rossman Posted October 20, 2004 Report Share Posted October 20, 2004 I wouldn't shoot her, I would feel too bad about it, especially if the fwns came back while you were gutting her!!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stinger-Hunter Posted October 20, 2004 Report Share Posted October 20, 2004 Re: Should I shoot her, or let her walk? I'm a little sentimental that way also. My bro-in-law shot a doe in MN last year and the fawn came running to her. When I gutted her (first time gutting a doe) I felt bad when I cut around the milk sack. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bow Hunter Derek Posted October 20, 2004 Report Share Posted October 20, 2004 Re: Should I shoot her, or let her walk? Shoot the doe. The fawns will be fine. Here is part of my rational. It is a proven fact that when fawn, especially buck fawns, are orfined, they will be less likely to leave the general area that they have been living. Therefore, there is a higher percentage chance that the fawns will set up permanent residence in your hunting area, this equates to a better future hunting oportunity, especially if the buck sticks around. Secondly, it is proven that younger does will be more likely to produce twins and even triplets. Not knowing the age of your doe, there would be the chance that she could be reaching nearing the end of her "twin stage" in reproduction. Further, I've read that younger does tend to drop a higher percentage of bucks, even though the herd as a whole will near a 50% split. So, again, a youger doe may increase your future buck population. Beyond that, throw all the rules and thoughts out the window and just shoot one of the deer. It is your tag, shoot what makes you happy. That is what is truely important. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RyanH Posted October 20, 2004 Report Share Posted October 20, 2004 Re: Should I shoot her, or let her walk? I would let her walk! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MUDRUNNER Posted October 20, 2004 Report Share Posted October 20, 2004 Re: Should I shoot her, or let her walk? I WOULD NOT HAVE A PROBLEM SHOOTING THE DOE.THE FAWNS SHOULD BE PLENTY MATURE ENOUGH TO SURVIVE ON THEIR OWN.THE ONLY WAY I WOULD NOT SHOOT THE DOE WAS IF THE FAWNS STILL HAD SPOTS AND WERE BORN LATE. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Missed160 Posted October 20, 2004 Report Share Posted October 20, 2004 Re: Should I shoot her, or let her walk? Whack her.. THe rut is coming in a week or two, so they be driven away from her care then anyways.. An option is, keep her around till the rut is over, she will bring bucks into the area. If you can keep from spooking her, you should be able to get her after the rut anways.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bow Hunter Derek Posted October 20, 2004 Report Share Posted October 20, 2004 Re: Should I shoot her, or let her walk? [ QUOTE ] Buck fawns will not stay in your immediate hunting area if you kill their mother, and you better hope they don't. It is incest. You will have cross breeding and end up with birth defects. Nature takes care of this by giving the young buck the urge to leave, and the older does in the area the instinct to drive him away. This will still happen even if his mother dies. [/ QUOTE ] I'm no biologist (nor do I play one on TV ), but I have read a couple of articles from biologists that state that there is in fact a higher percentage chance that a buck fawn will stay in an area if the mother dies before he his forced to leave by her or nature. It is that very fact that you stated that causes this. If she is alive, she and nature will force him to leave due to the inbreading factor. However, if she is gone, there is less of a reason for him to leave (except for sisters of course). Even with the sister factor, the chances of him staying are still greater than leaving. I would have to dig through archives of magazine articles to for this info to back my statements up. Of couse, I've got better things to do (like go hunting ). So, I guess it does not matter. All I know is what I've read. Then again, the authors of those articles could be full of it too. Was just trying to offer some info based on my readings was all. I still say, shoot whatever deer makes you the happiest, or let em alll walk. Does not matter much to me. I'm off to go hunting. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RangerClay Posted October 20, 2004 Report Share Posted October 20, 2004 Re: Should I shoot her, or let her walk? SHOOOOOOOOOOOT! Ranger Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
firefighter Posted October 20, 2004 Report Share Posted October 20, 2004 Re: Should I shoot her, or let her walk? I'll shoot the doe Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rhino Posted October 20, 2004 Report Share Posted October 20, 2004 Re: Should I shoot her, or let her walk? The fawns are plenty old enough to take care of themselves. Wack the doe if you want to but I always pass up fawns. Give them a chance to grow up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest chicks_hunt_to Posted October 20, 2004 Report Share Posted October 20, 2004 Re: Should I shoot her, or let her walk? i would let the doe go and get the fawn not as much meat but in my opinain its more tasty and the doe will still have one fawn and she will be able to have more in the years to come Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BowtechTurkeyHunter Posted October 20, 2004 Report Share Posted October 20, 2004 Re: Should I shoot her, or let her walk? orphan em .... they are fine they are called yearlings at this age fawns when they have spots .... they will be just fine .... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Big_Game_Hunter_64 Posted October 21, 2004 Report Share Posted October 21, 2004 Re: Should I shoot her, or let her walk? idd let her walk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
