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I'm sitting here in my treestand on the last day of deer season. About 20 minutes ago I had a hen followed by 2 gobblers come by. They fed around for awhile at about 50 yards and I was able to get a pretty good look at them. The first gobbler had about a 9" beard and was thick as a paintbrush. I noticed the other one had two beards. The first was about 8 inches but about the size of a pencil. The other was about an inch shorter but was half the the size of the first one. Best I could tell from the spurs both appeared to be 2 year olds.

So come opening day if you call these birds in and you recognize them which one are you putting your bead on?

First one that gives me a shot!!!

The first one that presents clean, well within range shot. They are both nice birds.....

If I can get a clean shot, the thick 9" bearded bird.

Quote from: Aholdren on January 31, 2021, 09:04:31 AM
First one that gives me a shot!!!

Me too. Can't eat beards but the pencil thin ones do make for better floss.


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Ahh yes, one of the age-old questions! 

Around these parts, multiple-bearded gobblers are as rare as "hens teeth", so I would definitely choose that one in this situation.  They are, in fact, so rare that I would probably have to do a "quadruple take" to convince myself that he actually had a double-beard and not just a split-beard. 

On the other hand, if I had to choose between letting them both walk off or shooting the other gobbler, he would very likely be in big trouble,...a snood-dirt-bath is probably in the offing!   :toothy12:

Then again, I once let an 8-bearded gobbler walk off without pulling the trigger.  I know he had eight beards because he made the mistake of coming back about an hour later!   ;D

If I had a choice probably the paintbrush


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First one in range.

Does this assume I look at the beards hard enough to see that on my own?

I have less multi beards than I do paint brushes so I'd shoot the double in theory in practice I killed the first one that gave me a good shot.

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Paintbrush

In the heat of the battle , i would take the one that gives me the best shot opportunity. But i like the one with double beards. I would probably take the one who is the most aggressive and strutting of the 2 gobblers.

Whichever one gives me the first clean shot


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Boom

Either one

Can't say that I typically look at one's beard much other than to verify it's a longbeard. First one up in the clear inside 40 yards takes the hit.

Both birds came in. Both birds standing clear at 30 yds. I'm shooting the paintbrush beard.

Paintbrush

Quote from: Aholdren on January 31, 2021, 09:04:31 AM
First one that gives me a shot!!!

What Holdren said

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Quote from: PalmettoRon on January 31, 2021, 09:09:18 AM
If I can get a clean shot, the thick 9" bearded bird.

Me too. I`m going to be more picky this year and look for paintbrushes with nice fans. I`ve already got a thin bearded bird. I`ll be letting more walk this year.

Never really noticed much if a bird has two beards unless he's running or moving them around to even tell. Usually after I walk up on a dead bird it's usually a surprised he's a double or triple  :drool: I'll be happy to just come home successful with one either way.

Quote from: Aholdren on January 31, 2021, 09:04:31 AM
First one that gives me a shot!!!

This!

Bird in hand is worth more then one in the bush. ;D

I like big birds.
If I have 2 toms in range and one has a shorter beard but looks bigger and heavier, I'll shoot him... but w that said, I'm taking the one out of the two that I know I can kill.

Couldn't pass up a double beard given the chance.  But either one is a trophy so I take the one who gives up first.

well said

The younger me would give them both a barrel...haha.  The older me would take out the double beard now and hunt his buddy in the near future.

With the ammo shortage being what it is I'd wait for both heads to line up,
just like Quigley

This reminds me of a beautiful hunt in Virginia. Hunting with a friend on private land. We had two long beards come in. Put on a show at 55 yards or so. They where in a field, hens came and went. My buddy was behind me about 40 yards, calling. Anyway the birds went back in the woods to circle around us. Something made them change there mind. The both popped out of a creek bottom 20 yards from me. One was diffidently dominant over the other. However at twenty yards I couldn't tell. As soon as I was able to aim, I pulled the trigger. The bird hit the ground. The other one just looked and finally walked off. I was hoping my buddy would get a shot at him but it didn't work out.... Virginia is a one bird a day state. I would like to know how big the one that got away was???

Good luck.

I've been getting quite a few pics of them lately and the double beard is the one that has been doing all the strutting. If I didn't know any better you would think he didn't have a beard at all according to the pics!

When I have been faced with this choice (all things being equal), I always take the dominant bird.  For 2 reasons. He put on the show and he gets the truck ride-it just sticks in my mind better than the trophy.  Also, if you kill the dominant bird, another will take his place! 

I like this kind of tough decision though!   :funnyturkey:

Quote from: g8rvet on February 05, 2021, 12:54:19 PM
When I have been faced with this choice (all things being equal), I always take the dominant bird.  For 2 reasons. He put on the show and he gets the truck ride-it just sticks in my mind better than the trophy.  Also, if you kill the dominant bird, another will take his place! 

I like this kind of tough decision though!   :funnyturkey:

Yes, eventually. It`s a misconception that another gobbler will simply take over the breeding responsibilities of the dominant ( breeding ) gobbler as soon as the dominant tom is killed. The hen makes the choice and, depending on when the dominant bird is taken out, may or may not breed that cycle.

All I care is that he gobbles!  It may just be chance, but there have sure been a lot of times over the years where the dominant bird (at least the one gobbling the most) was killed and a week later a bunch of birds are gobbling.  Like I said though, it could just be chance.

I would take the first clear opportunity unless they are both in the clear and then I would take the Strutter after his show.

I killed a quadruple bearded bird last season. I knew he had a " nice beard " as he approached, but didn`t realize he had four until after I went to him. The main beard was a paintbrush to boot, 10 3/4". So, it`s paint brushes for me from now on. I expect to be watching the show far more than pulling the trigger from now on, which is OK by me.

The 1st one in range... but the double if both are and i have the choice.

I'm not special, I dont call the best, I'm not the greatest woodsman this side of the Mighty Miss...so I would say either bird. They both sound like great birds and if they put on a show they both would be trophies in their own right! Man...just thinking about the opportunity is getting g me ready for this spring!

The one that appears to be the more dominant or meaner, struts, mean walks etc. If they act the same then the one that gives the best chance for a shot. Full fan and long beard works for me most of the time. I killed a nice 3 year old 1 1/8" spurred 21lb. tom with a 2" beard (from rot) some years ago. Strutted in with a hen through knee deep muscadine vines and never got a view of long beard that I was certain was there. Toted out the same anyway.

The first one to step out for a clean shot dies.  I've killed one double bearded bird in my time and I never took the time to study it to see before I shot, only realized it after I had my boot on it's neck.