Stoningtonwhitetail

BIG SOFTY HERE. After having kids myself, I cant even imagine taking a doe with a fawn, I have seen many, but just enjoy watching them. I always look for the big "dry" doe....

Tribal

lol Yeah it must be having kids. I killed everything with no regretsnow since I have 2 young ones a 5 and a 3 year old I can't do it either. You start thinking about your kids and it's different. There are guys reading this thread saying wtf... but it's true, Kids change you and make you a better person. If they don't something's seriously wrong or missing from you.

Bocajnala

I don't have any kids. That being said, I have taken doe's with fawns before. Not purposefully though. A few deer ran out on a drive and I shot the lead doe. Turns out she had a little on with her that kinda pranced around then ran away. That happened twice. SO yea, I've done it.... This weekend I passed two deer that had little ones with them tho. If I know it has a fawn, I don't shoot. But sometimes when your driving and dont have much time to judge, it happens.
-Jake

KSdeerhuntr

If I see a doe with a buck fawn (button buck) I do everything I can to shoot the doe. If not, naturally, the doe will force the button buck to disperse and leave the area. This is nature's way of preventing inbreeding. Consequently, I try to shoot the doe so that the button buck fawn will stay on my property and eventually grow into a trophy. Just another aspect of quality deer management!

Bocajnala

That is a good point. I never really thought of it like that, but you have a very good point.

reckling42

I feel the same way. People are talking about when they got older they turned that way, Im only 17 and have only shot 1 deer. Which was a doe with 2 fawns, I was dieing to get my first deer, so I took the mom. Anyway, I will never do that again. After I came up to the deer, I could hear the two fawns back in the woods trying to call for her.

MackinawMonsters

I honestly have never thought about this subject before. I always have taken does and fawns and not thought twice. This topic has me thinking about wether its right or wrong. I think that young fawns are tremendous to eat, and around my area does are abundant as they can get. I think I will continue to not worry about bambi and his mothers feelings and continue my management practices. And KSdeerhuntr that is a great point that I have never thought about, I like the idea.

A11en

KSdeerhunter,

So what happens to the herd when they start "inbreeding"

KSdeerhuntr

When the herd starts inbreeding, the deer don't grow as big or as fast, aren't as healthy, have lower fertility in both does and bucks and a greater chance of miscarriages. Some people would argue with this saying that inbreeding with a trophy would consequently produce trophy offspring but actually more culling would have to be done to remove the management bucks so that they don't get in on the inbreeding a spread their inferior genes. So actually, shooting the doe with the buck fawn prevents inbreeding and keeps the herd healthy and increases the number of bucks on your property. Its win win, just got to get over the fact that you are killing his mom, it's not all that bad anyway becuase by the time hunting season rolls around the fawns are capable of surviving on their own and this is one of the reasons why the seasons are set up this way.

bowmanaj

How is killing a fawn unethical? By this time of year they are eating vegetation and are not relying on their mothers to survive. To each his own I guess