Don't feel bad. I've done the same thing. I had a doe and fawn walk out about 50 yards away and mom was perfectly lined up for a broadside shot. Couldn't do it though, so I spent the next 10 minutes watching mom and her fawn mill around and just enjoyed the moment of seeing wildlife in the wild doing what they do. Even though I didn't take her, I still felt rewarded by the experience.

X2

Very true - but neither have ANYTHING to do with shooting a doe with non spotted fawns.

Its not.

I would be very surprized if the number of true dry does is not way less then 10%.
Does in captivaty will continue to cycle and breed till nearly the end.
Considering few wild deer live to die a natural death, what makes anyone think that more then a tiny few would menopause out.
Reality is if you shoot does, you are shooting ones with fawns whether you see them or not.

Steve

It's not unethical. That's not what this post is about. I think we as hunters know by this time of year a fawn can survive without it's mother. I just couldn't make myself shoot the mother doe after watching her groom her fawn. I just plain out will not purposely shoot a doe that has a fawn or fawns with her.

I've killed many dry does.I think the percentmay bea little higher than what you are indicating. You are probably right about killing does with fawns that you did not see, but if I see one with fawns, I am not shooting. I'm sure I've killed more does with fawns than I think, but not on purpose. Some does will lose their fawns to preditors or accidents, so I would include these as fawnless does. Bottom line is, shoot what you want as long as you are happy and okay with it, and legal.

I'm really a little surprised at what I'm reading. You should be shooting does. I don't know what it's like everywhere else, but here it's rare to see a doe without a fawn or two. I have passed on does with spotted fawns, but only because I can wait and kill another doe. If you like to eat deer meat, does are the best with the exception of fawn meat. The only problem with fawn meat is that there isn't enough of it to make it worth while.

If you have a big deer population, you are only hurting yourself by not shooting does. If you don't like deer meat, give it to someone who does.

if it has nothing to do with ethics , then why do they use passing does with fawns as an example of ethics when the hunters saftey course is being given ?????????? I believe it has everything to do withethics and maturity is factor as well....when you're younger, you're in the shooter stage, just a killing machine, but then you grow up and start letting things walk....it's perfectly ok, it's part of the learning experience......you have your opinion, I have mine and I'm right, lol.......

No, I am

If they truly do use that as an example of ethics, then I feel they are doing a HUGE disservice to hunting & the deer herd. This is why many of the areas of the country have too many deer. Few people are willing to shoot the amount of does needed to keep the herds in balance.

I would much rather see a guy take a very high percentage shot on a doe big old momma doe than wing a prayer at a buck, which you KNOW happens more often than we all would like to admit.

I certainly can understand the emotion behind this topic, but I have to agree with this statement. Deer around these parts are plentiful and the population needs controlled. I don't have a problem with the guys I let bowhunt on my farm letting the smaller bucks walk, but if I knew they were passing up shots on does just because they had a fawn with them (which is the VAST majority of does around here), well I would be none too happy.