A doe and fawns dilemma

[Father Forkhorn]

I'm sure this has come up before, but I am thinking of taking a particular doe that has been on our property all summer with two fawns. They've been very hard on garden crops. The problem is that the fawns are still following the doe. I thought they would have been driven off by now, but that's not the case--at least not yet.

We've got two weeks till season, but if the fawns are still with her, is it OK to take this doe? Will the young ones be able to survive?

[RockinChair]

I used to worry about the same thing. Don't worry about it. By now, mid-November, the fawns are more than capable of living by themselves. By now they should be weened off their mother's milk, and they're mature enough to live on their own. In fact i took a 2.5 year old doe with a set of twins in early October with the bow, and still see the twins running around today. Still, if you do take that doe you are speakin of, the twins will just rely on each other more. They'll be fine.

[kevin1]

Kill Mama, the fawns too if you can, your garden will thank you and so will your F&G department.

[stevencm]

I usually only kill single does or does with two or three fawns. The fawns will usually stay together and can survive by depending on one another.

[RugerM77.270]

By this time of year the fawns are old enough to fend for themselves take her and enjoy the hunt and the garden.

[louddrummer69]

Last year I had to "exterminate" an entire family. 1 momma and 2 yearlings for devastating our fruit trees and gardens. Don't feel bad. That momma doe looked like a horse. Her legs were extremely long and her nose was too. She was 6 1/2 years old.

[Father Forkhorn]

Thank you for the input. Watching them has been instructive. Among other things, I learned deer eat peanuts (at least the plants anyway), with gusto. An acquaintance planted some to try to make some homemade peanut butter. The deer got a bunch of them.

The other deer of note was an eight point we observed in the tomato patch in July. He was eating green tomatoes--something I'd never known deer to do. I haven't seen him since, but he'd be the real prize. He looks to be only about 2.5 in age. He could be a monster if he lives a couple of years.

[IndyHunter83]

Honestly, I'd kill the two little does. Meat would be more tender

[elkhuntinmt_10]

i was in the same spot. i hunted this land right by my house that hasn't been hunted in a long time and didn't want to shoot a doe with a fawn, but after awhile, thats all i was seeing and i ended up takin the doe, well after that, my buddy took a doe with 2 fawns and after that, the fawns all ran together and that was early in the season and they are still fine. i wouldn't worry bout it. i shot my doe in late sept. and she wasn't wet so it should be fine. worry bout your crops first.

[Simp]

But who will read them bed-time stories at night? LOL!!!!!