Post by Hardcase on Apr 20, 2009 12:45:22 GMT -5
This is Cameron Asher first bird! He's one of the kids that go to our church. Debbie and I had him in RAs last year he's a great kid and a great hunter too! 
This is the story from his Dad, Dave:
Work had a youth hunt behind the plant here in Carrollton. Normally they allow employees only but they started allowing a handful of youths to hunt with their Dads during the special early seasons. We found three birds roosted together before daylight, set up, called, they flew down and worked straight in. Cam made a good shot at about 25 yards at 0730hrs. One of those textbook hunts. Didn’t see the other birds, but assuming they were jakes too.
Went back Sunday morning, got set up on one, but he flew down into a hayfield across the hollow off the property. It still amazes me that they will fly 300 yards to a good strutting area instead of 50 yards to a lonely “hen” (I sounded sooo good though!!!!) We got several more to answer that morning, but none really worked. Seemed like they were being led by a flock, which I guess would be normal for that early in the season.
I didn’t get any exact measurements on the bird. Spurs were just 1/2 inch bumps, beard was thicker than other jakes I’d seen, but still only about 3 inches. It felt pretty heavy for a jake, I’d guess 18-20lbs. I know each half of the breast weighed about 2 pounds. We fried one and it was more than we could eat in a meal. Birds seem to run pretty big back there, I know both of the 2 year old birds I took last year behind the plant were in the 25+ range. Any way, it seemed heavier than other jakes I’d seen. I’ve only taken one jake before, and it only weighed about 15 lbs. Not that I cull them, I consider any turkey that responds to the call to be a gift, I just don’t get that many jakes to come to the call.
This is the story from his Dad, Dave:
Work had a youth hunt behind the plant here in Carrollton. Normally they allow employees only but they started allowing a handful of youths to hunt with their Dads during the special early seasons. We found three birds roosted together before daylight, set up, called, they flew down and worked straight in. Cam made a good shot at about 25 yards at 0730hrs. One of those textbook hunts. Didn’t see the other birds, but assuming they were jakes too.
Went back Sunday morning, got set up on one, but he flew down into a hayfield across the hollow off the property. It still amazes me that they will fly 300 yards to a good strutting area instead of 50 yards to a lonely “hen” (I sounded sooo good though!!!!) We got several more to answer that morning, but none really worked. Seemed like they were being led by a flock, which I guess would be normal for that early in the season.
I didn’t get any exact measurements on the bird. Spurs were just 1/2 inch bumps, beard was thicker than other jakes I’d seen, but still only about 3 inches. It felt pretty heavy for a jake, I’d guess 18-20lbs. I know each half of the breast weighed about 2 pounds. We fried one and it was more than we could eat in a meal. Birds seem to run pretty big back there, I know both of the 2 year old birds I took last year behind the plant were in the 25+ range. Any way, it seemed heavier than other jakes I’d seen. I’ve only taken one jake before, and it only weighed about 15 lbs. Not that I cull them, I consider any turkey that responds to the call to be a gift, I just don’t get that many jakes to come to the call.
