RE: best time to thin out does and does it hurt anything?
From a managers stand point you want to take your does out of the herd as early as possible. That way you will reduce the stress put on the buck population. Think of it like this.... What good does it do the herd to have bucks chasing then breeding does that you are just going to remove after the have expended all that energy!
From a hunters stand point you want to leave the does till after the rut so you can draw in the bucks.