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RE: Does anyone NOT shoot doe...
 

I made the decision last fall that I wasn't shooting anything w/out antlers first. Ya can't shoot a buck if you shoot a doe, so I let them walk. Shot my buck on a saturday morning, and by that friday I had a doe on the ground.

Same game plan this fall.

RE: Does anyone NOT shoot doe...
 

mobow, why can't you shoot a buck if you shoot a doe??

RE: Does anyone NOT shoot doe...
 

there was a time I would take antlerless deer, then at the start of the 2002 season we saw so many less deer (public land) so we don't take them unless if one is injured, we are seeing more deer and the racks are the same

RE: Does anyone NOT shoot doe...
 

Well, I CAN......but odds are definetly against it.

RE: Does anyone NOT shoot doe...
 

I have not shot a doe in four years with a bow. There is no one reason why in retrospect. Partly, shooting and dressing deer is a bit of a hassle. Partly, most of my early season spots are infrequently traveled by does and at other times of the year I know a buck may be just around the corner....and partly because of tradition. I take does for the freezer with a ML in the late season on 'family' hunts. It ruins less meat with a carefully placed bullet at close range. Also, I know I will run into a cripple or two to put down every year in the late season. I have every year, for the past 8 years I beleive.

RE: Does anyone NOT shoot doe...
 

You know I shoot 'em, DT. I took 5 last year. It was my first year bowhunting, so I guess I can't go back farther than that.

RE: Does anyone NOT shoot doe...
 

Ok, I see, I was way off here, I thought....nevermind, Im stupid, I get it.... duh....anyway, I have shot a doe before and then 3 minutes later shot a 16" wide 8 pt, he walked right down her path, but I usually hold off on shooting does unless I know my chances of a nice buck are slim. now I will shoot the first doe that walks by opening morning, it's a tradition for me, kind of gets the ball rolling if ya know what I mean..

RE: Does anyone NOT shoot doe...
 

Atleast 10 doe a season must go in the places i hunt ,more does then you can shake a stick at.Usually i would like to drop 2 does for each buck killed in the area i hunt.
all this talk about not shooting does is preety funny to me .
its not fantasy island we are hunting on (THE PLANE ,THE PLANE)THE BUCK ,THE BUCK .
Plus deer heard mangment to this is preety self explanatory

RE: Does anyone NOT shoot doe...
 

here in california you are only alowed 2 bucks forked spike or better. its illegal to shoot does

RE: Does anyone NOT shoot doe...
 

give it 5 yrs deerhunter518, you will be shooting does.

RE: Does anyone NOT shoot doe...
 

holy crap i knew there was only one good thing that came from humboldt county and that was in the early 80 s

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RE: Does anyone NOT shoot doe...
 

A well placed arrow ruins VERY LITTLE meat. Usually just a bit of rib meat, whichI don't use any way.;)

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RE: Does anyone NOT shoot doe...
 

Drop, does this mean that you aren't concerned with buck to doe ratios at this particular farm? I mean, I know that my land will hold more deer, but that doesn't mean that I want to have it be 1 buck for 5 or 7 doe. Right now through the cameras, I have a basic idea that it is close to 1 buck to 2 does. Thats in the area that we like, so for every buck we take, we try to take a doe and vice versa.

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RE: Does anyone NOT shoot doe...
 

I am curious, how did the numbers get knocked down? Was it statewide like it was here in PA? Or was it just happenstance?

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RE: Does anyone NOT shoot doe...
 

i dont anymore with regularity for many reasons....

a big reason is the herd is dang near perfect in my eyes and the buck to doe ratio is looking good. the lands i hunt get enough pressure that me NOT taking a doe will keep its stability(not like im the ONLY one hunting there....someone else WILL take a doe or 3 or 4)

another is because i dont have many properties. i just try to rotate them so i dont over hunt any one stand...and as the rut closes in i am in the same area, just sometimes setup differently. so im buck hunting all year...

once in a blue moon i'll get on a property thats over run with deer and take a doe..dad and i love venison...i get the doe tags just to have incase the opprotunity arises...but even then when i get to take a doe its usually on an invite to rifle hunt somewhere or when we are hunting areas we arent allowed to hunt till after rifle season ends...

couple years back when my lands were crawling with deer....well...dad and i ate well :D first legal deer i saw i took the shot at. we werent picky at all...id still be that way with my bowhunting IF i had those numbers again...

