Taking does with fawns

[wpcexpert]

My question to those that won't shoot the doe:

At what point will you be able to shoot a doe? You see a doe with two yearlings. You don't shoot. Next year when that same bunch comes thru, Last years big doe has 1-2 more yearlings with her. But her two offspring are now with her. Obviously more mature than last year. So you shoot one of the ones from last year. Now eliminating the continued breeding after the big doe dies.

What about if you see a Big doe, two yearlings, and a last years yearling doe? Do you shoot the big doe, obviously the yearlings are hers, or the smaller mature doe? Hampering the deer herd?

I just do not understand the logic.

[MeekAndMild]

In my area the game wardens give interviews on the local news shows and for the newspaper, asking hunters to please shoot does. And they have a big writeup every year in the fish and game law handbook. I try to follow their advice, killing at least one to two does for every buck I bring home. My lifetime ratio is about 60-70% does.

If there are spotted fawns with a doe in December it means that there are serious imbalances in the herd sex ratio so that does are getting bred very, very late in the season. It also probably means that there is a serious overpopulation problem. This leaves the hunter in a quandary, how do they reduce the deer herd without killing the does? Chances are that winter kill and coyotes will remove the problem away from human sight but I've got to admit that if the herd was so unbalanced that I saw spotted fawns in December I'd probably call in a report to the game warden and ask for advice.

If there are brown fawns they may be does or they may be bucks which haven't reached the point where the doe drove them away. These little bucks are a problem. If one shoots a "little doe", especially in poor light they have a 50-50 chance of it being an antlerless buck. This means that the only way to be sure to maintain sexual balance is to harvest mature does. By mid December if you see lactating does there is a population problem even if the fawns are brown.

What about does who have a single brown fawn? This is a bad sign but not as bad as late season spots. It means that either does are subfertile - a product of poor nutrition and overcrowding - or one of the fawns has died. Seeing one or two does with only one fawn isn't a pattern but if you see a lot of them it may mean overpopulation or herd imbalance.

When I shoot does I tend to shoot the ones with yearlings and not those with this year's brown fawns but I will shoot a yearling if I can definitely see it has no buttons. So far I've never taken home a button buck but then I pass up a lot of shots. I tend to pass up shots if I see a very young brown fawn hanging with the doe, but in my part of the world you usually see antlerless deer in groups of 5 to 10 so it is easier to choose your shots. I've been passing up shots myself this year because I'm seeing mostly single immature bucks and small groups of does, not the big groups of previous years.

So I've gone around the world here and not said much. Maybe you should call your local game warden for advice? They could tell you how healthy is your local herd.

[jaymag]

They are not fawns during hunting season.Yes they have alot to learn,But in public land where I hunt.We don't get them every year.There're still smart little suckers,don't kid yourself. I would fry a yearling deer like any buck,in my frying pan.I love venison, and that is that.Although four does came in my area this year.I waited for the biggest one.But ,yes I DO turn down yearling does when I can.The last day of hunting,if your brown your down.Just kidding Jay!!!

[nate45]

I just do not understand the logic.

There is no logic behind what they're thinking, they would be sad if someone shot their mother, so consequently the yearling would be sad and maybe not survive without mommy, its more emotion based nonsense.

The question is do you need meat or not? Does aren't trophy animals they are strictly for meat as far as I am concerned. You know for that matter, if meat is the object, I might shoot the yearling depending on what size it was, they are some nice tender eating.

[Quickdraw Limpsalot]

Shoot the doe. Then shoot the fawn.

They're all yearlings by modern firearm season 'round here anyway.

[Simon Templar]

Regardless of the current state of my freezer, I have yet to be so hungry as to even consider shooting the doe. No sense to it.


....sT

[hogdogs]

Simon, Please don't consider this directed at you only...
Everyone who feels does or does with young are off limits I have to ask... WHY?
Do you only shoot buck rabbits? Squirrels (yeah I know you shake the tree and listen for the nuts to rattle)? How about doves? As for the offspring, I think it is only the heart breaking thought since you see the fawn... But I am never sure if the animals I shoot have offspring depending on either parent back at the nest... With many of our game animals the parents both are needed to provide for the young... doves and squirrels are just 2 I can think of. Life is tuff... even tuffer for prey animals. If their side mounted eyes aren't enough to keep them alive, I am not going to lose sleep over it.
Brent

[thallub]

I will not shoot a doe that has fawns. Passed up a doe in mid October that was with two fawns that still had spots. The next day I passed up another doe that had a fawn. Hunted 7 more days and got a buck.

[metalheadlead]

I agree, with fawns no, but yearlings-thats a different story. How many times has a doe been taken with fawns that are not seen?

[MeekAndMild]

I think that some of the sentiments I see expressed here adequately explain why the deer are so overabundant that they're being killed off by diseases, cars and starvation. Starvation doesn't care how happy Bambi is when he dies.

