thanks very much, you really helped to settle my mind about that. now ive got absolutely no reason to not lose sleep every night for the the next 34 days or somethin like that. thanks again, i dont know many other people that bowhunt or even hunt seriously, and ive found most of the members here are very knowledgable, its a great resource to have.

The fawns will be fine... Come mid October when season starts here they are old enough to take care of themselves.
For the first time, I did let a doe w/ 2 little one's walk last year w/ the bow... I guess I'm a bit more sensitive now that I have 2 little one's!
Maybe not, because I wound up smacking her w/ a slug during shotgun season. She was a big ol' girl!

Just personal preference, I guess.....but I think this statement is sending the wrong signal to young and new deer hunters.

I read a story here, last year.....about a guy shooting a doe.....and the fawn following him to his truck. I read another one where the guy left a carcass hung on a meat pole while they ate lunch.....only to come outside and see her fawn milling around the carcass.

I'm a man....I'm 41 yrs old....and that kinda stuff just honestly gets to me. We're lucky in NC.....we don't have to harvest a doe before we can harvest a buck. It would make things difficult, for me, during our early season (we open 9/9). I've also got acquaintences who would harvest the fawn with the doe. No hesitation.

You make the call! I'm luck in that I know 3 or 4 groups of does and where they bed. I've seen the fawns (I think). it'll have to bea CLEAR 'loner' for me to shoot, early.

Jeff

I also hunt in northeast WI and I agree with you. I know that a fawn will be fine if I shoot it's mother in september but it is just something I can't do. I was lucky enough to see a large doe with no fawns early in the season last year, so I get my "blue buck tag" this year. I myself can sit here and tell you to shoot a doe with fawns but I can't do it. So I guess if you have a problem with it as I do then just wait for a lone doe. It may be a long wait though. Happy hunting

I like to try and take two does bowhunting in October. I don't however like to shoot a doe that has fawns. I know at this stage the fawns can better take care of themselves, but without the mother they are much more likely to be taken by predators. I have shot does with fawns in the past, but felt bad about it. I usually wait for a yearling or a maiden doe with no fawns. If I mistakenly shoot a doe that has a fawn or fawns I will get over it, but I prefer not to do so on purpose. That's just my preference.

I won't shoot a doe with fawns......I guess its just a mother thing. We have plenty of does without fawns to pick from. We took 7 does last year and this year we will fill our 4 archery doe tags first and then we have 9 for gun season, YUM

The fawns will be fine, i have read that once they lose their spots, they will be able to fend for themselves with no problems what soever, although i would think that even fawns with spots that have been weened off of their mothers would survive. Im planning on taking out 7 does this fall, have tons of people who want the meat and my family alone will eat 5 deer no problem. We also have a seriosly out of balance doe to buck ratio so im trying to do my part. Someone also mentioned it and i agree, if i can shoot a doe with button buck that looks like he will make it, i will. That button buck will be pushed out of the mothers home range and the chances of you seeing him ever again go down drastically.

I have gotton does (without fawns) that were still lactating. The fawns will be fine. They will be on solid food by then and will find their way back to the group.

Why not shoot one of the fawns?
The overall health of the herd would benefit by keeping mature does around who have already raised young.
The odds of 1 fawn surviving alone with mom is drastically higher than with having a sibling around.
I would be hesitant to shoot an unknown button buck but their odds of surviving their first year are low enough to put that aside.

So, shoot a fawn, easy dragging and more tender meat. Then you don't have to fret over killing a mother.

I would have more of a moral problem shooting a fawn than i would a doe w/ fawns. wheres the sport in that? there are 2 fawns that bed down in the tall grass behind my house and i went out there to get my deer cam today and they jumped from their beds and just stood there and watched me at about 15 feet. not to mention the image that would send to any non-hunters when they asked about the deer i shot and i told them it was a fawn (baby/bambi) i dont think thats the solution to my problem, however i respect your opinion and thanks again every1 for sharing.