post rut doe a no go, an I looking at this wrong?

[wolverinebuckman]

Hi guys, looking for your thoughts on this subject. The other day I was out and I had a doe, not a bad size one either, come within 8 yards of me while I was ground hunting.
since I'm just getting into ground hunting, I went ahead and pulled back on her, finger off the release trigger, just to see if I could draw back on a deer so close without being detected. Success! ( I put the pin on her organs just in case the release somehow failed, I would have the meat in the freezer.)
However, I had already put it in my mind that I'm not going to shoot a post rut doe. I see it as taking two lives for the price of one, and the second one isn't edible, or mountable. I consider the offspring that Doe may be caring could be the next great monster to hunt in those woods. Maybe I'm looking at this wrong. What do you guys think?

What about a button buck or spike? They are so small and not much meat. I've let one of each go this year. What would you do?

[Stanley]

Any time you kill a doe you are eliminating more than one deer. Doesn't matter post rut or not.

[wolverinebuckman]

Any time you kill a doe you are eliminating more than one deer. Doesn't matter post rut or not.

Okay, now you're getting philosophical.
Your statement could apply to any buck that you shoot as well. I shot my buck this year early season, well before the rut. You could argue that I took deer out of the woods for next season.

I'm speaking of a doe that has likely already been bred.

[Bowhunting Brian]

If you are really this conflicted, maybe you should do something else with your time besides hunting once the rut is over. Otherwise shoot what makes you happy. There will always be deer.

[Stanley]

Any time you kill a doe you are eliminating more than one deer. Doesn't matter post rut or not.

Okay, now you're getting philosophical.
Your statement could apply to any buck that you shoot as well. I shot my buck this year early season, well before the rut. You could argue that I took deer out of the woods for next season.

I'm speaking of a doe that has likely already been bred.

How do you know the doe is pregnant post rut? Nothing philosophical about it. One buck can and will service more than one doe. The does are the buck producers. You can kill the doe before or after conception it's all the same you have eliminated more than one deer. If you kill the buck another buck will service the doe. If you kill the doe it's all over for that doe to produce another deer pre rut or post rut.

[Emrah]

I don't understand how killing a doe (which may or may not be bred in the future) is any different than killing her post rut, also not knowing if it's been bred.

I understand the philosophical reasons people have behind it, but I think it's been proven by wildlife biologists that the final effect is the same on deer herds.

Emrah

[brancher147]

I agree with Stanley. And some places I hunt are overbrowsed with way too many deer. If I shoot a doe I am helping to create the next great buck more than if I let her walk and reproduce more deer to continue overbrowsing and degrading the habitat. I don't shoot spikes or button bucks unless a property is overrun with them just because I have so many does to shoot.

[Horizontal Hunter]

Any time you kill a doe you are eliminating more than one deer. Doesn't matter post rut or not.

This. Either way you are removing potential spring fawns.

They are your tags fill them as you see fit.

BTW: How do you know that a coyote/wolf/mountain lion/automobile doesn't take her out after you give her a pass?

Bob

[stash59]

Totally with Stan on this one. Kill a doe in Sept. or early Oct. your still taking away the same chance for another fawn/fawns for next year as if you kill it in Nov, Dec. or Jan. If the herd needs thinning kill it. If not don't. No matter what month of the season.

[wolverinebuckman]

we really can't speak of reproduction potential... that's pre-rut.
My 18 year old daughter has the potential to reproduce, but she isn't pregnant. If someone ended her life now, they would be taking only her life. However, when she does get pregnant, if someone took her life then, they would also be taking my grandchild out as well.

Little miss doe, walking around in October, may have the potential to reproduce, but she is not carrying a fawn at the time. The chances she is in December increase dramatically, it's actually likely she is.

So, hypothetically, the biggest monster buck in the area knocked this little doe up. The fawn she is carrying posesses these great genetics. Why would we want to remove those genes from the woods?

[Jonny]

we really can't speak of reproduction potential... that's pre-rut.
My 18 year old daughter has the potential to reproduce, but she isn't pregnant. If someone ended her life now, they would be taking only her life. However, when she does get pregnant, if someone took her life then, they would also be taking my grandchild out as well.

Little miss doe, walking around in October, may have the potential to reproduce, but she is not carrying a fawn at the time. The chances she is in December increase dramatically, it's actually likely she is.

So, hypothetically, the biggest monster buck in the area knocked this little doe up. The fawn she is carrying posesses these great genetics. Why would we want to remove those genes from the woods?

Either way you remove the chance for reproduction. Doesn’t matter if they are pregnant or not. No way to tell IF a doe is pregnant in January.

End of the day, if you don’t want to shoot a doe, that’s fine. But if I have a doe tag, and one walks by, it’s going in my freezer. Don’t care when that is

[pilgrimhunter]

That doe was just as likely to be getting pregnant as she is likely to be pregnant now. I don't see any difference. The odds haven't changed at all. I don't understand the thinking.
Edit: Let me explain my thinking in more detail. If in theory 90% of does get bred every year (I have no idea of actual numbers) than a doe in early season has a 90% chance of reproducing. In late season the same doe has a 90% chance of being pregnant.
Anytime you pass on harvesting a deer it may mean more deer the following year but choosing to harvest that deer in early season vs late will not increase numbers.

[stash59]

we really can't speak of reproduction potential... that's pre-rut.
My 18 year old daughter has the potential to reproduce, but she isn't pregnant. If someone ended her life now, they would be taking only her life. However, when she does get pregnant, if someone took her life then, they would also be taking my grandchild out as well.

Little miss doe, walking around in October, may have the potential to reproduce, but she is not carrying a fawn at the time. The chances she is in December increase dramatically, it's actually likely she is.

So, hypothetically, the biggest monster buck in the area knocked this little doe up. The fawn she is carrying posesses these great genetics. Why would we want to remove those genes from the woods?

Animals are not humans. Reproduction dynamics are totally different. Like Pilgrim mentions below odds are super high that most does get bred and conceive each year. How do you know that that big old early season doe doesn't carry the genes for a Booner and the young one in December, January carries genes for a buck when mature that will only be a large spike. And yes that does occasionally happen. I've seen pics of 2 different very real bucks. That only had 20" long main beams.

[JAK]

My take is the same as Stanley and Stash. If you shoot her in September or December doesn't matter ur taking more then her life. So then it's all personal preference as to weather or not u want to take one or not if I'm in a low density area I let em go but that's just me

[PK_]

If you don’t want to ‘kill’ an actual physical fetus that is one thing. But the effect on the herd is the same whether you kill a doe before or after she is bred.

About this theoretical fetus’ ‘genetic’ potential, well, that is a rabbit hole I am not going down...

If I am hunting in an area with low deer numbers I don’t shoot does, anytime of the season. If I am hunting somewhere with high deer numbers I would shoot a doe anytime of the season.

Outside of that, do what makes you happy. Fill your freezer when you need to, live and let live when you can.