On a previous post I was talking how it wouldn' t bother me to shoot a little deer. This weekend I had my chance and wouldn' t do it. I had a doe and two babies come out. I was at full draw when the two little ones came out. The first was a nub buck so I didn' t want to shoot him. The other little one was a doe. I started to take her but decided not to. After a while Momma was about to come out and the little doe blew my cover when I went to draw again. They didn' t spook bad but just knew something wasn' t just right. I have great cammo (3D leaf) and scent-lok. They never figured out what I was and calmly walked away. It was my fault for taking my eyes off the little one. It doesn' t bother me much for not shooting it, but it sure would be some good eating.

These were the first deer I have seen this year. I don' t get to hunt that much so I may not get another chance to take one. At least they will still be around for next year if I don' t get a shot. Just wanted to share. I had a great hunt.

That is a great hunt, sometimes it' s not the actual shot or harvest that makes the hunt but rather than the hunt itself....I' ve passed many youngin' s including young does with fawns. I like to look for the barren doe or matriarch doe of the bunch, it' s like hunting a mature buck, and she' s usually tougher than young bucks are all together....

my first bow kill was a young doe. this doe was old enough to get out on her on. all the money i put in to my bow setup and all the hard work scouting and and all the money i put in to my summit viper and practice everyday in the backyard.this was my trophy my first bow kill people might laugh me but i don' t care this is my first bow kill. people was telling me why shoot that small deer.i said to them,this exact words this deer does not have spots this deer is over 70 pounds.old enough to get out on there on.i got sick of people telling me this why shoot that thing.but you no what i think i did the wright thing to take my first bowkill . to provide for my family with venison on the table and you are talking about some real good eaton with this young doe .i will try to post my pic of my first bowkill here soon. great hunt wthunter.

go deep hunt hard.

as a hunter you got to know when to strike fast.

very true rob.

The problem with taking a smallish deer, or fawn is that unless you are a relativelay new hunter - taking doesn' t fill ones expectations.

Now this may not be true if you have multiple deer tags, REALLY like young deer to eat, have plenty of tags, or your goal is to take as many doe deer as possible. Then taking the small doe can be very fulfilling.

I' ve taken I think about 8 fawns, in the years I' ve hunted - some on purpose - some not. I was somewhat saddened the last small doe I took, not because I took her neccessarily - but because I had passed full grown doe after doe, waiting till the end of the season to fill that tag - When the end came, my only shot was at a small doe - which I took. That was about 4 years ago - since then I' ve tried to take a large doe early whenever possible. Don' t get me wrong - the eating was small - but very good - but the " hunt" for the little fawn was no where near as good as I had had for some of the other doe I had passed during the season.

Spoken like a true failure. And it' s KILL... not Harvest.[:' (] [&:]

I say we give Rob the benefit of the doubt... Perhaps he uses a combine?

Bobcat,
I would have taken it if it was my first deer. My first deer was a lone mature doe. I felt very good about that. Believe me. The next weekend I got another deer. My first buck. An 11 point!! I think that is what it was. It had a one on each side.

Rob,
You are right. The kill isn' t as important as the hunt. When I was younger all I cared about was killing deer. Last year I passed on several small bucks before I killed a doe. Five years ago I would have killed the first thing that came out. I think I am maturing as a hunter. I don' t kill young bucks anymore unless it is late in the season. And then it depends what property I am hunting. It is funny how one changes as a hunter.

Farm hunter I think you hit the nail on the head with me. These were the first deer I have seen, and I had been telling myself the first one that steps out is getting an arrow. Well it didn' t. I was just glad to see deer. The little ones didn' t meet my expectations. If I needed the meat, I may have taken one. I did learn not the take young deer lightly. They are very alert as well. I guess their momma is a good teacher.

Shooting or passing deer is all about circumstance. I have lots of tags, and some areas I hunt are really overpopulated so pretty much any doe except a super small youngin will get whacked there. Other places I can shoot a little bigger doe, just to get more meat.

These were super small! Must have been born in July.