Friday, March 6th, 2026

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Friday, March 6th, 2026

Breaking News for

Sportsmen Since 1968

Turkey hunters: would you shoot a jake?

Sapir took great pleasure from the hunt that led to tagging this juvenile tom. Though he is always looking for adult gobblers, he has had some great hunts on which he harvested a jake. (Photo by Glenn Sapir)

If you are a sportsman who believes bigger is better, I can’t fault you. I feel the same way, but I learned a valuable lesson during the New York spring turkey hunting season 20 years ago that showed me that a bird shouldn’t be memorable simply by the length of its spurs or beard. When I think of the turkeys with which I reached my two-tom limit that spring, I measure them by the excitement they provided me on those hunts. As you prepare for the upcoming turkey season, you might be interested in my experiences 20 years ago.

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