Early bow season here in Motana (Sep 1st) we always pass on does with fawns if we can see them. Later in gun season (Nov) we go ahead and shoot the fist doe we see. When is the best time to shoot a doe with a fawn? How much of a difference does it make to shoot one early? Should we not be shooting them at all?

I dont know when the best time is, but i was told that whenever they lose their spots they are ready to be weened. Thats how I decide weather to shoot mom or not!

I passed on a momma with 2 pups about 6 times throught bow season. I was scouting the other day and saw all 3 run across the road in front of me and watched them for like 5 minutes at about 15 feet away. I would see these deer every time I hunted! Like clock work!

I don' t think you need to worry about the fawns.By September 1' st they are able to survive on their own.They just aren' t very smart at that age.I have seen many fawns doing fine with faint spots and with no mother. If they are eating,what would be the problem?Unless your worried about predators.

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I don' t wait, the first, 2nd, 3rd good size does that present a shot, get shot. The fawns will be fine, that' s why the seasons are set the way they are. Maybe if I run into some oddity where the fawns were extremely small I' d pass, but to wait for a doe that doesn' t have fawns is next to impossible to do around here.

I agree with wimp. If they stand still long enough, they are mine. By the time archery rolls around in most states, fawns are old enough to survive on their own. I definitley try and shoot the doe if it has buck fawns (dispersal).

the young ones are so tender! yum yum

most of the time i will shoot a doe but i have gotten now to where if she has a fawn i will let her go. there is always tomarrow for her b/c they are so predictable. we have this one doe that has a set of twins every year. and we have passed on her for about four years now. i will see her 2 or 3 times a week if i get out there enough. its kind of a game now-- but it could be over whenever i wanted it to be.

I always wait until later to shoot a doe with a fawn. I' ve seen fawns eating and then turn around and butt the doe with it' s head and suckle, so even if they are eating they may still be getting much needed milk. The spots also have meaning to me because i' ve never seen a fawn without spots suckle so if it' s got spots i' ll let the doe walk until later.

One area I hunt has an old doe that throws off twin button bucks each year, she' s huge and I have seen her for the past 4 seasons. Everyone that hunts the area knows her and we have all agreed to let her walk.

If a doe comes within range with only a single young' n in tow, I' ll harvest her if given the prime shot. But only if the fawn is out of spots.

Your last question:

Depends more on your buck / doe ratio IMHO. The area I refered to has a ratio of 1 to 6 - 1 to 7. Many mature does are harvested each year and the ratio has remained constant over the last eight seasons. Even with a slight increase in the buck population the last three years, the # of does have increased proportionately.