a deer hunting question
 

this is the deal. a coworker got his first deer and come to find out, the deer was born probably in the spring. when dressed, it weighed 55 lbs. he started bragging about it and everyone started giving him grief for shooting a bambi. he started bragging to me about it and i basically told him he was talking to the wrong person because i didn't believe in what he was doing. don't get me wrong, i understand why people hunt, but i just don't care for it.

what i'd like to know is, are there any regulations on what size/age of a deer you can shoot? i've been searching for answers, but can't find them. or is it just a 'rule' of hunters...don't shoot young ones?

a friend of mine that helped the coworker was just sick by it. he's been hunting since he was a kid and felt it was wrong too. but all i'm hearing is that he shouldn't have shot it cuz of the age and size. is there a rule?

RE: a deer hunting question
 

check your state regulations, most hunters, sportman, and outdoorsmen, would rather take a mature animal

RE: a deer hunting question
 

First off Bambi is a Movie, yearling deer are called FAWNS!

As to your question, I can only comment on where I hunt but our Either-Sex Tags can be used on any deer the hunter chooses to harvest. On our Anterless Tags can only be used to harvest a Doe (female) or spring 04' Fawn. So it boils down to personal choice no rule on size or age. I personally do not shoot a fawn or a doe with fawns either but I also don't think it is wrong for someone else to choose to do so. If they are happy and use the meat from harvest then I am happy with them. Does it really make a difference if he shot a 55lb or 75lbs dressed deer? The point of hunting is to keep populations in check and with the land carrying capacity. This will also accomplish good herd health among the deer which included is a variety of age, sex and size of the species being harvested. So from a management perspective some young, some middle and some old harvested of both sexes in the species are a good thing and one might dare say even a goal(given the PC time we live in).

As far as him bragging, I could take that 2 ways.
#1-his first deer and he is truly excited. Further more with inexperience some can not tell the difference or know the difference until they get some experience or help from a veteran hunter.
#2-experienced and likes to brag about harvesting animals - unethical in my opinion and is desperate need of some direction from a true sportsman who not only hunts but love the animals in which he persues!!! (Like many of the fine members here;))

BTW you have every right to turn a deaf ear and I as a hunter respect others choice to do so. I would tell your co-worker your feelings and to refrain from involving you in the future.

RE: a deer hunting question
 

sorry to have used bambi in reference to the fawn that was shot. it's a term we've all been using around here. i know the difference;) just wrong wording

thank you for your reply. it made me look at the situation in a different light. in all honesty, i think the size, the age, etc is up to the hunter. even though i don't feel it was right to kill a fawn, at least he did use the meat. and he is an inexperienced hunter. i can understand him being excited about his first deer. i grew up with hunters in my family and went through the 'i got my first deer' with many of them. even though i don't like it, i can understand the excitement.

this guy has been teased about his kill and i do think the next time he goes hunting (and maybe with the experienced hunters that have been giving him grief) maybe he'll get himself a buck :)

i can go both ways on this deal. if people didn't hunt, we'd have overpopulation, diseases, and whatnot. and i did explain to my coworker my feelings and he no longer talks about it around me.

RE: a deer hunting question
 

Skeeter's answer is right on target .

In my state there is no "age limit" , you can take a deer of any age . I wouldn't personally shoot a fawn , not enough meat to be worth the cleaning .

RE: a deer hunting question
 

Right on Skeeter, very well put.

Bambi is a cartoon. Even the best marinades still make cartoons taste, well, like paper.

Some guys are very selective about the size of deer they will shoot as they prefer to be able to carry the animal out when hunting in swampy areas where you don't want to drag the meat thru the nasty water and such.

I prefer a large, mature animal myself, but the smaller ones do tend to be tender.

Uncle Matt (in IL)

RE: a deer hunting question
 

States may vary, but our regulations say anything other than a spotted fawn.

RE: a deer hunting question
 

I have a hard time seeing the harvesting of animals unethical. In a sense, all hunters brag about the harvest. Trophy hunters just harvest bigger animals. It just all depends on what your goals are. At the dinner table, a young deer is much better than a deer that is showing some age. So if your goal is to bring home some tasty venison, there is nothing wrong with shooting a younger deer. If your goal is to raise world class bucks, your goal would be to let them age and develop.

RE: a deer hunting question
 

Although out of 27 deer kills I had a case of mistaken identity once and shot a fawn but I do not advocate the taking of fawns. Most people don't have a problem going out and eating veal because they don't know what it is. It is a baby cow which is kept in a pen and not allowed to move so the meat is tender. Then the baby cow is harvested by a shot to the head or other means. I can't tell you how many people don't understand how the meat they eat was not born in a package with plastic over the top or born in the shape of a hamburger! In addition remember over population! I would bet that a large percentage of vehicle / deer accidents involve fawns because of their ignorance. Sometimes a hunter can spend alot of time and effort to harvest a deer with a bow and may come up empty for years, so for him to be excited is justified. The question should not be the size of the deer but whether he made a safe, ethical, humane instant kill shot on the animal.

RE: a deer hunting question
 

There is no "age limit" for shooting a deer. If he got his 1st deer ever he should be happy as can be regardless of its size, and he is entitled to that. Generally people try and shoot bigger deer, but sometime in the field it is hard to judge size. Cases can be made that smaller, young of the year, deer are first to perish in hard winters so shooting them isn't that big a deal. Death from a hunters bullet or arrow is much less painful than the cruelty of ma nature. I don't think others should tease him if it was his first deer.

Just to add:
I think it was cool of you to come here and find information in a civil manner, many would have just turned into a rant and not wanted to know hte other side of the story. I am suprised at your friend who hunted who was sickened by it. He should know for someone's 1st deer, to be happy for them regardless of the size.