There is nothing unethical about it. I look at it this way, the does will stay with their offspring throughout the year but they are just members of the group. The young bucks get chased away by the big bucks so the bigger ones can mate with mother. The young does hang around and become part of the group. I think their roles change from mother/fawn to family group. Often the does that travel together are mother and their offspring. The bucks go off by themselves by their second rut, 1 1/2 years old, and do what bucks do.

I don' t think they act like mothers anymore after the fall of the first year. They all have their roles and positions in the group. The does have milk in them for quite some time. I have harvested some in late January who had milk in them when I gutted them. The yealings hanging around is something I don' t like when it happens but it isn' t anything to worry about. You can always just pass on these deer but don' t beat yourself up too much when it happens.

Greg