RE: Go ahead, shoot the doe, and her fawns!
 

We hide in a tree or in a blind and shoot them when they aren't expecting it. The whole sport is "gutless". It doesn't take a lot of courage to be good at hunting. But then, that isn't really the point of hunting at all is it?

RE: Go ahead, shoot the doe, and her fawns!
 

The little ones taste great, but I'm with bruce on this one. If they are wearing spots or still suckling they get a pass from me. If others want to shoot them I'm fine with that as long as it's legal, but I'll pass.

No spots=great table fare

RE: Go ahead, shoot the doe, and her fawns!
 

I respond because I get sick of the "rule makers" trying to determine or justify how they do it. You are right........ it is a forum for discussion and when I read something I disagree with I will state my opinion as well.

Hunting sould not be drilled down to rules outside the game laws. It's supposed to be fun and fun is defined by the person behind the bow and or gun.

RE: Go ahead, shoot the doe, and her fawns!
 

If it's legal then it simply boils down to personal preference. Nothing more. Hunting has enough idiots criticizing us from the outside using emotion rather than facts. We don't need emotionally based battles from within our ranks!

RE: Go ahead, shoot the doe, and her fawns!
 

Correct. however if your goal is to reduce a herd and you have limited tags you want to shoot big mature does because they are the one who will be carrying twins and triplets for the next year. Those fawns will most likely not have a fawn that year and th yearlings will most likely have 1 fawn. So if the goal is reducing numbers the mature does are the ones that need to be shot. I do agree do what you please, but there is always more to it that just going out and shooting whatever does there are. I don't care if someone shootsfawns. Ive done it.But the managment goal of the huntign area is always what needs to be taken into consideration in choosing what to shoot. If you want more deer on your farm but want some meat, shoot a couple fawns and leave the big does. If you want to reduce shoot the big does and not the fawns.WCL

RE: Go ahead, shoot the doe, and her fawns!
 

This is all I was trying to say Early. I thought a yearling meant a year old deer which would put it being a yearling around May and June. I'm not trying to start an argument here.

year·ling- An animal that is one year old or has not completed its second year.

RE: Go ahead, shoot the doe, and her fawns!
 

I almost spit soda on my monitor when I read that, and I blame you;). I'm going use that saying if you don't mind, well I'm going to use it even if you do mind to be perfectly honest:D.

Paul

RE: Go ahead, shoot the doe, and her fawns!
 

In most places that really need it, we can get unlimited tags, so a dead deer is a dead deer. And we get a pretty good percentage of fawns that will reach weight and get nocked up that fall and have one or 2 of thier own the following year. Yea ya try for big momma doe, but if she gives you the slip on the wrong trail, & a fat little wanders too close, twack. Lot of times hunting in the places that need the herd thinned the most, is the most difficult because of access. You don't get to pick & choose over several deer every night, you take what you can get when a few cross mediocre land on thier way in between lush safe havens. Its FAR mroe complex than a one system works for all.

RE: Go ahead, shoot the doe, and her fawns!
 

We own our own land and farm...I have seen as many as 50 deer in one field eating our soybeans and peanuts during the summer months...Deer can eat about 12 pounds of soybeans a night...So they are taking money out of my pocket...We kill 40-50 deer each year and have done so for 20 plus years...We give the young bucks a pass, unless it is a younger hunter...By keeping the doe population in check there is less inbreeding and better habitat for the rest...

This past year we had unlimited doe tags, I killed 8 does and one buck...Out of the 46 we killed this year, we took 8 bucks...By doing so, you have a more intense rut and you see more bucks cruising for does...We can also take 2 deer a day legally...Actually down here in NC, if you are not taking at least 2-3 does to every buck then you are not helping to control the herd...Last year there were over 25,000 deer hit on our highways so the NC Wildlife is begging us to kill more does...

If your state doesn't have the over population that we have, fine, hunt within the regulations and have fun...If you simply lease your land and like to hunt big bucks, fine, enjoy the challenge....But...On a Nationwide forum, don't try to challenge others as to how they hunt...;)

RE: Go ahead, shoot the doe, and her fawns!
 

