Killing Does or even Cow elk question?

Does the "age" of a doe or even a cow elk factor into your decision to trip the release?

 

Nope as long as it don't have milk on it's lips, we all good.

 

To an extenet, no. On elk, I will not shoot a cow calf unless my meat supply is in a dire situation. Bascially same thing goes with deer.

However, if in my stand and a group of does comes by I will take the one that looks the oldest. Luckily, or unluckily, Idaho only gives us one tag per year so I don't have to worry about that

 

If age plays a determining factor in which does you shoot.....

1. Tell us "why".
&
2. Tell us how you field judge does for age.

 

BC, you can always buy a second tag if you want to spend the money... on it.. Out of state left overs, I do it every year.

 

I'm letting yearlings go. Any more I hold for an adult doe. The only 2 deer I've had in range so far this season have been yearlings!

 

I wont shoot a yearling or a calf elk. If I was starving yes, other than that nope. They are easy to field judge. Body size, skull development, body formation etc. Just like a buck.

 

I prefer to shoot adults of the female persuasion... simply because if I've got to mess with it to include field dressing, getting out of the woods and processing... I want as much meat as possible for my troubles.

 

Yeah, I personally can't justify the extra cost for a doe. If I was seeing a large buck after I was tagged out, yes. Usually i'm saving my money for other hunts that are in the making. Currently; Boar hunt, Blacktail hunt, and fishing trip to AK.

 

Pass on yearlings...otherwise, age doesn't matter to me.

 

understandable, for me anything to keep me whitetail hunting longer.. but yeah 300.00 is getting a little spendy.. they ought to cut us in staters a little slack on those left overs... But hell no not the IDFG..they are all about revenue..

 

Agreed. The leftover tag numbers from this year were astounding. IMHO they could pull so much more revenue by the giving the resident hunters a price break. Instead they are going to sit on a bunch of unsold, unfilled tags. Future outcome I see from this; Extremely low funding for conservation projects and possible slight increase in elk/deer populations. Hell, maybe we will get out extra doe tag out of them someday soon

 

Yes, they have to be 1.5 for a doe, but I have wacked a few doe fawns the past 6 years. They were my Grandfathers favorite, I have shot a few and I never post about them.

 

Doe talk! I love it. Age of a doe does not matter to me. Fawns will not by my first choice, but I have and will shoot them. A doe is a doe in my book. An adult doe accomplishes my goals better. 1) Venison...adults provide more, 2) Reduce the deer population

Just so we're clear when referring to whitetail deer...

Yearling = 1.5
Fawns = .5

 

My personal limitation is a deer still in spots and I will pass on a doe with a young one still in spots that is with her.

 

Never had a chance at an elk cow, but for does, I consider two things before I let the arrow fly. 1. Is she a mature doe? 2. Does she have a small fawn with her? As long as she is mature and does not have a small young-un I will take the shot.

 

Thanks, Vito ....on the "yearling" thing.

The size of a doe has little to do with aging her (other than to say she's over yearling ....ahem.....1.5yr old status).

The largest does are not always (and not even likely to be) the oldest.

 

It's not so much the age as it is how round and full the hind Quarters look Troy. My wife usually takes care of this for us but luckily the son in law knows we are on some big deer early this season right by the house so he killed us a doe off the farm yesterday for meat.
These western grain fed deer taste so much better than them Northern Jack Pine Deer its not even compareable.

 

This

 

For those that shoot "mature" does, what age would you consider "mature"? I ask because people are all over the board when they refer to "mature bucks". Wondered if it was the same for does.