I always try to hold out til I see a lone doe with no fawns, but wondering what others do...it stands to reason that mama will help those fawns through winter even after she's bred...what say you? I've shot a few does that had fawns with it but didn't realize it because she came out first...then those poor fawns hung out all evening in that spot even when I came with the truck to pick her up. Whoops felt a little bad at that one. I try to avoid that now.
I think if the fawns are healthy, you're doing them a favor killing mama later in the season so more food for them. Lone does are a rare thing to see and can be mistaken and actually be a button buck. Usually early season if say 2 does and 3 fawns all come down the trail, I don't think twice about shooting a mama even if the fawns have spots still. I figure they're all together and will stick together.
I do the same. It's my personal preference. unless there is a group of 4-5 doe coming through, then i'll shoot the easiest one, I've done that several times.
If I want to shoot a doe, I'm shooting a doe. Lone does are most likely not lone does anyway. Fawns split their time with and without momma. Just because you see her without fawns, doesn't mean she wouldn't be with them in an hour, and vice versa. I've even read that this time of year, the fawns you see with a doe may not even all be hers. Like Gutpile said, I also would be more cautious shooting loners because they could be buttons. By this time of the year, fawns can survive on their own. Sure they probably have a better chance with momma, but so do yearlings that are hanging with momma. Fawns are also all different when it comes to weening. Some will be done for the most part by now and others will still try and nurse into December if mom will let them. I don't fault someone that doesn't want to shoot a doe with a fawn because they feel bad, but if I felt bad about it, I would strongly consider not shooting does all together.
By the time the fawn have lost their spots, they're more than capable of taking care of themselves.. But more times than not, doe travel together and those yearlings are going to find another mature doe to travel with. I will let younger doe pass though and only shoot the mature granny doe that will more than likely either not take the following year or is already on the downslide and only producing one fawn a year.. I don't shoot many doe and those old mature doe can be just as challenging to get than a nice mature buck. I will pass doe all year if the right doe doesn't pass by, but this year I got a doe on Cam that looks to have a nasty growth on it and I'd really like to get that doe out of the herd if I get the chance, even though it does't look to be a mature doe (I'm actually wondering if I should contact the Game Commission and notify them of this doe). I know I wouldn't eat the doe with the growth on it and I'm sure I'd get a new tag if I was to harvest it. What do you think is on this deer?
By the time the fawn have lost their spots, they're more than capable of taking care of themselves.. But more times than not, doe travel together and those yearlings are going to find another mature doe to travel with. I will let younger doe pass though and only shoot the mature granny doe that will more than likely either not take the following year or is already on the downslide and only producing one fawn a year.. I don't shoot many doe and those old mature doe can be just as challenging to get than a nice mature buck. I will pass doe all year if the right doe doesn't pass by, but this year I got a doe on Cam that looks to have a nasty growth on it and I'd really like to get that doe out of the herd if I get the chance, even though it does't look to be a mature doe (I'm actually wondering if I should contact the Game Commission and notify them of this doe). I know I wouldn't eat the doe with the growth on it and I'm sure I'd get a new tag if I was to harvest it. What do you think is on this deer?
No idea Nate, can't see anything from that pic? I always shoot lone does or none at all. I never have a problem finding a lone doe (lone doe meaning a doe without fawns). We have enough coyotes and whatever around there are generally a few does without fawns. Does seem to run off the buck fawns so they have to fend for themselves so it stands to reason the doe fawns could too so I don't see it as a big deal either way I just feel better to take a doe without fawns. If we had a serious density problem I'd shoot the fawns too.
If I shoot a doe I try and make sure she does not have fawns. I too have shot does and the little fawns have hung around the whole time and one even followed the truck for a short distance while hauling their mom off. I guess I'm just too soft hearted lol. In MN we can only shoot one deer so I usually don't have to worry about it.
I have no problem killing a doe, a fawn, or, depending on the meat situation, both if the fawn sticks around Sent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk
You would think if the ticks were that bad you'd see it on most all the deer..I have gotten tons of photos of different deer and don't see anything like that on them. This part of PA doesn't seem to have a lot of ticks either.. Just seems odd that one doe would be covered with them like that.. I think they look too big to be ticks, deer hair is pretty long, you wouldn't think you'd see them outside their hair like that.
Oh, yeah I saw those, I also thought they were just ticks. I dunno, some animals are especially tasty to ticks. I've had two dogs that were that way, the other dogs would have maybe a couple ticks on them but those two would not only be covered in them but the ticks would bury themselves clear up to their front legs into the dogs flesh. So deep in fact that more than once I've actually pulled the ticks in two when I tried to pull them off and had to dig the front half of them out with tweezers. That sucks.... The fibromas are generally much larger than that.
I don't shoot fawns, not enough meat for me to make it worthwhile and dont want to chance shooting a button. Even yearling does are pretty small where I am. In general I don't shoot does until after the rut. Does = buck bait and if you have does comfortable around your stand you'll see bucks come around eventually. I had a pair of 2.5 yo does hanging around my stand every morning I was in it for over a month. Had dozens of shot opportunities. Then the morning of October 26, 2013 I had one of them out at 20 yards grazing like she always did, and after an hour or so there was some activity behind me and her sister came trotting under my stand with a big old 9 on her tail. Smoked him at 20 yards.
Could it be burs? In Texas I have seen some really big cockle burs dont know if y'all have them up there