Because fawns are good to eat. Delicious. Its not about need, if it was need, we would be eating goverment cheese and living in a cardboard box.

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RE: Go ahead, shoot the doe, and her fawns!
 

You just agreed that shooting fawns was gutless (whatever that means) and then say you bite your tongue.

Calling us fawn shooters gutless is far from biting your tongue. I'm just saying, I find that particiular description a little insulting. As if it takes a lot of guts to hunt any deer, let's be honest here were not hunting grizzlies with a spear or anything. No whitetail hunting involves some great amount of guts and bravery in my eyes.

I think you're a good guy Drop and I think I understand your passion aboutwhitetails as far aswatching them, scouting them, and hunting them but I have to admit that I hated that comment when superstrutter made it and hate to see someone agree with it,it doesn't really fit. You guys are entitled to your opinions but I just don't think "gutless" (reminds me of spineless or cowardly) accurately describes most hunters on this board.

No hard feelings, I just thought others might not have "loved" that description either and even though we might kill and eat young deer that doesn't mean we don't respectdeer and huntingthe same as you or others who don't shoot young ones.

Trust me, I think they are cute and cuddly too, I want to snuggle up with one and read it a bed time story.:D Yeah, right before I tag it and stick it in my smoker with a bunch of red potatoes and sweet corn on the cob.;)

RE: Go ahead, shoot the doe, and her fawns!
 

X2...that was the greatest comment I have ever read on here!!!!!!!!!!!!!

RE: Go ahead, shoot the doe, and her fawns!
 

Let me clear something up. I'm not against any hunter who hunts legally and ethically. I'm sorry I offended some by saying gutless. I know most of you on this forum are not gutless and are legal, ethical hunters. Personally, I just couldn't shoot a doe and then shoot her fawns. It just doesn't seem right to me. You are entitled to your opinions as I am mine. If it's legal, shoot what you want. I will not be shooting a doe with fawns, nor will I be shooting any fawns. There are plenty more deer around to take. There are plenty does without fawns and plenty of yearlings (1 1/2 yr. olds) out there to take.

RE: Go ahead, shoot the doe, and her fawns!
 

And I can respect that ss, I imagine we are probably hunting two really different kinds of areas but even still I knowsome old timershere that won't even shoot does. The sad thing is we really need to where I hunt and not many people are. I knew the point you weretrying to makeand I can understand your position I just didn't like that wording too much. It's all good.

RE: Go ahead, shoot the doe, and her fawns!
 

Spots or nubbins are off limits.:D

RE: Go ahead, shoot the doe, and her fawns!
 

What’s this “shooting does late in the season is shooting her babies too”. So now you can only shoot a doe before she’s impregnated? You’re still preventing that doe from reproducing. Can’t shoot fawns. Can’t shoot button bucks. Can’t shoot any buck under 6 points because you’re not letting them grow. What are we supposed to kill? P&Y mature bucks only? What does respect for hunting, wildlife, and nature have to do with the size or gender of the deer you’re killing? Folks that discriminately kill deer for crop protection are somehow disrespectful to the animals?

There were 17,000 plus deer taken in Virginia last season duringarchery. Some 243,000 taken with a muzzleloader, during general gun, and property owner tags. 35,000 plus were killed by automobiles. TWICE the number taken in the archery season, and almost 100 deer daily. How many were wounded during the hunting season that died and were never recovered? How many poached? How many taken by other predators? Couldn’t guess. This, out of a population that is estimated at 1 million. Guess what? The population is still estimated at 1 million for 2008. If a particular state regulates, or started to regulate the number of does taken, I’d willingly and gladly adhere to the law. Until then, why would it concern anyone what people legally kill to put in their freezer?

