Will you shoot a doe, with her fawn? (Poll)

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Will you shoot the Doe, with her fawn?

Yes
55
46%
No
65
54%
 
Total votes: 120
Rich M
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Re: Will you shoot a doe, with her fawn? (Poll)

Unread postby Rich M » Thu Jul 14, 2016 4:51 am

I put "yes" but... really do not go looking to shoot a doe with a yearling. I would prefer to shoot the little one.

Down here in the south, momma is about the size of a yearling button buck up north, yearling is about the size of a springer spaniel. Makes it hard to fill the freezer on the little one - sometimes just shoot them both and not feel guilty either way.

Then folks look unkindly on you for shooting a baby. LOL! My uncle was a macho kind of guy - shows up at bear camp and asks the guy who shot a small bear if he was gonna make a hat out of the skin - best part is that he shot a little one too! LOL! He'd hang his head to tell that story.

Almost the same thing for deer - his wife and son would hound him for shooting yearlings, which he typically did due to thick cover deer drives. We shot what came by...

I've seen a cow that hung around a pen where the young one was taken from. Cow stood there, waiting for her lil one for about a week.


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purebowhunting
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Re: Will you shoot a doe, with her fawn? (Poll)

Unread postby purebowhunting » Thu Jul 14, 2016 5:20 am

If I'm in fill freezer mode a doe with fawns has no bearing on a shot being taken.
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Re: Will you shoot a doe, with her fawn? (Poll)

Unread postby Mibowfreak » Thu Jul 14, 2016 5:23 am

When I'm out looking to put a doe in the freezer, the fawn does not play a factor.

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Re: Will you shoot a doe, with her fawn? (Poll)

Unread postby wickedbruiser » Thu Jul 14, 2016 5:27 am

Nope. I personally don't enjoy shooting does unless it's last resort for meat.

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Re: Will you shoot a doe, with her fawn? (Poll)

Unread postby olivertractor » Thu Jul 14, 2016 5:29 am

Yes, as long as i feel herd numbers are good. Fills the freezer, so i can let a younger buck walk if no chance at a mature buck, for the year.

Great real life practice in preparation when a mature buck finally shows.

No, if deer numbers are low and/or the freezer still has a sufficient amount of venison to get through the year. My family just gets cut off on venison if deer numbers are low like they have been :lol:

Some of those old does are harder to kill than a mature buck, IMHO that's an accomplishment
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Re: Will you shoot a doe, with her fawn? (Poll)

Unread postby hunter10 » Thu Jul 14, 2016 5:45 am

Not usually. I don't enjoy seeing the fawns crying days after looking for mom. I saw 2 fawns once after our muzzleloader week where a guy took the mom and the fawns would walk around near the roads and ditches lookin for mom. Didn't sit well with me

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Re: Will you shoot a doe, with her fawn? (Poll)

Unread postby Wlog » Thu Jul 14, 2016 6:16 am

I have but I voted no because I usually only shoot does in late season if I need more deer meat. Unless you have to shoot a doe to earn a buck tag, if your objective is to shoot a buck than its counter productive. Early season all my hunts are first time sits that I've been waiting for the perfect timing to sit. If I shoot a doe an hour before dark, I've probably done some damage. Who knows maybe the buck goes out the other way and I see him 70 yards away but don't get a chance. If I hadn't shot that doe I can just adjust for tomorrow. If I do and now I gotta go stomping through the area and dragging out a deer, it's a missed opportunity.

If you want to shoot the doe and that's your objective than by all means have at it. You won't hear a complaint out of me. As for me, I'll probably just let her go by and hope she doesn't blow my cover.

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Re: Will you shoot a doe, with her fawn? (Poll)

Unread postby oldrank » Thu Jul 14, 2016 6:23 am

Where I live it is looked at as almost a civic duty for a hunter to take does. We have an abundance of them. Its kind of an unwritten law that hunters should harvest at least a couple a year. Id rather have them in my freezer than splattered up and down the roads.

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DaveT1963
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Re: Will you shoot a doe, with her fawn? (Poll)

Unread postby DaveT1963 » Thu Jul 14, 2016 6:28 am

An old monarch doe is probably a better test of a hunter's skill then a lot of bucks

I seldom get picked off drawing down on a buck but those old ladies have pegged me on many occasions.
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Re: Will you shoot a doe, with her fawn? (Poll)

Unread postby DeerDylan » Thu Jul 14, 2016 6:32 am

The last time I held off on an old doe that had young ones with her another doe stepped out alone and I shot her then her youngin came out like 5 minutes later.

I've done both and the next time I want meat and the opportunity arises I'm taking it.

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Re: Will you shoot a doe, with her fawn? (Poll)

Unread postby Bayshorebuck8 » Thu Jul 14, 2016 6:55 am

oldrank wrote:I will kill a doe with fawns. I will kill a doe with out fawns and I will kill a doe fawn. Yum.

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X2!

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Re: Will you shoot a doe, with her fawn? (Poll)

Unread postby UPbowhunter » Thu Jul 14, 2016 8:18 am

Generally if I'm not hunting for a buck, or I have room in freezer, or a person asking for a deer, the fawn doesn't change anything for me.

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Re: Will you shoot a doe, with her fawn? (Poll)

Unread postby Iabow » Thu Jul 14, 2016 9:30 am

JoeRE wrote:With our Oct 1 opener - yea no problem, most "fawns" are not fawns anymore - they are 80+ lbs...but ONLY if I decide not to shoot the fawn (doe fawn) itself. I am not kidding either. They are really tasty. Steaks you can cut with a fork.



I do a doe management hunt inside the city limits, I asked the DNR about taking out momma does with fawns and she said at that time of year the fawns are old enough to be fine on their own. I am with JoeRE though, those young ones taste pretty good!
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Re: Will you shoot a doe, with her fawn? (Poll)

Unread postby mheichelbech » Thu Jul 14, 2016 10:31 am

Having shot a momma doe and watched the young one walk up and nudge it and stand around wondering what the heck happened...and beaahhhing...I'm not doing that anymore. I am sure everyone is different but I still feel guilty about that and I wouldn't do it again on purpose. As for shooting the little ones...I've done this and didn't pay close enough attention to what they were and ended up taking 2 button bucks out of the herd in an area that doesn't have enough bucks to begin with. My brother shot 2 like that last year when I put him on some deer for meat...I've banned him from hunting my areas. Maybe in Iowa or Wisconsin it's fine but around here we need every buck we can get.

I am very picky about what deer and in what situation, besides a shooter buck, that I will shoot. Some areas I just don't want any deer having had a bad experience if I can help it. I think some can remember it and I don't want a doe avoiding my area in the rut. I am sure many will disagree with me but I just don't need the meat that bad.
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Re: Will you shoot a doe, with her fawn? (Poll)

Unread postby kurt » Thu Jul 14, 2016 10:53 am

Yeah if I'm trying to shoot a doe. If you are waiting for a perfect scenario of a lone old doe a lot of times that turns it to more hunts then it has too. Give me a good clean shot opportunity on a doe hunt and I'm taking it. I have shot doe fawn's as well. Great eating and easy drag. I've seen doe fawns that look super small and think no way at times. BUT once they get to a decent size game on.

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