So here is the scenerio. In our deer camp there are two beliefs about shooting does. 1.) Leave does till after the rut is over to not disturb them and scare them off the property before the rut, and use them as bait during the rut. In a nutshell the more does, the more bucks. 2.) Shoot does in the early season because the less does on the property the harder the bucks will have to look in order to find hot does. Keep in mind this is in Illinois and our deer herd number are fairly healthy. All other things aside, food, bedding, etc, Which side are you on?
#2 for me. It seems like if you shoot 1 doe 3 more show up around my area anyway. But I feel like not only do the bucks not have to look for hot does as hard but the competition is not as tuff between bucks so they do not respond to rattles and decoys as much because they have all the girlfriends they need.
I shoot does till my freezer is full. If I have a tag I wont pass them up unless it is the rut so Im on #2!
I side with #2 in a healthy herd. But my main reason for this is that I hate the thought of shooting a doezilla in late November or December that was bred by one of my good bucks. By shooting does in September and early October the chance of that happening are next to none.
If you are killing does to reduce the population or improve the sex ratio, history has shown that scenario #2 is more successful. If doe "harvest" is left until later in the season, hunters are less likely to get the job done for a number of reasons. Tired of hunting, weather, busy with holidays crap, etc.
I have always fell into scenario #2, but I think I'm going to change that way of thinking and go w. #1. The deer just disappear around my land in the late season. I end up getting skunked, when I had multiple chances in the early season that I passed on.
I try to shoot one doe from Oct 1st to Oct 21st and then another every chance I get after the first bow season is over mid November.
TO the OP's Q......if you have a "healthy" herd, you can't hurt by killing them early. You CAN have too many does on a property. How many hunters do you have?
Hell! There are so many deer around here it's pathetic....Does bucks alike. Yet when the time presents itself I will kill a doe. A doe produces more buck fawns than doe fawns but the buck Fawn will travel 3 to 10 miles beyond it's range of birth. Does don't. If you lower the number of does then the bigger bucks will take over the area. Allow the does to live and the smaller bucks will breed freely as the bigger bucks. At some point we have to lower the numbers and killing the does is the most viable solution.
Crazy but I 95% agree with Vito on this one(might be a MI thing)...and don't think it makes any difference as to when and how many bucks you will see during rut - they will cruise lookin anyway - maybe even make easier because its one less doe to keep them occupied somewhere else or in hiding...To be honest I'm more opportunistic than anything when shooting does for meat-close easy shot and its down.
#2 all the way. When we keep the doe count down, we see 10x more buck activity. I kill almost every doe I see, no hesitation here. Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
Brother, If you have a doe problem, I would be happy to fill my freezer! PM me if you want me to come help cull the herd. Lee
I am of the opinion that you shoot as many does possible early on. In my state, most counties have an unlimited tag on the number of does, because we are completely overrun with does. We have so many that I don't think it has an adverse effect on anything. Rev
I have found this very true after this season. Next season I'm whacking them early. Fawns or not. #2 all the way.
I'm feeling a little tired of hunting... I'll go in the morning to see if I can work it out of my system.
I'm taking my 2d and my stand up 3 d decoys with a can of doe in estrus buck bomb in the morning. I haven't killed anything in 2 years. I live in the county area and private land owners think of deer as children. bunch of freaking idiots.