In the end, it doesn’t matter what we kill as bow hunters, because the gun fellas and their dogs are going to kill everything that moves come gun season here in Virginia. They try to spare button bucks. TRY! You guys from Michigan, aren’t there some 700,000 licenses issued during the gun season there?Kill a fawn, good on ya! Pass on a fawn, good on ya!Kill a fawn with a bow, good on ya! Shoot aP&Y buck at 150 yards withan.06, good on ya! The only ethics and morals I see in deer hunting, regardless of the weapon, is making horrible shots, tresspassing,poaching, and having no regard for the land you hunt on. I've actually found entire ungutted deer carcasses in dunpsters with the heads cut off. They got their trophy though!

RE: Go ahead, shoot the doe, and her fawns!
 

It's not legal where I hunt heck we can kill 3 does per day. I have no prblem with someone who shoots fawns. Heck I have shot a few in my day. I don't now just because that is not what I am after when I am hunting. But they sure are mighty fine eating.

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RE: Go ahead, shoot the doe, and her fawns!
 

Sorry shooting a fawn legal or not is disgusting sorry nothing to argue about thats just how it is.Taking a deers life for 15 lbs of meet grow up

RE: Go ahead, shoot the doe, and her fawns!
 

But its 15lb of delicious meat. I try to kill one a year.

RE: Go ahead, shoot the doe, and her fawns!
 

I know what they taste like I used to shoot them when I was a teen before I fully developed a conscience.

RE: Go ahead, shoot the doe, and her fawns!
 

Wow, I missed a lot! Here I thought I was killing some deer and feeding it to my family. Everything I did was legal. I made ethical kills. The deer I killed were killed in late Nov. I trophy hunt until that time of year then I fill my freezer. The DNR says if I don't harvest antlerless deer they will impose earn a buck. As a trophy hunter I do notlook down on those who shoot smaller bucks. Then when I legally put some meat in my freezer I get blasted, looked down on, called gutless. I wonder how all you bleeding hearts live with yourself after taking away all of those fawn's Mamas? How can you justify killing a doe after the rut? She is most likely carrying FAWNS. Can someone explain how fawns somehow became taboo?At what agecan we kill a deer andnot be criticizedand how do you determine that age? A deer is far from fully developed at 1 1/2. Maybe we should ban killing them too. SOME DOE FAWNS ARE MATURE ENOUGH TO BREED.
If you don't want to kill a fawn, you have the right not to. But don't spew out a pile of negative crap about it then follow it up with "butif someone wants to it's alright with me."

RE: Go ahead, shoot the doe, and her fawns!
 

Only conscience I need is what the Word of God tells me. He tells me to obey the law of the land, and tells me I can kill and eat. So I do. Who leads your conscience?

RE: Go ahead, shoot the doe, and her fawns!
 

Very well put Magic.

RE: Go ahead, shoot the doe, and her fawns!
 

You reek negativity young man![:'(]

RE: Go ahead, shoot the doe, and her fawns!
 

I m catholic and we are against abortion so maybe thats where I get it if your god tells you to go out and shoot babys knock yourself out

RE: Go ahead, shoot the doe, and her fawns!
 

Magic...The problem is we are no longer a rural society, so many on here have never killed a chicken, hog, cow, or even a boxed rabbit to eat...I'd bet most on here would starve if they had to plant a garden and grow their own food, whereas some of us had fathers that taught us how to prepare food for the table, some didn't...

What size fish do you have to catch to eat it??? Next time you eat eggs for breakfast, think about what you are eating...At what point do you decide "it's not right"...

The hunter that strictly hunts for antlers is just hunting for enjoyment and bragging rights, he's out there for a "trophy"...The hunter that is hunting to put food on his table is hunting for the reasons that man started hunting initially, because he likes red meat...Who is actually hunting for the "right" reason???

RE: Go ahead, shoot the doe, and her fawns!
 

sorry if you think me be against shooting fawns is negative I really can t beleive what I m hearing

RE: Go ahead, shoot the doe, and her fawns!
 

I grew up on a "hobby" farm. We loved our animals. They were our pets. They all had names. Then we ate them. It was just the way it was and we accepted it.

RE: Go ahead, shoot the doe, and her fawns!
 

