Thoughts on killing doubles (two hunters together)

[Tommy Strutsalot]

Called in two longbeards for me and my father-in-law on the PA opener.  This was his first bird and maybe third ever turkey hunt, and on his own land to boot.  We took these two and didn't hunt them for the remainder of the season.  It was an unforgettable moment, and we took the same number of birds we hoped to, but I guess I should've read this thread first to brush up on the latest guidelines from the turkey hunting elite.




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[Cowboy]

What about a group of guys shooting six gobblers in one spot at a time. I saw one of our local podcast guys post the other day. They shot five gobblers in a group and had them hanging up. He made some comment about using them as decoys. They were trying to call in one more bird. The whole thing just rubbed me the wrong way but that's just me.  I left a comment and he said there were ten more gobblers in the area. That's great but I take it as you wiped out almost 50% of the gobblers lol.


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Those guys aren't hunters, they are straight up GAME HOGS and looking for the glory and recognition from others. Distasteful and THEY should be hung up for decoys...IMO. 

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[Kyle_Ott]

What about a group of guys shooting six gobblers in one spot at a time. I saw one of our local podcast guys post the other day. They shot five gobblers in a group and had them hanging up. He made some comment about using them as decoys. They were trying to call in one more bird. The whole thing just rubbed me the wrong way but that's just me.  I left a comment and he said there were ten more gobblers in the area. That's great but I take it as you wiped out almost 50% of the gobblers lol.


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Just to add - this is certainly turning into a sanctimonious bunch at times.

I'm not sure sanctimonious is an appropriate designation.  I think research, science, and the declines experienced by so many around the country warrant changes in our behaviors as turkey hunters.  We know considerably more about these birds and we should all be keenly aware of how many folks are now hunting turkeys and the success they are experiencing despite declines.

3 years ago I would've never hesitated to shoot a double with a buddy or landowner in the first three weeks of the season on a lot of properties.  Now, I simply won't do it because we've learned more.

[g8rvet]

Called in two longbeards for me and my father-in-law on the PA opener.  This was his first bird and maybe third ever turkey hunt, and on his own land to boot.  We took these two and didn't hunt them for the remainder of the season.  It was an unforgettable moment, and we took the same number of birds we hoped to, but I guess I should've read this thread first to brush up on the latest guidelines from the turkey hunting elite.




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Well said.  A lifetime memory.

[arkrem870]

My original comment was before it was changed to two hunters......one hunter shooting multiples isn't an ideal situation. Two hunters doubling up isn't a huge problem if the turkey population in the area can support it. If they are the only two gobblers clearly one should be left.

[Tommy Strutsalot]

A few have mentioned science, research, population decline in this thread.  Turkey populations are important to all of us, whether you shoot doubles or won't.  Everyone who's on this forum cares a great deal.  From the research and information I've gathered, selective harvest is indeed an important tool, yet we still see 6-8K hens killed in PA's fall season every year.  I would rather reduce that number, which would have an obvious positive impact, than discourage people shooting legal toms after the majority of breeding has already commenced. Don't want to start a separate debate, my point is that you could get any turkey biologist in America on the horn and they will make many recommendations before telling two guys not to kill a pair of longbeards.  Our forests and brooding habitats need management, our predators need management, the list goes on for a while before we get to doubles.


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[Kyle_Ott]

A few have mentioned science, research, population decline in this thread.  Turkey populations are important to all of us, whether you shoot doubles or won't.  Everyone who's on this forum cares a great deal.  From the research and information I've gathered, selective harvest is indeed an important tool, yet we still see 6-8K hens killed in PA's fall season every year.  I would rather reduce that number, which would have an obvious positive impact, than discourage people shooting legal toms after the majority of breeding has already commenced. Don't want to start a separate debate, my point is that you could get any turkey biologist in America on the horn and they will make many recommendations before telling two guys not to kill a pair of longbeards.  Our forests and brooding habitats need management, our predators need management, the list goes on for a while before we get to doubles.


