Shooting Fawns?
 

So I’m guessing the title got some people’s attention. I like venison, but my family eats very little. I tagged a large doe already this year and after I give 2/3rd away to family, I have enough venison to satisfy my needs for a year.

I had the option of 2 does and 2 fawns, and I took the biggest doe of the group, but I’m rethinking what I did. I have eaten in rut bucks, I have eaten does, and last year I had some road kill fawn. The best tasting venison came from the fawn! And I’m sure you know where the buck ranks on the list.

The truth is I don’t need more meat, so I’ll pass on another doe. I’m honest, and if I see a nice buck I’ll take it, but I’ll have to give away the meat. But if I see a fawn (not button buck) I plan on taking it for the great tasting meat! It seems taboo, but it makes sense to me!

I’m looking for opinions…..

RE: Shooting Fawns?
 

Don't know what part of the country you are from, but in northern climates, fawns are going to be the first deer to die in winter. Fawns are also the largest age group. There is nothing wrong with including doe fawns as part of your harvests.

RE: Shooting Fawns?
 

SW Michigan. I hunt Allegan County.

RE: Shooting Fawns?
 

I cant say I disagree with you. Fawns are the best tasting. Id rather kill them first than leave orphans in the woods. Sounds stupid I know, but thats how I see it. Tags in reduction areas here are 2.00

RE: Shooting Fawns?
 

i say you should leave the fawns to grow!!! thats like me killing your baby even next year when they arent as small you can take them but as fawns because if every took fawns there wouldnt be any deer left once the older once die...if you think about .... owell thats just my opinion and i wouldnt shoot the fawn even if theydo taste good:)

RE: Shooting Fawns?
 

This brings up a question. At what age are fawns able to survive on their own? This would be a big influence on deciding whether to take the Doe, the Fawn, or pass on both.

Thanks in advance,
Rick C.

RE: Shooting Fawns?
 

Just Grill size

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v59/oneshot/untitledaf.jpg

big rockpile

RE: Shooting Fawns?
 

I've shot a few fawns over the years and you are right about them tasting good! I try not to make a habit of it though, but it's personal pref. If I only had a couple days/year to hunt and that's all I saw, I wouldn't think twice.

RE: Shooting Fawns?
 

the does around here at least usually leave the fawns around first slug season when they go into the rut. last year i wasnt sure if the fawn could survive with out its mom so i took the fawn, later i find out that when the two get seperated the fawn will look for the mother but the mother wont waste time looking the fawn is on its own.

RE: Shooting Fawns?
 

Your entitled to your opinion but you have a bad way of speaking your mind the way you did (thats like me killing your baby) thats rediculous king! There's a huge difference between humans and deer (fawns) ! Just so you know the fawns are the 1st deer todie in the winter! I'd rather see this then people shooting 1 and 2 year old bucks!

RE: Shooting Fawns?
 

I 've killed big deer and I've killed little deer. As long as I'm not just preying on the kids, I don't have a problem with it. Deer tags in Ill. are cheap and plentiful.

RE: Shooting Fawns?
 

Ethics aside (IMO there really aren't any on this), I couldn't bring myself to do it again. When I was
very young I shot one that ran away and started crying for momma. I couldn't get over there fast enough
to finish it.

RE: Shooting Fawns?
 

If a little is all your family is going to eat then you are harvesting responcibly. To me the harvest part of hunting is always first.

RE: Shooting Fawns?
 

In my part of Texas, shooting fawns is just short of a crime.

RE: Shooting Fawns?
 

Here in NJ, our season opens the second saturday of September. You have to shoot a doe before you can get a buck tag. I rather shoot a fawn when its 70-90 degrees out than a nice, big, mature doe. They're easier to drag, and the meat cools down quicker, and there is no better eating. When it comes to meat, we're allowed unlimited does during any season, so I am usually not short on meat by the end of shotgun, which ends in February.

I feel its a personal decision, and as long as you make sure that you're not shooting a button buck, I have no problem with it.

