rybohunter

You lost me here. Are you talking spotted fawn vs not spotted? Where I live, 99.9% of our fawns are out of spots by hunting season. They have winter coats. We don't call them yearlings though. Probably 40% of our yearlings(1.5 yr old does) have fawns of thier own. They make weight pretty good and get bred later in thier firstfallseason.

A11en

Had it been me, I would have both the doe and the fawn in the freezer. I was never a fan of shooting fawns until my son shot his first deer, which was a yearling. Yummy! It was the most tender venison I'd every eaten.We don't shoot every fawn we see, but the first deer we see each season, typically ends up in the freezer. It doesn't matter what gender or age. After the first is in the freezer, we hunt bucks.

There're good eatn'

isatarak

If you are seeing fawns with spots this late, it means you have too many does and they are getting bred late. This also results in a lot of spike bucks. When I told a state wildlife biologist that I saw a lot of spikes last year, he said it was because of too many does and some of them were getting bred late. It surprised me because I take several does each year and I thought I was doing pretty good. He said I need to kill more.

superstrutter

I never said I'm not willing to shoot does. I try to kill 2 or 3 with my bow before gun season opens. I just stated that I do not like shooting does with fawns, especially early in the season. There are plenty of does around without fawns, and I manage every year to get two or three of them. Like I said earlier, I'm sure I will make a mistake every now and then and accidently shoot a doe with a fawn that was not with her when I took the shot. If I see the doe and fawn together, I'm not shooting. There are plenty of deer to go around. I believe it's human nature for us sometimes to give human characteristics to animals. If you don't feel for the animal you are killing, then you shouldn't be hunting. I'm not insinuating you don't have feelings towards animals, but some hunters could care less. They just kill and show absolutely no remorse.

vabyrd

I guess ethics was the wrong word. Having some feelings for another being isa good thing. With a 4 year old and one on the way, I'm like the Pillsbury Dough Boy these days....

But I do shoot does, in fact, that seems to be all I've shot in the last 3 years. Im the one that everyone says "MMMmm, MMmm...thats good eating". The wall hanger is coming, I can feel it...

Anyone ever mount a doe?

brushbuster07

Never let myself do it either. I'm 20 and when I was about 13 I asked my dad why he stopped hunting deer because I knew he did when he was a younger guy. He told me the story of when he was hunting out of a stand and shot a doe and the fawn wouldn't leave. Even after he got out of the tree and went to the doe, the fawn just stood there and wouldn't leave and that was the last time he hunted deer. I did manage to get him back into deer hunting a few years ago. After hearing that story I've never even let myself think about shooting a doe with a fawn around.

coyote#68

I have saw several fawns return to the corn pile on trail cam pics. by their selves all season after mom was killed there,I beleive that most of them will survive,a doe can't always protect her fawn from a pack of coyotes anyway, they are clever hunters.If you dont think they will survive shoot them too.I know that a mother and her fawn are a pretty sight to see,but for management you are helping your hunting property.We are so doe populated in many counties they have unlimited doe harvest and it helps keep the herd healthy,I havent heard of any cases of CWD here yet,we had several deer die from EHD last year due to the drought.Hunt and kill what you want as long as it's legal you are not in the wrong and if you dont want to shot mamma thats OK,but around here over 9 out of 10 does have a fawn with them this time of year and it's either shoot mom or shoot bambi,and sometimes bambi is a buck,and a lot of times bambi will be a momma by next spring and you have another deer and by taking mom you have provided more food for everyone in the herd.Good hunting.

huntnma

I'm talking fawns in general......In Florida we have breeding almost all year,( i actually got a pic of a spotted fawn yesterday....)we have the possiblity of fawns almost constantly....i consider anything under a year of age a fawn if it has spots or not..it's stillgoing to momma for milk, then i feel it should be left alone.......the baby still needs the momma for nutrients/antibodies that they just can't get from eating grass....that is why i would pass and i believe thats why the hunters safety folks include it as part as the ethics portion...

rybohunter

Ok, I see where you are coming from.

Pursuit Hunter

First time on this forum, first thread I've read. I hope this is an indication of the thoughtful conversations yet to come. Now I'll pitch my two pennies into the ring. Seems to me that ethics are a combination of doing what is legal and doing what is right. Doing what is right is largely a matter of personal values. There is ample research that says that the fawns will survive without momma and that thinning the deer herd is a good thing.

On the other hand, my purpose in hunting is not to be a deer manager. I hunt because I enjoy the opportunity to be an active participant in the natural order of things. I've had many an enjoyable day in the field just watching deer. When I walkout of the woods in the evening, I want to feel good aboutmy choices. Shooting a momma doesn't make me feel good, so I'm not going to do it.

The area where I hunt lost a significant percentage of the population to EHD last year, so I'm letting all does walk this year anyway. I've started taking pictures of them and posting them on my blog instead and have been enjoying that alot. Saving the arrows for the bucks.

Happy Hunting