Multiple kills from one stand...have you done it?

[Woody Williams]

There have been numerous occasions when I have shot a deer from a tree stand, I have had another shot opportunity on another deer an the same time or within a few minutes. I have always resisted the temptation to shoot another, even when I have observed the first deer had already gone down.

So my question to you: Those of you who have tried a "double" how did it turn out? Did it turn out to be a positive, a mistake, a headache, and would you do it again?

[Fur & Feathers]

Woody,
My second yr hunting I was still waiting to take a shot. The last week of hunting I shot a large doe while still hunting. She went down in a heap. As I approached I saw another doe walking toward the downed deer. It was quite small & I realized I had taken it's mother. Still had a antlerless tag but had no desire to shoot bambi. The large doe was enough for me. If I had seen the smaller deer I would have let mom walk.
Personally it would have been a mistake to take both. Just wouldn't have felt good about it.

[striper]

Woody: Year before last, I was in my stand and saw a group of about 7 or 8 does coming directly at me from about 700 yards away, coming across a large cotton field. When they were about 100 yards away, I took the largest deer and as they ran toward me, I chambered another round and took a second one with a clean shot to the heart. I did not know that I could shoot that well! I guess I was lucky. I hope you know that Alabama regulations allow 2 does a day or a buck and a doe a day. Striper

[DJH]

On four different occasions that I can quickly recall from the past forty-four years, I have arrowed two deer from a stand in a single sitting.

The last occasion was the fall of 2003. The first animals I harvested for the season were two does taken in the early morning about a hour apart. I killed the second animal as it sniffed the arrow that stuck into the ground after passing through the first animal a hour before. Both does were very dry and very delicious.

Two more does with fawns passed by my stand between my shots. Why didn't I shot them? Who knows, I just sat and watched them pass, enjoying every step of their journey. There is kind of a bizarre thrill in knowing that you have the power to remove an animal from the gene pool if you decide to do so and that the animals go about their daily routine, completely unaware of your presence.

At any rate, all four "doubles", filled my needs at the time and were a great experience. Extra work, but on each occasion I had plenty of able-bodied help.

No regrets! No apologies! All four occasions were and are great memories from the pages of my hunting career.

[terry-1]

I have never shot two myself same day. Had many chances to do so but like stated above I do my own processing and one is enough for a few days. We can kill two bucks same day here during archery season so I guess if a two huge bucks walked by minutes apart I would have to be up all night processing deer. To bad I have never had it happen that way before.

[Newbi]

Many years ago, I was hunting in the prairie country of south central Wyoming for Mule deer. I worked up to a nice 3X3 meat buck on the edge of a deep gully. Shooting my faithful old 30-30 I hit him good, I thought. He jumped down into the gully, and then came roaring out on the other side. I hit him again, and he dropped on the spot. When I approached the gully I was surprised to find one in the bottom of the gully and one on the other side. They looked like identical twins. Fortunately, my Dad was with me and had an open tag, so we filled them both. That is the only time that I have taken two at one time.

[maple]

DJH,

Sounds delicious!!!

Woody,

My first ever deer went down - a 276 lb 9 point buck - and as I was waiting the prescribed 30 minutes before following it, another doe came in from the left and I looked at it down the rail of the Exomag for a few minutes, before it thankfully left. No need for another at that time. One unknown quantity was enough. Better to let them walk then bite off more than you can chew.

Maple

[Guest]

I hit a double last fall with the Rifle. Two does came out and I pasted them both. The first one I shot dropped and the next did not know what happened and froze so I pasted her, we had 6 guys in the gang and all of us had doe tags No one had shot anything and it was the Thursday of the week and a few guys had to go back to work. The both does were simular in size one was a little smaller but I think they were both 2 1/2 to 3 1/2 years old.

Camper

[Camper]

Sorry, that was me above not logged on!!!

[Shakky]

I have had only one chance at a double and I didn't take it. It was the last day of the hunt and a group of three does came by. I took the first doe. The third doe ended up behind me around 20 yards. I didn't want to shoot it as I thought one deer was enough and it was my first time deer hunting. The deer started snorting at me and pawing the ground. I was not sure what it was going to do so I raised my rifle. I put the cross hairs on the front of it's chest. There is no way I would have missed from that close. We just stayed like that for sometime until finally I lowered my rifle. The deer didn't move, so I clapped my hands and scared it away. It just seemed greedy to me to take two.

[Kdog]

I have had a few doubles that were taken while gun hunting in GA. The shots were within :30 minutes of each other. On one ocasion, I took 2 with a bow.

In GA, we have a very liberal bag limit. I have donated to "Hunters For The Hungry" for several years, and this was the day. It was a HFTH weekend and I had planned to take at leats one for them again as it was the last weekend for it. It was windy, around 15 with gusts up to 25. Bad day, but I was in my doe stand. Just after first light, I hade two does coming down the trail about 40 yards out. When they got in a clearing, I dropped the largest of the two. :10 min. later, three came down the same trail, and I dropped the larger of them as she sniffed around the one that was down. I sat there for :30 minutes and decided to get down. As I got to the base of my tree, two more came up from the hardwoods and were only about 45 yards off, and I took a third. It was great that I was going to be able to donate 3 deer to such a worthy cause on such a windy day, and all within an hour. I walked over to the last one to mark it's location, then to the other two. As I approached, I heard something moving in the thick stuff, so I crouched and waited. As I sat there, I counted 7 deer coming up to the clear cut. I picked the largest and took her as well. It may sound bad that I would do that, and I never will again, but all 4 were donated to a wonderful cause.

It took longer to dress and load them than it did to take them. Luckily it was in the 40's so the meat was not going bad. The HFTH program is a great cause, and I hope to continue donating to them for many years to come, but I will never donate 4 at one time again.

Kdog

[Book]

I have doubled up 4 times with crossbow, might have been able to admit to a triple, but I would not want to incriminate myself. I always enjoy doubling up with the crossbow. I have also lost a deer or two on other occasions or my total for doubling up would be a lot higher. I have hunted in a few places here in Alabama that were covered up with deer and the opportunity to make multiple kills is very common. Book

[cdngunner...]

I have had the oppertunity once, and took full advantage of it.
My ultimate goal is to but food on the table and to offset the cost of groceries these days. More work,yes, but if you have the right friends its no problem. Its amazing what friends will do for a venison barbeque and beer.