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You're right. Most biologists would recommend habitat management, predator management and then selective harvest.

But the majority of turkey hunters are NOT implementing habitat projects on their properties.  They are NOT trapping.  So the one thing that the majority of turkey hunters could do is actually be more judicious with how many turkeys they harvest, when they harvest those turkeys and where.

One of the most amazing aspects of the turkey management conversation is people's willingness to point fingers at habitat loss, habitat degradation, predator population increases and then totally absolve themselves from the equation.  As if we, as hunters, aren't their most formidable predator each spring and we shouldn't need to modify our behaviors to compensate for changing times, as well.  I find it simply fascinating and a little unsettling.  But then again, to each their own.....

[Tommy Strutsalot]

A few have mentioned science, research, population decline in this thread.  Turkey populations are important to all of us, whether you shoot doubles or won't.  Everyone who's on this forum cares a great deal.  From the research and information I've gathered, selective harvest is indeed an important tool, yet we still see 6-8K hens killed in PA's fall season every year.  I would rather reduce that number, which would have an obvious positive impact, than discourage people shooting legal toms after the majority of breeding has already commenced. Don't want to start a separate debate, my point is that you could get any turkey biologist in America on the horn and they will make many recommendations before telling two guys not to kill a pair of longbeards.  Our forests and brooding habitats need management, our predators need management, the list goes on for a while before we get to doubles.


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You're right. Most biologists would recommend habitat management, predator management and then selective harvest.

But the majority of turkey hunters are NOT implementing habitat projects on their properties.  They are NOT trapping.  So the one thing that the majority of turkey hunters could do is actually be more judicious with how many turkeys they harvest, when they harvest those turkeys and where.

One of the most amazing aspects of the turkey management conversation is people's willingness to point fingers at habitat loss, habitat degradation, predator population increases and then totally absolve themselves from the equation.  As if we, as hunters, aren't their most formidable predator each spring and we shouldn't need to modify our behaviors to compensate for changing times, as well.  I find it simply fascinating and a little unsettling.  But then again, to each their own.....

Very interesting take lol.  It seems you've discarded my example of fall harvests as a clear form of modifying hunter behavior and then assigned me the opposite stance. And while most hunters may or may not trap predators, I do. So I'm left to assume that either a) I'm not fascinating to you, or b) you've quoted me but then described an entirely different hunter or point of view than I've represented.  I think it's both but especially "b"


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[Meleagris gallopavo]

Sorry I'm talking specifically about two hunters sitting together.

Thanks.  That's kinda what I was thinking. 


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[Tail Feathers]

If you are careful to not take all the toms off an area, what's the real difference if you take two at once or two in two days?
I think doubling up is uncommon enough that it's just not a real problem. 

[Howieg]

This is very situational , but 9 out of 10 times I don't tote a gun while hunting with others .
Safety is lst reason , 2nd if I think enough of you to go with , or take you hunting ? I want you to be the shooter .  When I take my son , who's 9 , I'm in the teaching mode . Me having my gun is a distraction imo .
    I've been chasing them a long time now , I can count on one hand the doubles I've shared

[joey46]

If you are careful to not take all the toms off an area, what's the real difference if you take two at once or two in two days?
I think doubling up is uncommon enough that it's just not a real problem.

IMO I agree with it not being a real problem.  Having hunted the big birds since the 1970s and never taken a buddy double until moving to Florida in 2005 threads such as this cause no more than an eye roll from me.  Buddy doubles have not and never will cause a smidgen of difference in the overall turkey populations.  So much to worry about so little time with the seasons winding down.