RE: Shooting Fawns?
 

calm down!! i didnt mean it personally and im sorry on who i offended there but still if everybody had the habbit of killing fawns there wouldnt be any more deer hunting in america, thats how i see i speak my mind and if you have a problem then what do you want me to tell you?? im sorry but thats just who i am......

good luck to everyone and dont get into the habbit of killing those little ones

RE: Shooting Fawns?
 

Well, as a family we do eat a lot of venison...in fact I buy less than $20 worth of beef all year if we have a good year (between all the game we harvest...or try to). We hunt for the meat more than the horns. If we have a good year, we donate to friends as well as to share the harvest (Missouri program).

Fawn is like veal!! Best venison you'll ever taste. I know there are people who kringe at the thought of people taking a fawn, but if it is what walks in front of me I will fill the freezer and not think twice. That is not to say I wouldn't have taken the doe in the same situation you described...I would have taken whatever presented the best opportunity for a safe, accurate shot.

I won't fault people for horn hunting, if they don't fault me for meat hunting...;)

Mindy

RE: Shooting Fawns?
 

I have never shot a fawn personally but if yourhuntingjustfor the meat and youprefer fawns to eat over adult deer and it is legal then you don't have to explain it to no one. No one thinks a thing about eating veal.

RE: Shooting Fawns?
 

fawns are nice and tender

RE: Shooting Fawns?
 

Very well said Onestringer.

RE: Shooting Fawns?
 

Fawns stop (Correct- Does stop fawns from nursing at about 7 weeks) !
A doe, if you need, or want, meat, or just have such a low population of deer,
can be taken any time out of spots. Is it the right choice? For me no.
I had what I thought was a 50# yearling walking out on my left thinking I would get
a great shot of mama doe right behind it. BUT! Instead, a fifteen pound spotted
fawn walked out.Well what do you do? ME let the spotted feed for another month!
So I passed!

RE: Shooting Fawns?
 

If it has spot's let it walk and if your family only eats alittle meat try hunting with a camera! Hunting is not just about what you kill , but more of what you learn in the woods and the time you spend with friends and family.


No matter how long you boil antlers ,they get tender!

RE: Shooting Fawns?
 

It doesn't bother me what anybody shoots as long as its wild, hey,its all right with me......
As far as I'm concerned hunting should legally be a right not a privlidge....
Especially nowadays..
After all, look at this bird flu mad cow disease thats happening with domestic livestock.
Every domesticated animal eaten is pumped full of steriods nothing is natural anymore.
Who wants to pay anything to eat that infested crap.
Actually,there is a pig farmer who's currently on trial here in my home Provinceof British Columbia for on 6 charges, suspected, of murdering close 50hookers, that where drug addlits andmore than likely, carried infectious diseases such as aids and Hep C..
The area he picked these girls up at is the largest pop / capita of aids and hep C in all of Canada.......
He than apparently butchered the women up and fed the body parts to his pigs.
Think of that next time you sit down and eat Canadian Bacon cause it all got sent south......

RE: Shooting Fawns?
 

My region has way too many deer and a very generous bonus antlerless limit, so I'll smoke a nice tasty fawn in a New York minute. I figure I'm helping our DNR with their management plan, and getting some sweet meat in the bargain.

RE: Shooting Fawns?
 

Fawns = mush [:'(]

RE: Shooting Fawns?
 

fawns are nice to shoot, cause all you gotta do is pick a "spot".

RE: Shooting Fawns?
 

If you want a deer to put on the BBQ use a fawn,nothing better. But if you grind them, yea, its mushey.

RE: Shooting Fawns?
 

I had a Fawn burger, and it was the best burger I ever had! Not sure what “mushy” mean?

RE: Shooting Fawns?
 

Not sure why it would be short of a crime? Is male ego the reason, or is there a practical thought out reason?

RE: Shooting Fawns?
 

