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This I got from a deer quality management site.[*]
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Don’t shoot “lone” anterless deer - wait until other deer arrive to provide a size comparison.[*]
Begin harvesting antlerless deer as early in the season as possible. [*]
When deer are traveling in single file between feeding and bedding areas, their positions often are determined by social rank and thus age. Take the lead doe and more often than not you will have the correct one. [*]
When spooked by sight or sound, deer frequently will return to satisfy their curiosity. They will circle the “problem” to get downwind for their noses to confirm if danger exists. With few exceptions, the dominant doe will initiate the investigation. [*]
Fawns are likely to be involved in bucking or frolicking. Avoid those playful youngsters. [*]
During the peak of the rut, it is common to encounter small groups of temporarily abandoned fawns. Their mothers are away courting. If the deer appear unusually small, just wait for a behavioral hint. Also, a somewhat less reliable clue is the color difference between buck and doe fawns, particularly late in the fall. Buck fawns often appear darker, colored with a hint of gray compared with the lighter brown or reddish coloration of doe fawns. [*]
Taking time to think about size and shape comparisons before shooting will increase your chances of making the correct decision. Size and shape are important clues to identifying adults and youngsters. An adult doe has a long face and neck and is basically rectangular in shape. Fawns have short faces and necks and appear more square. Compare these two descriptions with luggage - a suitcase is rectangular and the smaller briefcase is square. The face of an adult doe could compare with a 12 oz. drink bottle and a fawn would match a 6 oz. bottle. [*]
The bottom line to harvesting deer selectively is to follow the golden rule - when in doubt, leave it out. [*]
One can look at saving young bucks now as an “investment” in larger, more robust bucks in the future–with increased weights. Hallmark to successful QDM will be a change in hunter attitude and harvest practices. “It is important for hunters to view themselves as participants in deer management as they practice the recreation of harvesting deer.” (Decker and Connelly, 1990)
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