I've done it, I'll do it again. The fawn will be perfectly fine. Actually, I say shoot whichever one you want. Those yearlings are some of the FINEST eating the woods can provide. The backstraps just melt in your mouth.

I have shot does with yearlings and watched the behavior of the yearlings afterwards and they usually take up with another doe immediately. Also, they begin feeding when they hook up with the other doe.

If I'm not mistaken a yearling is a year old deer, which would be sometime in May or June they would be considered a yearling. Any how I understand what you mean and I have no problem with shooting a doe with fawns. That argument is pretty far fetched if you ask me that the fawns won't make it if the mother is shot. Dammit, I voted for the wrong one accidently. I voted to pass on the big doe with litttle ones, I meant to vote to shoot her.

I agree, Its time for you to grow a pair

I wasnt gonna be the first to say it.....but for my woods....I'll shoot whichever female deer gives me the first clean shot oppotunity.....doe or fawn.

I've heard that regardless of killing a buck fawns mother or not, the fawn, when he becomes a yearling, will leave his birth area to establish a new one. Just like you, I've heard they do roam great distances. So more than likely, your yearling bucks will eventually leave your area only to be replaced by other yearling bucks. Nature will recycle itself.With that being said, I'll just let momma pass and try to get one without fawns.

I did it this past year! The fawns had no idea what happened. They waited for mommy to get back up so they could go to the feilds and eat. I had to wait till dark to get down so they did not know what I was and then they ran off. I watched those deer come by me everynight at the same time to the feilds they were doing just fine! They were both button bucks!

All you guys hunting in the north country.
Does anyone know the difference in mortality rates of fawns with a doe and fawns without a doe? I have had guys tell me that the fawns need the doe to teach them to escape preditors. To locate changing food sorces. Many north woods deer relocate andyard up during the winter. How do the fawns find the wintering yards without their mama? One guy went as far as saying you are killing 5 deer when you shoot a doe -- the doe, her fawns and the fawns she is carrying. Some of these comments do make sense to me. I wonder if anyone ever did a study on this.

Like someone said...yearlings are 1.5 year olds and where I hunt, have their own fawn(s) with them.

I do not hesitate to shoot a doe in early season, fawns in toe or not. And if a doe fawn hangs around...it gets it too. Most places I hunt, I stand to loose if the landowner knew I passed any antlerless deer up. There is no biological reason to fear that the fawns won't make it because their mom is gone.

MM:

Not "northern"....but...

With the exception of BB's......I've never seen a doe fawn wandering the woods, alone. My "guess" is they become part of another doe group.....but it's merely a "guess".

No expert by ANY stretch....but I do get to observe large numbers of deer (comparatively).