8mm/06

First good clean shot offered and I'd place an arrow in the mother Doe. I can't think of any logical reason not too. That doesn't mean that the future of the 6 month young'un wouldn't be on my mind,......but the little one will have been weaned (in Michigan anyway) by this time and been fending for its own food and drink for awhile. But to each his own. Everybody that holds back a string or a safety must make up their own mind.

Tarheel_Hunter

Yep, I would. I'm sure the little one would be fine....IF he could avoid being hit by a car! Seems to be happening more and more around here!

DaveH

We're in a similar situation in MD--2 of the first 3 deer MUST be antlerless. Many hunters try to get their does "out of the way" so that both bucks tags are available. Since fawns are weaned by Aug., killing the mother doe doesn't doom them, but it does make them more susceptable to preditors and other hunters since their protector and educator isn't there. I could do it--but I have held off many, many times!

Today's small bucks are tomorrow's trophies.

outdoorsmen

shoot the fawn. save the doe, the fawn will be the one least likely to servive the winter. if you truely want to help the herd shoot a doe fawn.

plgilman

No.
Unless the fawn looks mature enough to fend for itself I would leave her be and wait for another doe.

http://www.geocities.com/plgilman/Woods_Wizard.html



For info. on hunting in North Georgia, ask the Woods Wizard.
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Anthony Hunter

SWOP......she is a gonner!

kc_bowhunter

You did good by not shooting that doe. It's part of being ethical. There are plenty of deer out there. I bet you'd probably have your tag filled.
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I need to get a doe before I can arrow my buck. The first opportunity I was presented was a large doe standing over her bedded fawn. I let down after drawing on an easy shot because I didn't want to be responsible for the fawn starving to death. Then on the drive home I thought about the practical side of hunting. Hunting is done for the purpose of thinning the herd so the strong have a better chance of surviving the winter. Hunters are really substitutes for the natural preditors that are no longer around to keep the population in check. Maybe I should have taken the shot.

Have you guys/girls ever been in this situation? What would you have done?
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PABeardBuster

I think I can count on one hand the number of times during the last 5 years that I've had a mature doe come by that didn't have a fawn. Last year I shot a big doe on Friday of the first week of our bow season that had a pair of fawns. I hunted the next Monday over a waterhole about 200 yards from where I killed the doe and guess what came by? Her two fawns, frolicking, making all kinds of racket. When I realized they we're both fawns, and they might've been hers, I was a little saddened, but then I realized that they we're getting along fine I had a ball watching them. So, yes, I'll still take a big doe with little ones.

PBB

Pick a hair.....or a caruncle!!

Bowdaddy

How do ethics have anything to do with killing a doe who has fawns, KC?
I take it you don't kill many does!
If you have killed a doe in the early part of the season The odds are pretty good it had a fawn (whether YOU saw it or not!!!)
I'll bet the guilt is killing you!
Thats right, Most of them have fawns so If your not taking them then you do a disservice to the herd.
I'll tell you Animals get more rights every year, pretty soon well have to transport them to the butcher in a car seat! Ha!
Give me a break!
Wait a minute PETA is knocking down my door!
They can't stand hunters like me. How dare I kill a doe that has a fawn, shame!!!

Texas Hunter

It just doesn't seem right!