I have nothing against someone who wants to shoot a fawn for meat, as long as it doesn't have spots, which is illegal anyway. I nomally won't do it, but I have. Sometimes later in the season if I want to take another doe, I'll purposely take a fawn. Early in bow season I usually don't like taking one. My target in bow season is a 1 1/2 year old doe without fawns. I usually try to take two.

RE: Shooting Fawns?
 

well said

RE: Shooting Fawns?
 

By mushey I mean kind of slimy and not like the burger I am used to. Out of the grinder it wasnt red, but sort of pink. Nope, Im not wasting a fawn on the grinder again. Just flop em on the BBq with some mesquite and a good rub. Its so tender you can cut it just by looking at it!

RE: Shooting Fawns?
 

I’d like to thank everyone for there opinions, it has eased my mind on taking a fawn. To summarize my feeling on the subject:

I respect people who are “horn hunters” and will not take the horns of the future by taking a button buck. We meat hunters expect the same respect.

I would not take a spotted fawn! We are talking about 7 month old does.

Somebody suggested taking a camera if I had enough meat, but it wouldn’t be the same. I would think the
People in this forum would understand that. I classify my self as a meat hunter, but if a big 8 point walks in front of me (we have a 4 points on one side minimum on my property) I quickly become a horn hunter! I can find people who want the meat, or I can donate it to the food bank.

In response to kingnn93: From what I’ve read, taking fawns in north climates has less impact on the herd, because fawns are the first to die from harsh winters. This is due to their smaller bodies not being able to retain heat. And we will not be able to kill so many fawns that the future breeding stock is harmed; on the contrary, we reduce stress on already productive does.

I can understand why some people in other areas of the country would want a mature deer with lots of meat. But in Michigan we are blessed with a large herd, and (I think) we can take 4 deer a year. I’m sure we can take 3 antlerless deer, after that it get fussy to me. I don’t take more than two, so I’ve never gotten deep into the regulation.

RE: Shooting Fawns?
 

I think any real impact on the herd comes from coyotes, black bears and wolves.

RE: Shooting Fawns?
 

Not even an issue here in Texas. It is unheard of. If the only way you can " fill your freezer " is to kill fawns then go to the grocery store. This is not 1880 where we hunt to survive. This is 2007 were we hunt for sport. Yes, we enjoy venison, but harvesting subadult deer is detromental to the herd and lends into the hands of PETA. If you can afford a rifle/Bow and the legally required permits then I am sure you are not hunting for survival sustinance. Do not mean to upset or offend just stating what I belive and was raised on.

RE: Shooting Fawns?
 

I respectfully disagree with you. Far more deer die from hunters, cars, weather, and disease. Predators take only a small percentage of deer. I forgot the number threat, those nasty poachers.

RE: Shooting Fawns?
 

Taking a few fawns is not going to destroy the herd. The mortality rate is going to be high in some places anyway. I wouldn't make it a common practice taking fawns, but it's perfectly fine to take a few. There are plenty of deer. It won't hurt the population one bit.

RE: Shooting Fawns?
 

Every region of the country is differant. Up here, a pack of wolves or coyotes will tear up a deer population in a couple of years. The black bears come right into town in the spring going through brushey lots for the fawns. Theres still car kills, and poaching, and lots get shot during the seasion, but areas with wolves and coyotes are pretty thin for deer.

RE: Shooting Fawns?
 

That is entirely untrue. Shooting doe fawns helps your fawn crop the next year. Fawns RARELY breed and have a fawn themselves in the next year. Yearling does count as does in your deer survey, but do not have fawns. By shooting a doe fawn, you reduce the number of yearling does... and leave a more mature doe that can have a fawn again the next year.

It is a useful management tool to use to increase fawn crops.

They also are very very tasty.

RE: Shooting Fawns?
 

as a hunting community, i think that we should never chastize somebody who obeys the law and takes an animal that makes him/her happy. if the law says you can shoot a fawn, and someone decides that's what they want to shoot, there shouldnt be a negative word said. IMHO