I was hunting for a doe in Gillespie County on the last day of the season (yesterday).

I saw (3) bucks in the morning hunt but no doe. I sat a different stand in the afternoon and at around 4 P.M. a mature doe comes out with a smaller/younger doe. The younger doe was definitely not a fawn, but may have been her yearling. They were both eating corn from the feeder.

I hesitated for a few minutes and then decided to go ahead and shoot the older doe. She dropped dead and the younger doe ran off.

Would any of you have passed on the shot? Is there a concern for the yearling? What are your thoughts? Thanks.

It's okay, unless the yearling comes back and lays down beside her. Like the one I shot.

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unless the yearling comes back and lays down beside her. Like the one I shot.

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WOW!

I would have probably passed. I won't shoot a doe with an obvious yearling. I shot a doe a few years ago and her yearling ran out to her and wouldn't leave her. I had to get down and run the yearling off. At that point, I decided I wouldn't do it again. Odds are the yearling is old enough to make it just fine. Just my preference.

I did the same thing this last Saturday and filled my last doe tag. I saw a bunch of smaller doe that morning at the feeder but wanted to wait for more to come in and guage the size. Sure enough 2 larger doe came in but were very flighty this time. They didn't stick around long and I thought I missed my opportunity.

About 30 minutes later a doe and 2 smaller ones came out with her. She stopped and I took the shot. The two smaller deer had no spots. They ran off a little and then came back to momma. The sniffed her and then ran off.

I took my dad on this trip so he was in the stand jackin' with me saying don't you feel bad? I didn't at all. Now that I'm reflecting on it, her two smaller deer were the same size as the smaller one's that were chowing down at the feeder. I still don't feel bad because I think they are big enough to make it on their own.

I only shoot does with fawns, especially button bucks. They are fully able to survive on their own and will not have a problem making it. The reason I do this is because the fawns are imprinted on our property and will not leave until she runs them off when she has her next fawn, thus decreasing our future buck numbers. By taking out these does I am increasing the number of future bucks that I may be able to harvest. I am amazed at how close these buck fawns stay and, through running TC's year round, I can keep up with their growth and maturity.

Shoot the "yearling" or a doe fawn. Most of the does are already bred. The doe fawns aren't going to breed for another year. Therfore you'll have a buck to hunt sooner than if you shoot the old, bred doe.
All you're trying to do is get the numbers down and at the same time get some meat. Besides the young doe will probably have a single fawn her first year; therfore, you've got a 50/50 chance of getting a buck fawn out of her, unless she's breeding in a droughthy time.

I would have shot her, if the yearling came back I would have shot her too.

We only take mature single dow. Nothing w/yearling or fawns

[This message has been edited by NW80 (edited 1/18/2010 2:48p).]

I would have taken them both.

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Most of the does are already bred.

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always my dilemma shooting does late in the year. i always think she may be carrying the next "209"

I heard once that fawns are weaned at 10 weeks. Therefore if your fawns are being born in the Jun 15 to July 15 area, then you should be able to take the doe by Oct 1 with no adverse effect on the fawns.

Any biologists out there???

If the fawn/yearling didn't have spots it's likely just fine. I personally prefer to take does BEFORE the rut because thats when it likely does the most good.

I will absolutely pop a doe with twins in September. They're plenty old to do just fine on their own.

...having said that, you often have to run them off because they stick around.

It is good to always shoot doe's in a way that you take out some from all age groups. You don't want to shoot all old does just like you don't want to shoot all young does. As far as shooting a doe with a yearling. If its after november I don't even worry about it.

Again, I have been told......that if you are managing your deer, then take the older does always. The thinking being that if you are culling bucks, then it only makes sense that the doe's genetics are getting better each year as well. The younger doe will have better genetics than the older.

Once again, any experts?

I too want to make a commitment to harvest all the doe before the rut next year.

