shooting does with fawns

The place I hunt in Parker Co is thick with deer. I have already shot my buck here for the season (if a spike shows up I'll take him as well). I am wanting to take down a doe for the table, but they all have yearlings. What are yalls opinions on shooting a doe with a yearling still with her?

I shot one earlier this year with twin yearlings both are doing fine

That would be a fawn and this late In the season no problems. If the fawn has no spots they can make it on their own.

Man that is a tough one and I feel you will get many answers here but I have and never will shoot a doe when she has yearlings she has not kicked off. Once their gone all good but I can't in good conscious do it.

My 2 cents.

4W

Fawn is not equal to yearling. Fawn = birth to 1 year old. Yearling = 1 - 2 years old. At this time of year fawns are about six months old and yearlings are about 18 months old.

So your title should read "Shooting does with fawns".

You are correct Sir.

The VAST majority of hunters misuse the term yearling.

I changed the title, I can go change the OP also if it would help in getting opinions.

Who cares if the baby is eating corn it's old enough to survive without mama

Wouldn't shoot a doe with a nursing fawn but if it's a yearling that is still just hanging with mom I'd shoot. Most of the time I have options so don't have to shoot a doe with a yearling or fawn still around. I shot a doe with two yearlings that would travel with her but are on their own only bc the mom was a pain in the butt. She would blow at anything and kept causing deer to run off.

It is just a choice you make as a hunter. No right or wrong here. The deer will be fine either way. In some areas with a high deer population, this is hard to avoid.

Well said Brother Phil. It's a personal choice IMO.

This place has a very high deer population. I will probably have to take one with a fawn, but there is no rush to do it. I would rather not, but I can make that decision when the time comes.

I've never shot a doe with a fawn but I don't think I'd have a problem doing so.

Shoot both.

Just make sure the little one is not a button buck.

Our order

Dry does
Doe with single large fawn
Doe with large twin fawns
Doe with single small fawn
Doe with small twins

Usually get all we want out of the first two groups, occasionally shoot a doe with large twins or small single but we have lots of deer and lots of time to be selective.

Or... should I shoot the young ones for the tasty tender meat?

That's a pretty logical way to do it. I have no problem shooting a doe with a fawn, but I wouldn't be doing it early in the season. Later in the season, the fawns should certainly be old enough.

I like the tasty meat and take the what will they turn into out of the equation. If I know it's a nubbin he gets a pass but if he ain't nubbin enough for me to see with binoculars then he be good grilling!

I don't need the meat bad enough, nor do I just need to kill something, to shoot does with fawns.

At this time yearlings can fiend for themselves so taking the doe is of no consequence. Based on Information about herd management if you have plenty of deer you can take either the doe or the yearlings for meat. The yearlings would be preferable as table fare. If your population is low never take the doe with fawns as only about 60% of does are successful moms the rest are poor parents and or infertile. With moderate deer populations I always look for a single doe or take the yearling as their breeding success is uncertain. My 2 cents

Wipe the milk off lips and take it to the processor.....

This is what Hollywood wanted when they made "bambi"......

shoot away.....

I misjudged that a doe was barren. No fawn with her and in great flesh condition. It was obvious that she was nursing. I have since started taking yearlings as meat, unless I can clearly see an udder showing no signs of nursing.

If it has high population then taking just one doe off most likely will not help much. IMO the very best management tool we have is controlling the doe population. There is only so much browse/food to eat out there and if there are too many mouths the results are stunted animals and horns. I always compare it to managing a lake - if there are too many bass mouths going after a limited amount of forage then the fish will end up stunted. Culling bass out of a pond is the best management one can do.

We are on 9000 acres and will take around 100 does this season when it is all said and done. We have taken 40 so far.

As far as taking does with a fawn we do all the time as long as the fawn is far enough along to be able to fend for themselves. Good luck to you

i prefer to shoot a dry doe, but i don't hesitate for a second to shoot one with a bigger fawn.

I have had several TX biologists tell me to shoot the does, that the fawns should be okay (as long as they're not the size of jackrabbits).

The world is not a nice place.

I shot a doe the third weekend of season. She had twins with her like every other doe I have seen. We have too many deer to begin with. I said to myself if neither of the fawns make it then my one bullet was 3x as effective. No I'm not trying to kill the fawns but if it happens in the normal process of shooting some doe then well it happens. I have seen the twins since momma got turned into sausage meat 2 times they are doing fine.

I almost prefer to have yearlings with the doe. It helps me judge the size. I'm extremely hesitant to shoot a doe that is alone because it is just too hard to judge and I'd likely shoot a yearling which isn't the end of the world, but not too much meat. Having multiple deer helps me judge the shooter better. My 2 cents.

By this time of yer the fawns are plenty big.
Also if the fawns are bucks and you shoot the doe the little bucks will usually stay local. Does will chase their little buck fawns away when they start to want to breed their mom. We shoot practically every doe that has a nubbin buck on her and I have never been on a lease that has more bucks on the feeders than does like the one I am on now.

Interesting and thanks for sharing this.

.....


I generally pass on does with fawns but certainly don't think less of anyone for taking one....

Agree with this. Fawns can survive on their own after about 2 months. The youngest possible fawn would be born in late august so youre in the clear by nov. Shoot any doe you want to this season.

Like someone said don't know if there's a right/wrong answer. It's for everyone to decide on their own based on the management goals they've set for their property and their own personal choices.

I feel it's a decision that's made either based on emotion or data at 8 weeks most fawns are weaned and can survive on their own if you're not ok with that its fine. Yes there are late born fawns, if their spots are gone most likely they're past 8 weeks. Personally, I'd rather the doe have a fawn or fawns for judgement of doe size (as mentioned earlier), but also because this year we have a couple members who don't like shooting does with fawns and the first 4 does the two of them shot were 1.5 and didn't have fawns because they weren't breed last year. Because of the amount of supplemental feeding we do all 4 of the 1.5 old does weighed over 92 pounds live weight. One of our goals is to attempt to kill older does allowing the young deer to breed, and yes it's dang near impossible to age a doe on the hoof.

So to each his own. If it were me I'd try to find out everything I could about breeding dates in your area, typical gestation for deer, how population size and density affect birthing dates and how it applies to your property, weaning of whitetail deer and how deer density and available browse may or may not affect that time period also taking into account the amount of rain in a given year. Then make a decision, and if you're not comfortable shooting a doe with a fawn, go hunt these beautiful animals and shoot whatever you like knowing you've made an informed decision.

I too have been told this by more than one biologist. By this time in the year the fawns are doing more than just nursing and should be able to survive on their own.