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RE: Does anyone NOT shoot doe...
 

This is my backwards thinking on this subject. I have a stand where I've had success shooting many nice Pope & Young bucks. I won't shoot a doe at this spot until after the rut. I figure if a doe feels security in a place then she might bring a buck in with her during the rut. Also, shooting a doe after she's been bred is essentially the same as shooting one before the rut to help keep the population in check.

RE: Does anyone NOT shoot doe...
 

The first deer I ever shot was a doe that was about 17 seasons ago. I let alot of does walk only because you could only shoot one deer here for a long time. So I would just hold out for a buck. Plus I never even would put in for my doe permit. I would shoot a doe now the funny thing is since changeing my ways I never see any does that are mature enough to harvest I can't bring myself to take fawns.

RE: Does anyone NOT shoot doe...
 

Will smack the first doe I see opening day for sure. Like many of you said it just gets the ball rolling and for myself no matter how many I've shot with the bow that first one of the season is always a confidence booster that I can still do it and that all that practice throughout the year has helped.

RE: Does anyone NOT shoot doe...
 

My own approach to hunting doesn't always allow me to shoot does very often. Not to say I don't take a doe or two every season.. but my general approach and philosophy while I'm in the field simply just don't give me many chances to take a doe.

I always guess where a mature buck will be bedding during daylight hours nearly every time I am in the woods.. so on those days I do I will not take a doe.. no matter what she gives me.. unless however I know she has learned of my presence (which is often rare.. that I know of) then I am under a "take her" or "never hunt this spot again" kinda approach.

But generally speaking.. I do not shoot does during most trips into the woods.. unless I feel I can get away with it without spooking a nearby buck. Then I will gladly draw back.

RE: Does anyone NOT shoot doe...
 

You seriously will never hunt a spot ever again if a doe busts you once? You must be runnin outta places man. lol

RE: Does anyone NOT shoot doe...
 

You forgot choice 2 Tembry.. I will draw if I think she has me pinned and I like my chances there on a buck.

But also.. I don't hunt the same farms every year.. I have new farms every year and often times new public lands as well. For me.. it makes no difference if I loose the spot altogether.. chances are I may never hunt that tree again.

RE: Does anyone NOT shoot doe...
 

I think the last doe I shot was in the early 80's. I am content just waiting for a buck to come along.

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RE: Does anyone NOT shoot doe...
 

I'm close to you here. I can't even recall the last time I shot one with my bow, I have killed two in rifle seasons over the last twenty years that had been hit and not recovered in our if its brown fling lead at it free for all some call deer season here in PA.[:@]

I'll most likely get a tattoo before I shoot another.;)

RE: Does anyone NOT shoot doe...
 

I attempt to shoot does early & often. Sometimes it works out, sometimes it doesn't. Sometimes it takes me all of our seasons to get the does I want. sometimes I can do it all with my bow. I still hunt areas with more deer than there should be so I have no problems trying to take as many as I can.
I have a few spots that I won't shoot does in, which are generally ones I don't venture into until later october anyways. I probably spend 85% of my time hunting does.

RE: Does anyone NOT shoot doe...
 

I shoot every legal Doe i get a reasonable chance at. ;)

RE: Does anyone NOT shoot doe...
 

We are allowed 3 in our state and I try to get 1 with bow, 1 with muzzleloader, then I save one for the late season whether it be bow or muzzleloader or rifle. Also we are allowed 3 bucks, so during the rut I will pass does...

RE: Does anyone NOT shoot doe...
 

I never shoot does in my whitetail hunting areas.

1. I can only get 2 deer tags per season in myNorthern Idaho units.

2. The predators keep the whitetail populations curtailed in the mountains. Deer populations are nothing like whatmany of you experience in areas of very little predators. Tough winters/hvy snowstake their toll too.

3. We have the luxury of filling the freezer with elk meat.