bigger tom when they hang in packs and my thinking this is what's happening. 

[Fan Club]

will all these jakes shut the big toms down?

 
Trace-
 
That's all part of the progression as turkey populations grow and last year's hatch parlays into this year's social structure. In Missouri, where they have 650,000 birds, I've watched large packs of Jakes for years. The gobblers won't leave the county; as Ray Eye says- "They're just out there bein' turkeys." The MO birds don't gobble much after leaving the roost anyway, there's so many hens they don't need to. Excess gobbling just brings predators or a butt kickin'.
 
What you end up with is a lot of silent gobblers who are still there, and will still strut and come to the call, but won't advertise their presence much. Hunt the mid morning strut zones and haunts where the hens feed and you'll still find gobblers.
 
I would think QDM (Quality Deer Management) works much the same way. If you get the buck to doe ratio close to 1:1, you stand a real good chance of calling an older buck in. But if there's a ton of does and lot's of younger bucks, your odds go down dramatically. Likewise, if there's an abundance of hens and packs of jakes everywhere, the tom's need to gobble goes down proportionately.
 
The difference hunting here in Michigan, where we only have 1/3 as many birds, always amazes me. Gobblers will answer your call almost any time of day. Are too many turkeys a bad thing? Possibly. It sure takes some of the fun out of it when they won't gobble. Let us know how your season progresses.
 
Jeff
 
 

[outdoorsmen]

very well said. here in southern illinois the birds tend to shut up as soon as their feet hear dirt. i'm starting to beleive that there is a sensory nerve on their feet that went it feel dirt is sends a signal to the brain to stop gobbling.  kinda like reverse shock gobble.
anyway, hens...to amny of them.  i can see the problem starting a few years ago. our ratios are skewed big time.  just like people micro manage deer herds but shooting does i think that something needs to be done to hens. problem is we can't, not in the spring anyway. come fall though everybody deer hunts. not to many people fall shotgun turkey hunt.
so what do we do?  we are not helping the problem by shooting the gobblers on a regular basis.

[tracebusta32]

I'm not seeing very many hens, but have encountered tons of Jakes. I went back out this morning around 8:30 am and called on the glass pot and hit the gobble shaker twice..3 mintutes later those 9 jakes come running into my setup yet again. I am going back out tomorrow and although I don't like too or want to shoot a jake I am oing to be forced to  do it because there is a longbeard that hangs out there but when I get him to gobble the jakes make a B line for him.

[Fan Club]

Trace-
 
You can always scatter the Jakes like fall hunting when you see the 9-pack. After this happens a couple of times, they might associate a larger group with danger and bust up into smaller clusters. You don't want them hanging around your setup anyway.
 
I don't think you have anything to lose by trying. You're not spooking feeding hens or toms, or shooting, and their assembly calls might naturally call in other turkeys. A boss gobbler would more readily approach your position if he only encountered 2 or 3 jakes instead of the entire gang.
 
Every consider a slingshot? I always carry one in my backpack when bowhunting deer. When I need to exit my treestand and there are deer on a nearby food source, you just plunk one in the butt. They all spook and scatter, giving you the opportunity to move, without associating the situation with human presence. (Pssst...also works great on cows to get them out of your turkey setup). Might be worth a try.
 
Jeff
 

[Fan Club]

Bump.
 
Didn't think you saw this Trace, since you were busy huntin'.
 
I'm curious, anyone else ever use a slingshot to "influence" game?
 
Jeff

[Dank]

Never tried using a slingshot to "influence" game but thats a great idea. lol. i will definately have to get one, whenever i get held up in my stand by deer i just throw my backpack or quiver down and hope it scares them off. half the time they just come closer to see what made that thud and i end up stuck for a while.

[allaboutshooting]

Hey Jeff,

I've never used anything to "influence" game but think it's a good idea, especially with deer. I've had them hang around much longer than I wanted but didn't want them to see me leave my stand or blind. I still have an old slingshot that my father-in-law made to scare the birds away from his blueberries. I may have to get that out and practice.

Thanks,
Clark

[RutnNStrutn]

Trace, on the bright side, next year should be awesome!!