Gangly

Here's another thought:

Many of us would not normally shoot a fawn for anything. However,its was the last day of the season, your familyNEEDED meat BAD, the extra meat would go a looooong way, and you had two tags that your family needed to be filled to have meat for the winter. The fawn was a late birth and needed its momma to survive, without her it would die. Would you shoot both, one, or neither?

Whatwould yall do?

Not trying to start arguments, just interested in what people would do in that situation and why they chose to do it.

tschaef

There is no ethical question here, if your family needed the meat take them both. I'd take the fawn 1st so the doe would be OK if she got away, I would have a bigger problem taking the doe and letting the fawn escape to starve, than taking the fawn and letting the doe go.

BIG TUNA

I was told on more than one occassion that if I have a chance to shoot a little fawn, then take the shot since it will probably not survive the winter. I suppose this would be different in the lower states where you don't get snow several feet deep.

fingerz42

Exactly, this question isnt really a question of ethics. It is more a question of survival technique. If you want an ethics question you should have asked something along the lines of "You have one tag, and you are not in any dyer situation for meat. But you have had a long day and want to take an animal. Do you shoot the mother or fawn or let them go." Its just the difference in opinion, personally I never shoot fawns because it is against my hunting ethics, but some people do it, and its legal.

sjsfire

I'll stand by my response the first time this was asked about taking a fawnor a doe when they are together......NO. I think I can go without eating meat if I had to. And If I or my family couldn't I know enough guys that would give me a hog or beef cow if I was that hard up. And there is a hell of a lot more meat on them.

brushbustin

Just curious,Do you consider yourself a deer hunter(meat hunter) or a Trophy Hunter(buck hunter)?Do you eat the animals that you harvest?Or just donate them?

sjsfire

I do eat the deer I harvest andI will take a doe as long as she's alone. Don't know if you checked out the other post that probably prompted this new one or not. I shot a doe a few years ago in a group of 6-8 deer crossing a field. Dropped her right where she stood. When I went over to get her she had a small fawn with her and I had a heck of a time getting the fawn away from the doe. I didn't feel good about that. I've had my chance at trophys too but the right shot was never offered so I layed off instead of taking a chance. And yes, I have donated my deer. Not to some organization but to fellow hunters that travel from out of state to hunt with us in camp if they wasn't able to fill their tag. 2005 I gave one of my two deer to a friend of a friend. The guy had been hurt in a construction accident, long legal battle, had three kids, and the wife waitressed for little of nothing. This wasn't the case of just needing meat, they needed the food regardless. I felt real good about doing that, they were more than thankful. The guy couldn't even afford the $15 for a permit himself. I was happy just to give them the deer.

brushbustin

I was just curious.I didn't mean to offend you in any way form or fashion.And if i did,i apologize to you for it.

sjsfire

No problem,no offense taken what so ever. I just felt bad. Now watch......somebody will post another thread asking if you'd take a doe or a fawn if they were together and you were starving and it would save your life by doing so.....hey, I've ate BBQ raccoon before.

pahntr760

Deer meat is deer meat. You can’t eat antlers. I see no issue with harvesting a yearling deer. If the deer cant make it by hunting season, the they aint making a NW PA winter either. It’s the old survival of the fittest thing.