bout shooting a doe
 

would u shot a doe if it had 2 spoted fawns or a yearling with it? I had the oppetunity this weekend to shot a big doe, but it had its fawns and i could not make myself shot her.

I would not hesitate to take a mature doe out of the herd.

so even tho it had 2 spoted fawns u would still take the doe

I think i remember hearing one time that another doe will "adopt" the fawns if not old enough to live on their own. But im not 100% on that.

I draw the line if i can tell whether the fawns are still nursing or not and most of the time if they have spots they are. i have trouble accepting that adoption theory.

Dan

I saw a doe and two fawns today
 

They were all in a dark brown color, with no spots. The doe was so small, it would not be worth the cost of butchering nor doing the job myself, unless I was starving.

That's where I would draw the line.

Well said that My opinion as well..its all a kind of spur of the moment kind of thing and what that particular hunter thinks..

-NICK

Well said Valentine & bowhunter818. I agree with both of you. It all comes down to the individual hunter. It is their choice!

Just because fawns still have spots doesnt necessarily mean that they have not been weened off by the mother. And it definitely does not mean they are not capable of surviving on their own yet. Its september and unless those fawns were born extremely late they should be more than capable of making it on their own by now. If they were born late they very possibly will have trouble makin it through winter. (that is if you are somewhere where there is snowy winters). Each persons concious is different in cases like this. Imo the fawns ability to survive without mommy by this time is not an issue tho.

Very true. I won't think twice about it.:barmy:

If I didn't shoot does with fawns, I'd almost never shoot one.

Momma gets drilled without hesitation.

No, I'd let her walk, and I have many times. Just because a fawn is weened it's likely they don't know enough to make it through the winter.

Opening day here in Ohio she gets crushed!

By the time the season comes around, the fawns are old enough to survive on their own... otherwise the game departments would not allow does to be shot. There are only a few instances that this is not the case, and that is in extremely over populated areas... where deer are being shot on kill permits during otherwise out of season times.

So I wouldn't skip a beat.. and let one of those doe fawns linger too long and see if it doesn't catch 100 too.

LIke SC said, be the time the season is around, a fawn can survive on it's own. They'll nurse into rifle season if they are still with mom. Take that big nanny out without regret.

Think about this another way.....

Just because you DON'T see fawns with mama.....doesn't mean she doesn't have them.

Do what YOU think's right....and have no regrets.

It is indeed a personal choice and has nothing to do biology. In terms of them being helpless without their mother, I have indeed witnessed other fawns joining other doe groups afterward. Also, you might just be teaching them a lesson being more wary that may save them from gun season. I've also seen many fawns make it through the winter on their own. They eventually find the food.

I think biologically and ethically there is nothing wrong with it; they are certainly old enough now. Personally I think I'm a little too soft-hearted to shoot a doe with two spotted fawns, haha. If for whatever reason I had only one day to hunt and that was the only shot I had maybe then it would be different, but if i had the whole season ahead of me I would give them a free pass.

personal choice fo sho! i do know that down here in south texas we saw some fawns born 3wks ago. that will make for some real immature fawns come archery season here. i think the adoption theory is fairly reliable (or atleast from what i have seen) and i also know that when a doe is killed and has real young fawns (about 2 -3 months) the fawns dont typically wander far from the location of their mothers death (based on breeding pressure too). could be a good thing if you have decent buck fawns. either way its all the opinion of the hunter. i dont argue with putting meat in the freezer then holding out for the big boy.

i have in the past. unless im starving im letting her walk. i dont like hearing the fawn baaaaaaaaaaaaaaing looking for its mother. lol. happened to me like 5yrs ago, i had to chase the damn fawn away. thought i was gonna have to pop it too. i havent shot a doe since. that one incident scared me for life. im not saying ill never shot a doe again but im more of a trophy hunter. my father kills enough deer to feed 5 familys so if i run out i bum off pop.

I won't let a good opportunity walk away. If I have a tag and get a shot I'm taking it. Last time was 2005.

Personally, I don't hesitate!

Don't know about the adoption theory. I have spotted 2 "orphan" fawns scouting this year. At 1st I thought they were twins followng 1 doe around the field. But they had been in the field when I got there to scout. Each nite after for 4-5 I was there early.
Smallest fawn came out from a heavy bedded area. Hopped around while eating a bit here and there. Then the doe prolly 150 yds away no where near the fawn entrance, which the fawn scooted back into the tall weeds out of sight. A few minutes later he reappeared. Then anoth 10 minutes or so later the 2nd fawn enters the field where the 1st did. No where near the does entry point.
The fawn stayed relatively close to the doe, but if something spooked them, (4 wheeler 1 nite, tractor another) the fawns went to the weeds and the doe to the woods 100yds away. There is a doe/fawn pair in this area but they stay together always. Their bedding down at the corner in between the solo doe and 2 fawns entrance points.
But personally back to main topic. I feel by this time, 15th openner in Mo. Most fawns are losing the spots (My area anyway) and feed same as mama. Meat goes in the freezer. So mama goes down.

