I don't hunt, but a friend of mine just started to, and we were talking about his hunting experience.

He saw a doe and wasn't sure if he should shoot it (incase it had fawns), but I figured that deer season was partly chosen so that does could give birth and get their fawns weaned and independent. But really, neither of us knew the answer, so what do you folks think?

This is a personal preferance thing. I personally don't have a problem taking a doe when she has yearlings with her as they are weaned by hunting season. I won't do it if the fawn has spots though but I have only seen this once. I wasn't sure if the fawn had been weaned or not yet so I didn't take the doe. Some hunters don't like to do it and that is fine for them. I just took a doe yesterday afternoon that was with a 4pt. buck and 3 fawns. Contrary to what the PETA types want you to think, deer don't have emotional attachments to their offspring. When I shot the doe yesterday, she bolted about 30 yards and piled up into some trees. The fawns just stood there and watched her, and the went back to eating. Interestingly enough, the buck did the same thing. Of course when I got down out of my stand they ran.

Take one of the fawns! The meat is awesome and they are easier to drag out! I just made a steak sandwich with some fawn meat and let me tell ya that meat is good! Tender and tasty! From everything I've read on the topic fawns are ready to live on thier own by the time hunting season rolls around! The spotted fawn might be a different story but I've never come across that situation. If I did I think I would pass on that doe....