• Help Support TNDeer:

Which doe to shoot?

I don't shoot Does on my property. I don't have a problem with people who do, I understand it is a great management tool but on my property our deer population is low.
I do have one old Nanny that I see every year that is asking for it lol, she picks me off almost every time and blows her fool head off non-stop. She is a good Mom though and has always raised twin fawns. But one of these days...............
 
Gravey said:
The nanny doe. She's typically larger so more meat and is probably the one that would pick me off in a tree and sit there and blow forever. 🤣
Click to expand...
Exactly. Eagle eyes need to go. If they start picking us out from 200 yards, they become a target!

If I'm taking it to a processor, I usually try to pick the largest most mature does. We only kill a couple each year.
 
I agree that trying to control the uncontrollable leads to frustration.
Much of the benefit of all management schemes only work on intensely managed lands.
So if the strategy of shooting the alpha doe on your 19 acres makes you feel like you will be on the cover of B&C go for it. but don't be surprised if the ephemeral benefits never manifest in a meaningful way.

I'm not saying that there is no value in management strategies, but for the average hunter on average properties, those benefits will be hard to see as they can't control the many many factors in an open herd with small parcels.
What I'm trying to say is, stop focusing so much on controlling things and the EXPECTED results, and focus more on enjoying the hunt.
 
wcw280 said:
All the management people on here let's hear it and your reasons why. Young does, 2 yo does or the nanny does for management purposes. I can make a case for any of them honestly, but have my opinion. I'll listen toy
Y'all first. This should be interesting.
Click to expand...
for the sake of your hunt, the one with the big ears and loud mouth...for management, any. if they are at the processor, they will not drop a fawn this year..lol
 
My general rules of doe harvest.

NEVER shoot a single lone doe

NEVER shoot does over 140lbs

try to kill the medium sized does (1.5y/o, 2.5y/o) out of the family group, and try to kill dry does as opposed to those with fawns in tow
 
bigtex said:
I don't shoot Does on my property. I don't have a problem with people who do, I understand it is a great management tool but on my property our deer population is low.
Click to expand...
And there's nothing wrong with that. Harvesting females is a management tool used to control population density and adult sex ratio. If your local population doesn't need either of these factors adjusted, then female harvests aren't necessary (although some limited doe harvests generally aren't a problem for those who want the meat).
 
If you're trying to control herd numbers shoot breeding age does. I don't like shooting the only mature doe on the plot. They are the ones that establish home range. If there are several in a plot then one just ends up unlucky.
 
This is the last dead deer pic in my phone. How old was it? Aging does isn't easy.
F137C5AA-19EC-48DA-97BC-66359BB5A9B3.webp
 
Big fat 0 on doe kills. I'll argue it until I pass out. Does bring population. You want more deer don't shoot does. You can kill all bucks around and when them does come in heat bucks will find them.

Look if people would just be honest it's more understanding. Most won't shoot small bucks for meat but will take the first doe.

If shooting does didn't matter to population then twra wouldn't allow 3 per day out west.

Colorado and Wyoming wouldn't have dropped cow tags from winter kill if it didn't help.

Shooting does doesn't do any good. I don't care what someone shoots but I know way too many guys that absolutely will not shoot small bucks for meat and I would bet these guys have quite a bit of meat left every year.

The whole I wouldn't waste a buck tag on that is absurd its not wasted of you eat it.

I just have no respect for the ridiculous amount of rack hunters that wipe does out.
 
I haven't shot a doe in a few years because the neighbor behind me that owns 1250 acres of land has a large group of Wounded Warriors come every year and they shoot 15-20 does, so I will shoot one if I want to, but don't find it necessary to do so because they do it for me. When I do shoot I have two main things that I do that dictates what doe I shoot. I do not shoot a lone doe. They can often times be a button buck and with no other deer around it becomes harder to judge body size. A short head is another obvious fawn give away. The other thing is I shoot the largest doe out of the group to ensure the same thing. This may not be 100 percent fool proof, but the last time I shot a button buck was 1997, before I implemented those rules on to myself, so I feel confident that these two things are very effective.
 
Last edited:
Madbowh said:
Big fat 0 on doe kills. I'll argue it until I pass out. Does bring population. You want more deer don't shoot does.
Click to expand...
As I've said many times, if you don't have an over-population problem, or are trying to increase the deer population, then you don't need to shoot many does.

Madbowh said:
You can kill all bucks around and when them does come in heat bucks will find them.
Click to expand...
Although this is biologically true, it is very, very hard on the buck population if a few bucks are trying to breed many does. You will see a high post-rut mortality and significantly reduced body and antler growth in the following years.

Again, if you don't need to reduce the herd, then doe harvests can be minimalized. For example, because we are trying to rebuild a local deer population that was decimated by the harvest strategies on a neighboring Federal Refuge (they were trying to wipe out the deer population, and they were highly successful at that), we have shot VERY few does off my place in the last 5-6 years. We don't need population reduction and for quite a few years our sex ratio heavily favored males. But in many situations, shooting bucks without shooting does is going to drive your sex ratio into a very unbalanced condition, and this WILL cause harm to the local population in a myriad of ways.
 

Latest posts

Back
Top