[Cut N Run]

in 2014, my best friend and I got rights to hunt a piece of land that was going on the market and we knew it would sell quickly.  The first day we went out there to scout, we threw together a brush blind on a high spot overlooking a bean field that looked pretty good, though we didn't take into account the direction of the sun rise..  I went out to scout and listen the weekend before the opener and found that the turkeys preferred a different lower part of the field, droppings, tracks, and scratching confirmed it.  After the birds left, I dragged a few branches up beside a downed log in the shade. Opening Day I called in a 20.5 pound gobbler (that I saw the week before) and shot him at 26 yards.  I called my buddy and told him to come set up where I was because he already had sun on him.  Around 45 minutes after he got to my brush blind, I got gobbles back from random calls I'd cast out and had two more grown gobblers walk down the edge of the woods line towards us.  My buddy shot the bigger bird (which turned out to be a double beard) @ 22 pounds.  We were done by 9:00 a.m..  We has a celebratory bacon & eggs breakfast cooked on the Coleman stove on his tailgate.  We stopped by the house to talk to the owner, but he was gone up to Virginia.

Later that evening, we got a call from the land owner asking us not to hunt for a few days because he had several perspective buyers coming to look at the land. We told him that we'd doubled and I'm not sure who was happier, him or us.  That was the first and last time I ever hunted there.

Twenty or so years ago, I was the only one hunting at my old lease on Opening day. Before the season started, I'd been hearing 8-9 different gobblers on our 700 acres plus the adjoining property.  I put one to bed the night before and called him in right off the roost the next morning.  The next weekend, I invited my best friend out to hunt (he was my one guest for the season).  I set him up by a small knoll along a power line opening where I'd heard and seen gobblers strut consistently in the mornings for a few weeks.  I was sure he'd get a good chance at a gobbler. I set up 700+ yards farther up the power lines, where I killed that one on Opening day. At daybreak two gobblers fired up in the timber down where my buddy was.  Even though the sound echoed up the powerlines, I could tell when they'd flown down.  I knew they were on or around that knoll and I kept expecting to hear a shot any second...nothing.  Then, it went to one gobble only, but I could tell it was heading my way.  I called, got a response, and it kept getting closer.  Finally, I saw a longbeard in full strut heading up the opening.  As soon as it cleared some short pines, I'd have a clear shot and was going to drop the hammer on him.  He was still in strut, so I clucked one time on my mouth call to get his head up.  As soon as I pulled the trigger on my single shot, I saw movement off to the side of the gobbler.  Recoil rocked me back and when I recovered, there were two gobblers flopping.  The movement I saw was one running up behind the other.  I never saw him coming through the small pines because I had the bead lined up on my intended target.  We're only allowed 2 gobblers per season and one per day.  So, that gave me 3 gobblers in 2 days of hunting.  I called the land owner and told him what happened.  He ended up tagging my second bird & I cleaned it for him and left it in the refrigerator in his shop.  Both birds were over 22 pounds with 1.25 inch spurs, 10 inch beards, probably brothers.  Only one other turkey was killed out there that season on the last day.  It turns out that my best friend didn't like the spot I set him up in (!?) and he moved back into the timber, closer to the roosted birds, which flew down to the power lines and went straight to that knoll.  If he'd stayed where I set him, those gobblers would have been inside 30 yards from him.  Oh, well.

Jim

[Mountainburd]

If you are careful to not take all the toms off an area, what's the real difference if you take two at once or two in two days?
I think doubling up is uncommon enough that it's just not a real problem.

IMO I agree with it not being a real problem.  Having hunted the big birds since the 1970s and never taken a buddy double until moving to Florida in 2005 threads such as this cause no more than an eye roll from me.  Buddy doubles have not and never will cause a smidgen of difference in the overall turkey populations.  So much to worry about so little time with the seasons winding down.

Actually Joey I started this thread a couple of weeks ago in the heart of my home season and the beginning of some other states. I can assure you my thoughts and feelings on this topic did not derive from boredom or too much time on my hands. Thank you all for your posts and insight on this.

[Neill_Prater]

Can't really understand the negativity. Two people, two tags, two turkeys. What difference does it make if it's simultaneous, an hour apart or different days?

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