I wont shoot a doe if she has little ones with her. I dont care if the fawns have spots or not. Its just how I am. That fawn until momma pushes it away needs her. Ive seen does push fawns away. I tell ya, its a hard thing to watch. One of the does I saw push her yearling away litterly pawed him until the little button buck realized Im big enough to make it on my own. Ive also witnessed other mature does come in and beat up on other does fawns...them are the ones I like to get out. These are usually does that didnt carry or lost a fawn. We had one real old doe that we called Scar that we chased for a few years because she was just plain out mean. Shed come in and fight with all the other does and fawns. One year she made the right move and ducked my cousins arrow and the arrow just grazed her enough to leave a long cut just about the entire length of her left side. Thats how she got the name. I beleive we rough estimated her age at that time to be around 3 1/2 maybe 4 1/2. 2 years later I took a shot at her. She tried ducking the arrown but wasnt as fast as she used to be and I spined her. We havent had problems like that since....But no I would not shoot a doe if she is nursing or has any little ones with her.

The mature doe I shot last year had two doe fawns, both looked well past weaned, yet the older doe still had milk in her udder when I gutted her. I didn't feel bad about it though, she could have just as easily fallen to a Chevy, and her fawns were old enough to make it on their own. Hunting seasons are timed the way they are for good reasons.

Well said Kevin!!! Not to say that I haven't let one or two Mama's go because that had fawns by there side, but I firmly believe it wouldn't be hunting season if we weren't suppose to be shooting the does, fawns or not!! Me personally it depends on how much meat I have in the freezer.....if none or she's my first shot of the season, she's gettin it! If I've had plenty of oppurtunities and meat already and this situation presents itself I may let her and the fawns do there thang and just enjoy watchin them!!! Personal choice for sure.... to each there own

You have to look at several things.....

1. How many deer do you have?
2. The "avg" whitetail here will eat over a ton of food/yr. Can your lands sustain that?
3. A doe killed in Oct. will not: a. Breed b. continue to eat

Fire away.

Yep I would have shot her and will if I get the chance this weekend. Any fawns that can't make it on their own now will not make it thru this coming winter anyway. Every hunter has the right to decide this for themselves so do what you want and don't worry about what others will do.

Darn right I'd shoot that doe. Wait around long enough and the fawns may come back close enough to take one of them out too. Heartless you think? I say not. They eat just as good or better than any others and it's one less deer in my vastly over-populated area. My rights to hunt the farms I do are based on my word to the farmer to take out as many deer as I can (excluding small bucks as he agrees to let them mature). His farm, his call. I'll shoot does and/or fawns every chance I get.

well the doe was big but looked like it did just now have those fawns. I did not shoot her anad im glad i did not.

doe down in my woods
great table fair.

i have killed several does that has had yearlings with her. i did so last year and i would do it again if givin the chance.
:woot:
:party0005:

Yearlings? Or....fawns?

i would shoot the doe....

c what u guys might not be relizing is that these were SPOTTED FAWNS with her. Im sry i am super glad that i did no shot her now .

I am very glad that you are happy with your decision. That is your choice. If I get in that same situation this Saturday I will take out the doe without a second thought even with spotted fawns. They will be fine on thier own. That would be my choice and I would hope that all would respect that. Your hunt YOUR choice.

I nmy area, fawns are usually just about spotless by the time archery season starts and I'm pretty sure they are probably weaned. Had I the opportunity, then yes. But the yearlings are just as tasty if not better than an old doe.

Just for clarification (for this thread).

Fawn = this year's deer.....born a few months ago.

Yearling = any deer born LAST year.

I drew the line for myself that I'd take a doe with fawns if they didn't have any spots. It probably doesn't make a difference, but for a shoot/dont shoot decision thats my self imposed guideline.

if they did nto have spots that doe would have been down

I went for many years without even shooting Does after I had many Whitetails to my credit. Many years we were allowed only ONE DEER per YEAR either sex & then you were done. Old School from the 50s was Don't shoot any Does to let you have more Deer to hunt.
Anyway-once the Bonus tags & extra tags started a few years ago-I started shooting Does-Mature OLD ones from what I could tell. I still do not shoot a Doe IF I think it's this years fawn-If it's a yearling, I will shoot her but let a yearling walk. I'm sure any fawn in our area would survive just fine-it is just my personal choice.