Actually, a yearling is not a deer of the year, a yearling is a deer that is at least one year old but has not yet reached 2 years old. What many people call yearlings are in fact fawns that are somewhere around 5 to 6 months old by rifle season, a little younger in archery season, at least in my state, at that age they are on solid food and can survive without their birth doe.

Yep, as I thought that everyone knew that a fawn was just born in May or June in most northern areas and a yearling was a fawn the previous year and is now a year old and, thus, is called a yearling. I guess there are more out there that don't know the terminology than we thought! Even a fawn that is 4-6 months old is able to survive with no problem and is normally off the mother's milk well before hunting season starts even though you will see them try to nurse once in a while while out hunting.

Yep, I have seen that, and I have seen the doe give them a cuffing for their trouble. I have , on the other hand killed big mature does that were still lactating.

I've shot big, mature does that still had milk, too. Sometimes it can take them a while to dry up completely after weaning. Even if this year's fawn is still nursing on occasion, it should be fine without. FWIW, I don't see too many does that don't have a fawn and a yearling in tow. Then again, we do our best to keep some pressure on the coyote population around here.

The answer is not universal and depends very much on your local predators.

Last time I shot a momma the next time I hunted that stand one of the fawns was laying there dead and eatin right where the mommo died.

I generally shoot a fawn early, buck hunt until after the rut, then start taking adult doe as needed but laws,limits,tag distribution,etc. are different all over the country so I can't say how I would do things under different circumstances.

So I guess I'm a momma killer, daddy killer, and even a baby killer

We call them yearlings around my area as well although it is not technically correct. We call "yearlings" "year and a half olds"......incorrect lingo I guess

I also don't care if the fawn I shoot is male of female.....females produce buck fawns all the time so 6 one way half dozen the other. If they survive the first year then I won't shoot them.