the one place i hunt , you can only take a male unless you have a permit for a doe.....the hunts are usually 3 days.....i've let spikes walk and had no meat in my freezer and i have shot spikes and had meat....my first buck was 2.5 yrs. old, 10 in. spikes.....i wish we could harvest does there without a permit....it feels good to let one walk, but if'n he's the only deer i see, it's meat, i'm taking it if i have none...