killingtime 41
Well-Known Member
I'm don't shoot doe's with fawns either. If I was starving I would. But whatever a man wants to do.
Its pretty simple, wanna grow the herd shoot the surplus, want to nock it back shoot the mommas. I will never understand the whole, im not shooting a fawn to manly crowd. I would rather kill 50-80 lb deer every day, yes they tase better! Ive eat my fair share(nearing 300) and yes you can tell a difference in a crockpot yearling and an old doe.Got a question I've been pondering and curious what others think. I hunt in CWD zone. We've always killed does and donated to Hunters for the Hungry, however we no longer have a processor in our county. I can process my own, but don't need that much meat, but need to kill does.
So my question is if a doe and fawn(s) come out, which should I shoot? I'm about to convince myself that the correct answer is fawns - less meat to deal with, higher quality meat, longer productive life expectancy, etc. I know some might be button bucks, but they are going to disperse any way. So what are your thoughts? and thanks for your input!
I am all for each doing what he feels is right within the law, but on 2 places I helped cull does that a biologist was involved, the guys that said they would not shoot a momma doe with little ones, they got sent home. At least on land in KY in TN, according to the biologists I have been associated with, when there are for sure to many does, the only doe you shoot is a momma doe with little ones, leaving the the little ones alone. And shooting fawns or yearlings, especially the later it is in the season, you are for sure taking a huge chance on killing a young male deer, button bucks get pushed away that time of year and are loners and pretty much curious and ignorant when it comes to being scared of hunters. All bucks, were young deer at one time. I have no care what anyone kills legally, but I personally have no care to kill a young buck of any kind.I don't shoot does with fawns
I did once and regretted it.
That's just me-I say kill what you want as long as you're utilizing the meat..
On my little piece of dirt I don't shoot does but in Virginia I'll shoot a couple but again I don't kill any with fawns
OP needs to reduce population. Shooting fawns does nothing for that.Late December if there is a doe with two large yearlings, I'll take one of the yearlings. I'll let the likely pregnant mature doe go for the next year.
I pretty much disagree with that. If a landowner or person in control of the land wants does killed late in the season, then that is what is done. But from my personal experience and many years ago when I helped cull does and a biologist was involved, when killing does is needed, kill as many mature does as you think as needed or as many as you can early in the season. The places we shot the mature does early in the season always had/have better ruts than places that wanted the does shot late in the season. Makes sense to me, since dropping the doe population will make the buck to doe ratio better, then kill them before the rut, not after. I have been told so many times I was "shooting the bait" when we killed so many does early in the season, only to have some of the best ruts I have ever seen. And it is not 100 percent of the time, but it sure is a large percentage.Down side of shooting older doe is they are buck bait. run them off your property or shoot many of them and depending on your property you might not see many bucks during the rut. everything is a trade off imo. If I wanted to drop the herd numbers I would wait till I had the bucks killed, as doe are bred the bucks will move on looking for more love till probably February lol. the yearlings will get a lot of attention as they come into heat for the first time and depending what your area is like season might be open or not. choices are hard to make for everybody as a lot of factors play out.