RE: Old does or young does, what do you shoot?
Well in the area i hunt there is a lot of pressure on the deer,especially the bucks. There isn't a lot of older bucks around so rather than pin my hopes on an antlered "trophy" I chose to single out the matriarch does.IMO they are just as hard to take as an older buck.The does are always in survival mode and do not get rut "dumb". I feel just as much satisfaction when I take an old doe as I do when I take a mature buck. It may be true that the older does produce twins annually, but i leave enough deer in the woods so population is not a problem. Also this practice has helped me,I'm sure, to not take button bucks and over the years has helped me be able to "age " the deer. I know in some areas my style of hunting may not be appropriate, but in my area,there is not a shortage of old does or deer in general except for big mature bucks. Yes i do pass on the younger bucks to be able to take that "trophy" doe.