Shooting A Doe With A Fawn

First of all I am very new to bow hunting, not hunting, just bow hunting. I have noticed in the show, a few times guys are shooting does with fawns trailing them. Is this a good practice? Seems to me that the fawns would have a rough road ahead of them w/o mother. Maybe they will be just fine, but I would like to see what everyone thinks or knows about this.

 

By the time most archery seasons open the fawns are weaned and capable of surviving on their own.

 

Most mature does will have little ones especially early in the season. Just because you don't see them doesn't mean they don't have any. I try to not shoot does that have little ones with spots. If I see a big fat mature doe early in the season and I don't see any little ones with her, I will probably shoot one for some meat in the freezer. If I see a little one with her I will give her a pass.

 

As this being only second year of bowhunting I've asked and talked about and researched this question more then anything else. The conclusion I've come to is based on your overall goals. I live and hunt in Kentucky which means I'm able to hunt as early as September 5th, which also means 90% of the does that have fawns have spots and the majority of the doe population does have fawns. At the end of the day what I want most is the best thing for the herd which means balancing out the adult sex ratio and reducing mouths on the food plots to increase the amount of forage for the big boys come later winter. It really sucks to think about killing a quote unquote mom to leave her quote unquote baby as a sitting duck for predators but at the end of the day that's part of life, as stickthrower said just because you don't see the fawn with them doesn't mean they don't have any. I found myself in this exact situation October 1st of this year and with her were twin button bucks, I shot the mature doe and just last week ive got trail cam photos of the same pair of twin button bucks doing just fine.

 

The Spots "rule" is a pretty good one. If the fawns make it to hunting season, they are no longer dependent on the doe for nourishment even though they are still traveling with them.

 

I heard that by the end of September fawns should be fully capable of surviving on their own.

 

I don't think a fawn will penetrate good enough....

 

I think you should shoot them both because the fawns are tasty.

 

I have friends that would shoot the fawns because they are a more tender meat.

I myself would shoot the doe if the herd was at it's carrying capacity and I want to keep the herd healthy. If I need more deer in the herd, I don't shoot does for any reason but that's just me.

 

It all goes great next to the potatoes and the veggies.

 

And you can debone them with just a tweezers and an exacto knife.

 

Lol, some good answers.

 

Really bad ballistic coefficient but the momentum is pretty good.

 

So you're saying kinetic energy???

 

Those fawns are like veal

 

I typically look the shoot does with two button bucks. My thinking is that she will eventually push them out of the area so they don't try to breed meaning two less bucks that will stick around the area. But if they don't have spots they should be just fine most of the time they will find other deer to stick around!

 

I think you two are the only ones that picked up what I put down...lol

 

Nah, that was good.

 

Exactly! !! Stuffed with some cream cheese and spinach and you got a damn good meal.

 

I follow the "spot rule" as well. When bowhunting, sometimes you shoot the doe and the fawn sticks around . Best of both worlds if it fits the management program.


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