maddhunter Posted October 21, 2004 Report Share Posted October 21, 2004 Re: Should I shoot her, or let her walk? I have the same thing going on on my food plot but I have a fairly ballanced buck to doe ratio 3 to 1(best I can figure from trail cam pics) and I have elected to not shoot the doe or either of the fawns. I will take one or two from the bigger herd that frequents also. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dogdoc Posted October 21, 2004 Report Share Posted October 21, 2004 Re: Should I shoot her, or let her walk? I agree with Derek. The mothers usually run off yearling bucks but will let let doe yearling hang around. If you take out the mother doe there is no reason for the buck yearling to leave unless he is run off by dominant bucks. Those fawns may be still nursing but they will be fine---if you want to take the doe go ahead. todd Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest cornbread Posted October 21, 2004 Report Share Posted October 21, 2004 Re: Should I shoot her, or let her walk? I agree with Derek. In fact in this months petetersons bowhunting Bill Winke wrote an artical about which does to shoot and derek is right about a buck staying in the same area if its mother is killed. Also yearlings and younger does when bread have a higher precentage of bucks as offspring. Plus you are eleminating the chance of a mature doe getting wise to you and blowing your chances with larger bucks. A mature doe is just as wise as a mature buck so my vote is to wack away. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wtnhunt Posted October 21, 2004 Report Share Posted October 21, 2004 Re: Should I shoot her, or let her walk? [ QUOTE ] I'm no biologist (nor do I play one on TV ), but I have read a couple of articles from biologists that state that there is in fact a higher percentage chance that a buck fawn will stay in an area if the mother dies before he his forced to leave by her or nature. [/ QUOTE ] Think this is right on the money. The adult doe will usually run off her fawns when she is ready or when she gets close to coming in. The buck fawns do usually leave the area when the mother doe pushes them off. If the adult doe is taken out chances of the fawn sticking around are in fact higher. I have seen this first hand. This early on in the year I pass on does with young fawns. 6 months old though, that would have them born in April and at that age they should be able to make it by this time of the year. Personally I would most likely pass, but do what you want. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SaskMan Posted October 21, 2004 Report Share Posted October 21, 2004 Re: Should I shoot her, or let her walk? I guess things are different in most states than here, easier winters so my statement may mean bugger all and anyways it's your decision ultimately. I only shoot dry does, I just feel that the fawns without a mother have a way tougher time making it through the winter. We don't have enough hunters to even worry about controlling buck to doe ratio so I don't worry about it, lots of mature bucks anyways. I just would feel bad about taking the doe, would make me think I killed 3 deer with one shot but do what you feel is right. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tominator Posted October 21, 2004 Report Share Posted October 21, 2004 Re: Should I shoot her, or let her walk? if you want her, shoot her. the fawns will be fine. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Swamphunter Posted October 21, 2004 Report Share Posted October 21, 2004 Re: Should I shoot her, or let her walk? I'd wait til some night she comes out alone... then she'd be fair game. She will have probably ran the fawns off by then. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wtnhunt Posted October 21, 2004 Report Share Posted October 21, 2004 Re: Should I shoot her, or let her walk? eastennhunt there is some very good information out there on this topic. I have done some reading on this and have seen some programs on deer that suggest that the doe will in fact run off her buck fawns to keep from inbreeding occuring. We have watched does here run off their fawns around the time they begin to go into estrous and the buck fawns usually do not ever come back around. Your local library may have books by John Ozoga or Leonard Lee Rue III. The book by Rue titled "way of the whitetail" is packed full of great information and has some awesome pictures too. I recorded a program I think off of the discovery channel about deer behaviour, think it was called the year of the whitetail, will check and see. Have not seen it on in a few years, but it used to air around the time of deer season. Was very interesting and also basically said the same thing about the does in relation to their offspring. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bow Hunter Derek Posted October 21, 2004 Report Share Posted October 21, 2004 Re: Should I shoot her, or let her walk? I almost put this issue to the test last night. 5 minutes of legal time left, I saw two deer coming through the trees. The first one walked out at 7 or 8 yards. I saw a flicker of white and figured antler (it was really dark due to overcast skys), so I grabbed the binos to look at the head, sure enough, a doe, I must have seen her flick her ear. But by that time it was too late, she had passed my shooting window. So the next deer steps out and I could right a way see the tell tale black stripe down the head and back that our button bucks usually have around here. The two deer milled around and the doe actually offered me several opportunities during that last 5 minutes of time and stuck around another 10 minutes or so after legal hours as I sat and watched. While it was legal time, I just could not pick a spot on her because of the poor light, so just passed it up. However, had it been 5 or 10 minutes sooner, I'd have orphaned that button buck in a heart beat. P.S. - Thanks for backing me up guys. I knew I'd read it multiple times elsewhere. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest SRA Posted October 21, 2004 Report Share Posted October 21, 2004 Re: Should I shoot her, or let her walk? whack and stack the doe..............the fawns are big enough to survive on their own.........i did that this year and so did my brother....out of the same stand! i now have 3 orphaned button bucks in the area.....things are looking up!!!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Bowhunter2114 Posted October 21, 2004 Report Share Posted October 21, 2004 Re: Should I shoot her, or let her walk? I can't tell you either way but I would feel worse shooting a fawn then taking their mom. If they don't have spots they'll be fine. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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