Wow thats a new one, using being catholic and against abortion in a thread about shooting fawns.

That being said hunt and kill whatever makes you happy as long as you are legal.

RE: Go ahead, shoot the doe, and her fawns!
 

I don't have a problem with anybody taking a fawn. Just as long as they have the common courtesy to wipe the milk of it's lips before they gut it.

RE: Go ahead, shoot the doe, and her fawns!
 

LOL I don't let my wife and daughter name the chigkens we are going to eat. We just hatched out 15 chicks and they are already trying to name them :eek:. But they both understand that even if it's named we still eat it (except for the couple that are "pets"). One time my daughter asked what we were having for dinner and I told her "99" soup (one of the roosters LOL). My daughterhas watched while we skinned out deer (one was a fawn, gasp!)and chickens. As soon as I can trust her with a sharp knife she'll be helping (she's 7).

nchawkeye has made a hell of a point. You guys would be surprised at how many people ask me if we can eat the eggs our chickens lay or if the hens need a rooster to lay eggs and so on. It is just amazing how ignorant most folks are about where their food comes from.

RE: Go ahead, shoot the doe, and her fawns!
 

I can remember eating Mr. Magoo, My pet goose, like it was yesterday. We incubated a lot of duck and goose eggs. The young ones thought we were their mama. We even hatched a batch of pheasant eggs. I used to incubate eggs for the kindergarden class at a local school. I would come in and candle them for the kids. Then they would get to watch them hatch.

RE: Go ahead, shoot the doe, and her fawns!
 

Thats sad. I guarantee you, your priest would not see it like that. He might even ask you to go in the little box and get out your little neckless and start resighting things. But thats between you and him.

I get aggravated sometimes only seeing fawns and does. I sit there and talk to God and ask him, why I can't see more bucks. I pass and pass on doe after doe. Then sometimes it hits me like a rock. Ishould begrateful for what he puts before me. And every year, he has even put mature bucks before me.And I don't take that for granted fawn, doe or120" buck.

Howold are you black? Just curious.

RE: Go ahead, shoot the doe, and her fawns!
 

My younger brother was given a pet goose by one of the "field hands" that worked for us...Dang goose followed him around everywhere...Yep, we ate it for Easter, little brother was teed off...Dad told him to grow up, that's what animals were for, it's is the reason God put us over them...

We also raised pigs, named them as well, any of you guys ever ridden a pig???...It was a hoot...Almost as much fun as frog gigging...

When you grow up in the country, some things are just a given...Hawks and foxes are shot because they get the chickens, rabbits, quail, etc...And a stray dog, or cat won't make it long either, just not tolerated...

RE: Go ahead, shoot the doe, and her fawns!
 

Now that's funny. My uncle raised pigs along with being a corn farmer. My cousin and I used to lasso those big ones, jump onand see how long we could hold on. Which usually wasn't very long.:DNever thought I'd meet someone else on here who's actually done that.:D:D

RE: Go ahead, shoot the doe, and her fawns!
 

Ditto on that most city folks will never understand even if the hunt.

Deuteronomy 12:15-16
Nevertheless, you may slaughter your animals in any of your towns and eat as much of the meat as you want, as if it were gazelle or deer, according to the blessing the Lord your God gives you. Both the ceremonially unclean and the clean may eat it. But you must not eat the blood; pour it out on the ground like water.

RE: Go ahead, shoot the doe, and her fawns!
 

we had a lot of pigs. I rode them all the time. I even put a corn cob on the end of a stick and they would chase it. Can anyone say "rodeo"?

RE: Go ahead, shoot the doe, and her fawns!
 

45 when I talk to god I ask him for my freinds and familys health sorry kind of be embaressed ask my preist if it was alright to kill baby deer and if it was good in gods eyes.Heck I be embaressed to ask another hunter for that matter.Hey but they are easy to drag out don t get aggravated seeing fawns and does thats why bow hunting is so much fun and do yourself a favor save your prayer for your freindsand love one,s you will allways out smart your fawn.I got faith in ya go get em.