sour01

I was able to go hunting this week for only my second time this year. I moved this summer and have to travel 3.5 hours to my old hunting grounds---and so I can't go very often. Thursday evening I saw a several does come into the green field I was hunting over a little after sunset.

I picked out a nice one at about 250 yards. She was alone---I shot and she went down. I took her to the processor a couple miles up the road and noticed that this doe (approx. 120 lbs on the hoof) was still lactating---meaning that she was still nursing some young ones. They were not with her when I shot---or I might have reconsidered.

While I had no way of knowing she had young ones somewhere---and I would do the same thing again---my question is---What do think will happen to her little ones? Would any of you done anything different? I was looking forward to having some venison in the freezer.

slippery

why second guess, most of the does shot now have little ones inside.

Charlie P

Lets see let me think about that for a minute ummmmmmmmmmmmmmm Bang.

The reason the young one weren't is either because she ran them off so she could get bred,or there not around anymore anyway.

9th tine

You made a good call,Usually the young ones should be old enough by now to fend for themselves.
I usually waite and see if there are no young ones by doe I harvest it.
I have found that they have milk in their mammery glands at times as well.
Don't feel bad about your decision,Like I already said,The fawns from this year are big enough to fend for themselves.

timbercruiser

In the extreme south where he and I live it is common to see small spotted fawns at this time of year. I had a couple of them in my backyard two days ago. I have always heard that by the time a fawn loses its spots it can take care of itself, so the does fawns may or may not be of age to take care of themselves. With the high deer population in our areas you probably didn't hurt the population either way.

NY Bowhunter

I had the same thing happen this season. The lactating doe this time of year means there is a low buck to doe population in the area you're hunting. The doe bred late which means she went into a 2nd or 3rd or 4th estrous because there was not enough bucks in the area to breed her the first time around. However, the young deer by this time should still be ok on his/her own. That's why they structure the hunting seasons when they do. Don't sweat it.