The wife and I were finally able to get out and try for a turkey after work Thurs. evening. We had done a little scouting earlier and had found a flock that had 1 tom, 4 jakes and 1/2 dozen hens. We had permission to hunt the small piece of property so we decided to purchase a couple OTC tags. We were set up about 6 and shortly after had several hens enter the field and start feeding. Shortly before 8, I got a response from behind us coming down the ridge. I snuck a peek thru the window out the back of the Primos blind and here come two Jakes bee lining it toward our pretty boy decoy. I told the wife they were both jakes, she said we have never taken a jake before and if she had the chance she would take one. They came to within 25 yards and she popped the largest one and then handed me the 870 and I rolled the 2nd jake at about 35 yards as he was headed out thru the sage brush. All and all a great hunt with the best partner a guy could have.
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Nice job by you and the Mrs. you guys were in the right spot.
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It was nice being able to hunt closer to home than driving over to the Uinta Basin like we have the last 1/2 dozen years.
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Don't you love it when a hunt comes together and your able to get your bird that close to home. Nice going you two. How much are they charging now days for OTC permits?
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They are 35 bucks Curt.
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The last time I bought one it was $55, glad to hear the cost is dropping.
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Well done. How much does a cleaned wild turkey weigh (jakes and toms) and do they taste similar to one purchased in the local super market?
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I don't know what they would wiegh cleaned, our biggest toms have went around 20 lbs with guts in and were 3 year olds. The jakes probably run 8 to 10 lbs uncleaned. They don't taste anything like a turkey out of the store. There is about as much difference in taste as there is between a pheasant and a chicken. About the only good meat you get is the breasts, the legs are all tendons like a pheasant. They are great eating birds, we like to cut breasts into finger steaks, sear them in olive oil, pour in a can of cream of chicken & mushroom soup add a little pepper, turn heat down on low and let them simmer for 1 1/2 hrs. Great over mashed potaoes or rice.[
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Thanks. How do you age them?
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Great hunt, thanks for posting.
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I have a friend who is a CO over in Duchesne that did that. I tried to age them by their teeth like I do elk or deer but that didn't work worth a darn.[:p]
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I would like to make it back home next spring to try for an Eastern which are larger.We didn't have them back there when I was growing up. Dad and my brother-in-law tell me there are getting to be quite a few back there now. I would like to kill an Eastern, I have taken Rios and 1 Merriam so far.
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My family is having a big gathering/hunt this weekend in Poynette. I want to go back with them one of these years. Work has me hopping so fast that I can barely have time to fish here it seems.
The turkeys weren't there when I grew up either. There is a lot of them there now however. I've driven buy cut corn fields and seen dozens in several fields. I'm told they are a nuisance in some areas.
I had made a promise to a friend of mine who I worked with that I'd take him down South hunting Turkey next spring, would have completed his grand slam, if he beat his cancer, he didn't unfortunately and passed away last month. Do it while you can, never know what is around the next corner unfortunately.
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If we go back we would be hunting West of Rice Lake. My brother-in-law told me they have had left over tags the last several years after the drawings and you can buy them over the counter, I think he picked up 3 after his drawing hunt tag was issued. Some of the guys I grew up with have farms and I'm pretty sure I could get permission to hunt them besides hunting on my sister's farm.
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