shooting does
 

I'm having more trouble than ever with shooting does on my property. Not because I haven't had the opportunity. I have 15 acres surounded by a couple of hundred with very little hunting pressure. I have 10 antlerless deer on my place almost daily; 4 adult does and their young, 3 of which are button bucks. I've killed a lot of deer in 35 years of hunting; many were does. The more I get involved with herd management, the more I study the deer. The problem is I've gotten to know them, individually. If you watch carefully, you will see adult does watch other adult does out of the corner of their eye and can quickly determine dominance. You get to know which doe you're seeing by the coloration of one of her fawns and in one case one of these does has two button buck fawns. I don't enjoy shooting a doe in front of her fawns, or a fawn in back of its mother. It's something I'll have to do. I have too many deer. I see plenty of bucks, 9 so far this year with 2 in the 135-140 range. I have no problem shooting a 2 1/2 year old or older buck. They're loners and other deer seem not to miss them. I killed a B&C buck here last year...but I have to shoot some does. Nobody else will. Not many hunters here and one neighbor's a borderline anti. I'm wondering if anyone else has felt this way. I suspect so. I plan to kill one of these does Saturday. Maybe I'll be able to take her doe fawn also. Legal where I live. I'm not looking forward to it. It's a job; a responsibility for being a hunter. I don't think it would help having someone else do it, they might not do it right. Wish me luck as I do you, for a quick, clean kill. Nothing robs a man of his heart to hunt like an unrecoved dying deer.

RE: shooting does
 

yeoman where do you live? There is no better venison than a doe, the younger the better. Like you though I let fawns walk. Good luck and I hope they are quick and clean kills.

The Tazman aka Martin Price
Founder and President of
Virginia Disabled Outdoorsmen Club

RE: shooting does
 

I've never had thepleasure of getting to know individual deer. I live in the city, but it sounds very exciting. In that postionit won't be easy, but it must be done for QDM. I wish you luck for the clean quick kills.

RE: shooting does
 

It's like loosing a pet.

Nahum 1:7

RE: shooting does
 

For the good of the herd as you know it must be done. Do what you got to do and the up side is it tastes a whole lot better then that 4 1/2 year old buck. Good luck.

RE: shooting does
 

I know what you mean. It is like shooting a deer in your back yard that you see all year. However, it needs to be done. If you family or friends are unable to do it, you may want to consider selling a hunt. In our area, you could easily sell a doe hunt for $200 for a 3 day hunt. Depends on location, some places allow only 2 does, some 3 does for that price. Unless you knew the person, you might have to act as guide, to be sure no bucks are taken, etc.

It is hard to shoot a doe with a fawn, but if it is a big fawn, he should be able to make it on its own just fine. You can usually tell if it is a late/young fawn, and you could let that one's mother pass. Good luck.

RE: shooting does
 

I need meat and will shoot them for you while you and the family are gone eating dinner somewhere. That way you all dont know it happened.

RE: shooting does
 

sounds like u watched them way to long....you need to just do it...or have some buddys looking to take a doe come out and do it..forget about them...they arent pets...if u want big bucks and a good herd they need taken out...people watch bucks all year and hunt one single buck and have no problem with it..i dont see why its hard to take a doe..this time of year the young will be fine alone they really shouldnt depend on their mothers any way...take yourself as many mature does as possible...let the young walk till you know for sure whose a buck and whose a doe..good luck..it will be hard being you basically named the deer tat are calling your land home..try not to do that in the future it will help get over that...
good luck

RE: shooting does
 

UR A GOOD MAN. I WOULD FEEL THE SAME WAY, BUT IT MUST BE DOWN AND YOU KNOW THAT.TAKE THE ADULTS. AND EAT THERE MEAT WITH PRIDE! GOOD LUCK