I try to take the producing doe for numbers reasons. Ratio is important as well as carrying capacity. Deer are not cows and having a herd of doe with one "bull" isn't the goal.

I've been on mld programs that call for 40+ doe for every 10 bucks, basically every doe possible per lease member and one buck.

In never never land in years gone by the buck to doe ratio was 1 to 1. It was when man got involved it has become unbalanced through out the state with more does than bucks. It has been much worse in years past and improved a bit since people have become more management/age oriented. On most ranges if you shoot a buck you need to shoot at least one doe, if not more. There are very few areas in the state that are at CC or below it. So taking mouths off the habitat is a good thing. 50% less does on habitat with CC numbers will produce as many if not more fawns by number as before bringing the population down. With a really bad out of balance buck to doe ratio(with more doe) in a wet period deer numbers can explode. You get a prolonged wet period followed by a severe long term drought like had over the past 3-5 yrs and deer numbers will drop. Habitat will not recover as quickly as deer numbers can.
IMO killing older more productive does is what is needed unless you are one of the lucky ones who needs more deer. I also believe that if you like your current buck herd, then your offspring should be very closely related to the them. So why not kill off the older does to let the younger and better genetics continue to improve your herd?

Aside from the shoot/don't shoot issue, the main factor is the buck/doe ratio and the management goals of the lease members. I have been on a lease where I saw many deer, but not a single buck the entire season. I took my county limit of doe. I was on a different lease where it was common to see 20-30 deer in the morning, and not a single buck. Yet most of the hunters still would not shoot a doe. Some hunters don't like to eat deer, and will only shoot a large buck. If there is not a shortage of deer on your lease, shoot what you want and don't worry about it.

No spots on fawn, fawn is fair game.
I know a few guys that will take doe fawns later in the season, when it is clear that it is not a nubby.

I will not shoot a doe with twins or triplets. Rarely will I shoot a doe with a fawn.

I dont shoot does with fawns. Id rather her teach them more and let her run them off.

Id rather shoot a cull buck first. Besides its too early in the season to shoot does. Does bring in the becks.

Way too many people will shoot a "cull" or any buck with horns over a doe. That's the problem in a lot of herds.

You have any openings? If your does bring beer then I want on your lease

I should have stated, my opinion is due to my location.

I fully realize there are some areas where there may be excessive doe numbers. Then, a planned harvesting of does may be in order.

In my area, west of DFW, we see fewer does than anything else. 2-1 bucks to doe, with 1/2 the bucks being undesirable. We have, what I would call, unprecedented pressure from hunters. Seems like every swinging dick from the metro mess comes out here to hunt. There are literally no ranches that I know of within miles that doesn't have hunters. The "typical" city hunter leases a spot (putting way too many people on the lease), drag their shitty stand & patched up feeder out (a week or 2 before season), comes hunting only a few times, don't see a buck (most being nocturnal due to pressure), the hunter gets frustrated & shoots the only deer they see, often a doe (that doesn't need to be taken). They repeat this process a few years, then get in a fight with other lease members, they bust up their group, & they move onto the next place.

We dont know, years ago, didnt think much about it, when we hunted the hill country, north of llano
area, today i would not hunt there, t oo many idiots there!

There are plenty of other times when you a loaner doe or pack of seveal with out yearlings. Opening
weekend here, i have a set of twins that were born late, one still had spots on her, got with about
20yds before they split. We are near the Lake Somerville, brenham tx area. Plenty of deer, and
XXXX pigs too!

Pics or link to post about this creature? 24" spread is amazing.

In some counties this is the only time you can shoot doe. I hunt Rusk Co and we can only shoot doe for the first 16 days of season.

If your killing older, mature breeding does to keep your numbers in check then it doesn't matter. Most likely this time of year they are only a few days removed from being kicked off the tit anyways, so if your worried about the morality of it, there's that. Those little doe fawns just off the milk sure are tasty!

http://texashuntingforum.com/forum/ubbthreads.php/topics/6022154/Tuesday_Morning#Post6022154

I am all for taking does when needed, but I have shot a few doe that were alone and it made my stomach crawl when I cut them open and milk comes out. I wont shoot a doe with a fawn or fawns. Just my 2 cents

Did a coyote kill her fawn(s) before you shot her or did a neighbor kill her fawn(s) the day before. Did her fawns get hit by a vehicle on the road a month earlier? If we wait for a good reason to kill a doe then most never kill the does needed.

There will always be more excuses to not harvest doe than to harvest them.. That is why some counties have AR's!

#deerslivesmatter

Sounds like many folks would have serious issue hunting an MLD property where a set number of does had to be taken to maintain compliance.

They can take care of themselves by then... and much earlier than that actually

I've spoken to 3-4 biologists and when asked, all of them said shoot the does, the fawns will be okay. Again, when shooting does I personally prefer to shoot dry does first, single fawn mothers second, and twin mothers third, and I don't shoot them if the fawns are not adequate size. We have plenty of deer and I don't murder everything in sight but our numbers dictate that we harvest a lot of does.

I don't see enough deer at my land, let the other surrounding land owners who need the meat more take the doe without any fawns. I have 3 does, each with a fawn that see daily, only the button buck shows much independence. When young buck in rut runs the does around, that button buck could care less, the itty bitty does get all spooked trying to keep with mom. Opening night I had 11 deer around me, there were 5 fawns, no way I could tell who had who, so good for the next hunter when the deer separate out and then can isolate a does for harvesting.

I have the time to hunt every weekend. In my specific situation I do not shoot the mom, because I like having does around pre rut and rut. They seem to stay at the same food source. I saw a fawn in Kansas run up to a group of doe, it was obvious she just lost her mother. Tried to nurse all four does and they wouldnt lett her. But she left with them.