I shoot a lot of doe per the State's Game Bilogists requests. My goal last year was 15 and I came up short (I killed either 12 or 13 can't remember without looking at log turned into state). Per the State's requirements, we have to tooth age and weigh the deer. While I "target" mature doe, the results speak for themselves and show another story. Again, going off memory, but I am comfortable in saying that close to if not half were 1 1/2 yo and the other half spread out between 2 1/2, 3 1/2, and 4 1/2, with the numbers remaining skewed towards the younger classifications. Can I tell a 2 1/2 from a 3 1/2 to a 4 1/2 while ion the hoof? Absolutely not, but I THINK I can identify the 3 1/2 and above by their actions and " wildness" . They act more like a mature buck and are jittery all the time, hence why I am able to only shoot very few of them though they are my PREFERRED target. Why are they my preferred target? More of a challenge. The game biologist could care less. He only wants data to monitor the health/state of the her. Am I usually able to differentiate a 1 1/2 ? Yes, and I shoot them anyway because if I don't shoot them, we don't get near enough killed per our management goals.
I wont kill a young one. A biologist might not be able to age a mature doe but a "mature hunter" can spot an old doe in short order. The way they act is a dead giveaway and totally different from a 1.5 year old.
Chris: I'm not talking about a yearling doe. I'm saying it's pretty easy to look at a doe and say "2.5 or +". But, the "+" part (whether she is or not) is a pure guess.
I can't speak for Troy, but up around my parts they aren't as common as most people think. I blame our low poulations of elk/deer on a few consecutive hard winters. Last winter was a VERY good one for them. By good I mean I only shoveled snow once. This year will be interesting, very wet so far. We have not seen any sign of wolf activity in our area, yet. I have heard of some in a close proximity though. You have to take most info with a grain of salt, however, most all wolf stories you hear are 100% BS. Will, if you'd like I could send some down your way?
Jeff, I know for me, it comes down more to which animal seems to be the "leader" if I'm hunting and there is a group of them, I want the challenge of beating the best, therefore I'll take the deer that appears to be the herd matriarch if that option becomes available. Last year, I was able to arrow the matriarch of my herd on my property. A deer that more than a few times busted me out, but on that night, for the first time, I "outsmarted" her. They don't get old being dumb, that's for sure. I don't field judge does, just pick them out based on their behaviors.
Doug: I probably have 10 doe groups where I hunt. Heck....there may be more! I've had seasons where I saw these same doe groups (even fewer groups, back then) many, many times. Sometimes I could pick out the matriarch. Sometimes I couldn't. Even if I could.....there was NO WAY I could pick her out from the ohter does, the next time I saw them (they're not always the 'lead' doe....in fact, far from it). I've probably killed 20 does in the last 5 yrs.. Hence my intrigue with this subject.
Good question Troy!! The age thing doesn't matter much to me when shooting doe's. We have so many doe's (too many) around here that when I do decide to shoot a doe I could care less how old It Is. I'll be honest though and say I'd rather take an adult doe then a doe fawn but that's for meat reasons only.
