Doe Hunting

[FishHawk]

Last season I was trying to do my part to manage the deer herd. I had a mature doe come by me with (2) yearlings. I shot the large doe. The landowner said that (3) anterless deer had come past him and he passed because he doesn't believe that you should shoot a doe that has yearlings with her. The landowner was outraged and said that he hopes this year I would be a little more selective. I was just wondering did I do anything wrong. Do you folks believe the yearlings would have survived without there mother.

[The Bullhead]

FishHawk:

I would have to disagree with the landowner in this situation. I have the fortunate ability to observe whitetails year round where I live, and have no doubts that your yearlings survived perfectly fine. The whitetail is an amazingly durable critter. I too, generally take an antlerless every year.

As a matter of fact,.....I have yet to send in for my buck tag, (have an antlerless) and on Saturday evening had a nice 4x5 come in and stand @ 15yds, broadside, directly in the center of my shooting lane. Fortunately, I had my digital cam in my front pocket, and was able to get some photos of him. (Although they didnt turn out the greatest due to decreasing light conditions) That'll teach me to procrastinate! :)

If I get some time tonight, I'll post the pics in my album.

[went522]

By the end of the season the does kick the fawns loose anyway. The landowner is mistaken in my opinion.

BIRDDOG

[Airwave(OH)]

Although I disagree with the land owner, remember he is the land owner. You'll need to respect his wishes for 2 reasons.
1= If you wish to keep hunting his land.
2= So he doesn't begin to think poorly of you and all hunters. Unfortionately they sometimes connect all sportsman to any bad incident.

The young does will be fine. I personally probably this early in the season might have waited till she was by herself one day. Not a softy but just because.

[BeFishin]

I agree that the fawns will survive without their mother at this time of year. The fawns have been eating "regular" forage for sometime now and for the most part have stopped nursing. I passed on a doe with fawns last fall because both fawns had spots. That is what I use to personally determine if I should take the doe or not.

I have a different opinion about the doe kicking the fawns out. It depends; if the fawns are female they may run with their mother until the fawns get bred. But they may rejoin their mother when their fawn(s) have been whined. If the fawns are male, she may kick them out if they get sexually aggressive in their first fall, but definitely kick them out as a yearling, so they don't inbreed with their sisters. I have noticed that if the doe has two buck fawns, they seem to roam more than doe fawns and more than one doe fawn and one buck fawn. In the later case the buck fawn seems to "bully" the doe fawn until mama steps in.

[sib]

Exactly, this isn't a matter of sound science, it's a matter of public and personal relations. The yearlings will be fine, does and yearling bucks go through a process called disbursement where the doe physically eject those young males from the maternal group as a measure to prevent inbreeding. Those yearling bucks make it on their own during their 1st winter, so I have no doubt that the yearling does can make it through on their own also.

Although the farmers reasoning isn't supported by science, the farmer has a a right to his opinion and the last say on what happens on his property. Hunting on another's property is a privledge, so I would probably just accept his rule rather than try and debate science and try and change his opinion.

[FishHawk]

thanks for all of the sage advice. I have been hunting on his farm for about 10 years now and would not jeopardize are relationship over the selection of a doe. I have harvested some really nice bucks from the area, and would like to put more in the freezer in the future.

[MINK TRAPPER]

If you are hunting to put deer in the freezer shoot the smallest doe you can find the meat is pink not RED . No buck in rut smell or wild taste at all .

[HAWGBOY]

I like the taste of a doe better, Because I haven't found a recipe for those antlers yet. (They don't taste to good boiled or cooked on the grill)L.O.L.

[abens1078]

Try eating the tag, it's worse then the antlers and less filling. it's also impossible to grill without overdoing it.

[Gary Korsgaden]

The landowner perhaps, was reacting while not with scientific reasons. The two young deer will be fine after a few days. However, his motivation might of been from a previous experience. I have shot a mature doe with two yearlings. They wander through the woods baaing like a lamb for few days. A sound that once you hear you won't shoot a doe off her yearlings again. I guarantee it.