[sureshots]

The purpose of Hunting Seasons on whitetail deer is to help control the population of these animals. By letting these pass you probably caused more harm than good. Figure at an increase of two deer, per deer,per year and in two or three years you have A whole Herd.

[aquarius323@embarqma]

I attended a Southeastern Deer Study conference years ago where the wildlife manager of a large Texas ranch presented a study of yearling survival without does. Does and fawns were radio collared then the does were harvested during hunting season. There was no effect on yearling survival when the does were removed. After apologies to the audience he showed a film of the doe harvest. there are times we know we should not want to do something but being strapped in the door of a helicopter with a shotgun and chasing running deer did look like fun.

[Bitmap]

you will see spotted fawns nearly all year long.

These aren't spotted fawns. They are last years fawns. Weaned as far as I can tell.

[fisherman66]

you will see spotted fawns nearly all year long.

not around here. I wonder if it could be Axis Deer you are seeing.

[.41 rem mag fan]

Around here, fish and game can't give away all the doe permits they want used. In a state with a healthy elk herd and many large bucks running around, I think the management tool of harvesting does is way under utilized. I have no facts to prove this, other than seeing hundreds of dead deer on the side of the road all year long

Alfalfa, corn, grass fed does taste pretty good too

[kingudaroad]

I know a lot of people who will not shoot a doe, and I think I know the reason...

I'm a better cook than them!

[MeekAndMild]

Anyone who refuses to shoot does needs to be aware that regardless of what they do or don't do the blue tongue disease may wipe out their entire herd next summer if winter kill doesn't do it in February.

I won't put a link up to the anti-civil-rights group "Committee to Abolish Sport Hunting" but they post information on their website that it is their belief that sport hunting produces increased winter kill in deer by creating abnormal sex ratios, i.e. killing off the bucks and leaving the does to breed. Obviously sport hunting doesn't increase winter kill but hunting bucks only doesn't reduce it. The only way to reduce winter kill is by removing does from the herd.

[P99AS9]

I wouldn't shoot a doe with fawns! I think that's a cruel thing to do! I would say that the only way I would do that is if I really and truly needed it for food, and nothing else! Striking a creature down that is trying to teach or protect their young ones just isn't right to me!

[Dr. A]

My son shot a fawn last year. If they are with their mother, they can easily be mistaken for a yearling even if they are fawns of this year. Our smallest fawn this time of the year is about 90#, and it is very easy for them to survive the winter without Mom. My son's big weanling last year weighed in at 110#.

I shot a doe in early October during bow season and saw both "fawns" just the other day. Getting by easily without Mom. They have continued to grow, and look as if they are thriving. All this on a farm with many deer, alfalfa, and milo.

[MeekAndMild]

As I mentioned before, if you see spotted fawns this late in the season it probably warrants a call to the local game warden to assist in decisionmaking as to how aggressively hunters should go out of their way to harvest does. Late fawns mean serious problems with an overpopulated deer herd. Or should I have said catastrophic problems?

As others have said, once they have been weaned this years fawns are hardy creatures capable of surviving on their own.

[onthejon55]

While bowhunting this year i had a doe and i big fawn walk under the stand. I had and arrow nocked and drew back twice but cudn't shoot. Not that i have nething against killing for food but after watching the fawn frolick around and play while the doe watched i decided that i wasnt that hungry and that i would feel better about myself if i waited and killed something else.

[SavageSniper]

I may be a little different, but I would have taken the yearlings. I have no problem with taking the doe either. As said, by this time they are not fawns. A 70#+ yearling is the best table fare in the woods. If you have never feasted on a yearling, you are really missing out. Try it and you will never ask the question again.

[Trapp]

So, I passed on a few does with young'uns this year so far. After reading and doing a little research myself. I decided that any doe that comes my way gets it!

My main concern was the survivability of the fawns (none of that emotional garbage ). By everything I have read. shows they will live.

Anyway, I head back to my truck and hear a ruckus when I reach it. "Hmm..." I thinks to myself....."what yonder ruckuses my way?"

Sho 'nuff a MASSIVE doe comes charging out of the woods not 20 yds away and makes a hard right. I whistle to it like its my yellow lab and it stops.

I shoulder me trusty Tactical Assault Sniper Savage 10FPLE in 308 with a 20"bbl, put the crosshairs on the sweetspot.

BANG! Where'd it go!? Dropped it!

What happened to my doe? Why is this 70lb button buck laying here on the ground?

And i was gonna shoot a doe.......Oh well, meat in the freezer

[troy_mclure]

4yrs ago i had 3 tags, it was horible weather, and out walks a large doe and 2 fawns. guess what went to the truck with me?
thats right all 3. a deer is a deer is a deer. they are all tasty!