By this time of year, yearlings/fawns should be fine without the doe. There is a risk for increased predation, but not enough for me not to shoot.

A fawn from this year will just stand there and stare at mother. That's when you shoot it too.

If you are trying to thin out some does, I don't see any difference in shooting a mature doe, yearling, or fawn, except way less meat on the fawn.

The fawn will be fine............................................in my freezer.

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I would have shot her, if the yearling came back I would have shot her too.

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+1

I took out three generations one time. The older doe went first. When yearling and this year's fawns came back, I whacked the yearling. When the two fawns came back, I took out the doe fawn and left the buck.

Such is the nature of Doe Busters(TM).

Depends on your management objectives.

As far as the fawn with the doe, they are perfectly able to survive on their own after 7 months. So no issue shooting Mom.

From a management perspective, shoot the Doe and kill two or three deer as she is certainly bred already. Shoot the fawn and get less, but much yummyier meat, and only kill one deer leaving the doe to have her twins.

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B-1 83
posted 4:35p, 01/18/10



I took out three generations one time. The older doe went first. When yearling and this year's fawns came back, I whacked the yearling. When the two fawns came back, I took out the doe fawn and left the buck.

Such is the nature of Doe Busters(TM).

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Is that like veal?

Absolutely. Camp meat. Bambi guisada.

I do it all the time.

Now my dad, who has been a hunter his whole life, has changed his tune on this subject. When I picked him up from an evening hunt, he was all welled-up and red faced. I asked him what was wrong and he said that was the LAST TIME he ever shot a doe with young ones. After he shot the doe, the two little ones laid down next to her for the rest of the evening until my headlights were visible. I gave him sheat the rest of the weekend.

[This message has been edited by Frisco Kid (edited 1/18/2010 5:59p).]

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I will absolutely pop a doe with twins in September.

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I've heard people talking of shooting does with twins before, but I don't understand the significance. Is a doe that drops twins undesirable? I would think a two-for-one deal on fawns would be good for the herd.

I didn't mean to place any special significance on the "twins" aspect. I just don't hesitate to shoot does with a fawn or multiple fawns. Doesn't matter to me.

I think the, "should I take older does or younger does" is a fun argument though. I firmly believe that a younger doe consumes much more browse because they are still growing. They're not simply maintaining, they're growing. On the other hand older does are more successful at raising fawns (which will then eat more browse)... but isn't a young doe just an old doe in training?

Either way, whack 'em. They're tasty on the grill.

My only deal is i just dont normaly shoot many that i think are small. Just a preference really. More meat on the older ones and i get tired of cleaning does pretty quick. I did shoot a couple of pretty small ones this year though and they have so far been very tasty.

After their first breeding season, twins is pretty much the norm.

My personal preference is to not shoot a doe with yearlings. Contrary to any biological reason, I just couldn't handle it if the yearlings laid down beside her.

posted from my iDell

I had/have to kill 75 does this year, so I've been shooting all age groups. I've killed does without a tooth in their head and I've killed some with milk on their lips, its a numbers game. Oh and I've been shooting does with fawns since the first of October, if they dont have spots they will prolly live at least thats what I've always been told.

Last bow season I shot three doe at my house. Two of them had twins and one had a big nub fawn. We now call them the 5 fawns. They basically live at my protein feeder. Two are bucks and three are does. Next year two of the doe will get made into ground meet.

As long as you shoot them squarely in the face, it's hilarious regardless of which one you shoot.

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I've heard people talking of shooting does with twins before, but I don't understand the significance. Is a doe that drops twins undesirable? I would think a two-for-one deal on fawns would be good for the herd.

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A doe with twins is in her prime breeding age. A yearling or two year old will probably have a single, and an older doe at six or seven will probably have a single. All things equal, you would want to shoot an older doe and leave the younger breeder. Mortality is bad enough without killing off the prime breedstock.

A rule of thumb: If the fawn has lost its spots, it is weaned and can survive on its own.