I would like to get opinions on when you think it is ok to take a doe with a yearling? I passed on one this morning even though the yearling was decent size and healthy looking. I usually try to wait until after Christmas, but don't know if the additional 2 to 3 weeks makes much of a difference.

The yearling should be fine in my opinion!!!

By this time of year, the yearling should survive OK.

That being said, I don't shoot does that still have little 'uns with them; they get a free pass from me.

I usually pass on yearlings. They are good tender eating, BUT are quit smaller then a nice two to three year old doe which produces so much more meat. I like to get the most meat per shot.

shoot mama drt reload and blast Bambi while it stands there looking over mama. It's a win win situation you get a lot of meat plus tender meat ohh and Bambi dose not starve to death

I think you mean "fawn" instead of "yearling". A fawn is a 6 months old deer and a yearling is an 18 months old deer.

When I'm on a place that expects a good doe harvest, I would skip over some of the ones with nubbins still with them. If she just has a doe fawn hanging with her, both may end up getting shot if I can swing it.

i try and refrain, but this time of year its okay.


i shot two this year that i looked and looked, but never saw a fawn....but both had milk.


sometimes you can't tell, but in december, they'll be fine

I have heard that if a doe has twins with her then most likely one of them is a buck and its best to shoot her if you want to keep that buck around because eventually she will run that little buck off into the next county. Nature's way of preventing inbreeding. If the doe has a single healthy looking yearling with no spots at all and the thing is eating on its own just like mama, then mama is fair game.

Has anybody ever heard that a doe will run a button buck off, as in out of the area so they won't try and breed them the next year. I was going to shoot a doe with a button buck next week as we have several on our place.

I've never heard that, but I won't deny it.

I shot a doe two years ago that had milk but no fawn. I'd love to find out what the survival rate of fawns are here in my area.

some will, some won't... some will try and the button buck will just avoid her and end up in a local bach. group.

Cant seem to do it. Have had several chances over the years and i do believe the fawn will be fine but just dont do it and with the population at my place crashing it just seems like the thing to do and pass on em.

Just a FYI...generally a doe will bear only one fawn when that doe first comes of age. Usually after that, that doe will bear twins for 3-4 more years. You can use your own discretion, but it is always best to take out does early, before the rut begins, if you are "managing" your deer. Late season does, and does on a MLD ranch, will most likely be pregnant, and with twins.

A doe with fawn(s) will chase off any unwanted deer, whether it is a buck or another doe. Age doesn't matter!

I definately agree with that, jdickey. Makes alot of sense.

we usually see our does w/ fawns running solo until toward the the end of season when they group up. That is usually when the late born nubbins get ran off. Only prob with that is they don't have far to go to get in a bachelor group b/c of the tilted ratio favoring the bucks we have. When those nubbins get in those bachelor groups that have a good age distribution, the does aren't going to be able to run them off and it's likely the does will get shoved off favored food sources.

Depends on what part of Texas yer from!!!
We always call'em yearlings!!! Once they are 1 1/2 yr old, who can tell??
To shoot or not to shoot is all up to you. The little one will be alright.
On another note, a doe will kick off her buck fawn right before the rut. A doe fawn will stay with her mother for at least another year.

Everybody has to do what is right for them. I don't take does with fawns because we have plenty without. Those without have a better chance of being barren and are just eating up food and not producing. I don't take yearling does because they are the up and coming producers. I'd rather take an older, fatter doe....it has more meat and will be at the end of its prime production sooner. I've never really noticed much difference in "bambi" meat vs a mature doe....always wondered if you call yourself a meat hunter why you would waste a tag on a 40 pounder vs a 110 pounder....never made sense to me..oxymoron..

Those are my thoughts and the way I go about it.. I don't expect anyone else to go by them. We all to live with our choices..

I've heard if a doe is not getting enough protein she will run one off so she will have enough milk for that one. If your feeding protien she will produce enough milk for both. Weather that's true or not I don't know.

Any doe that you can get in sights is the one to take. Wildlife biologist allot smarter than most of us already have determined that fawns will survive when you shoot the doe, if not they wouldn't make the seasons when they are. Usually I try to shoot a doe with two fawns so that they will still have each other for a while. JMO

X2

heck, they all eat good. this time of year the yearlings will be just fine.

So what part of Texas are you from? I've known some country people to refer to bass as "trout", but that doesn't make it right. The dictionary definition of yearling is:

This time of year they are fine. The doe will actually run them way out of an area if left too long. If you take mom now, the offspring will stay in that area.

Friday afternoon had a Doe and a yearling come in to the feeder at 5:30 PM. Called the wife off the shot. I didn't want her to have any bad feelings later. That little one never realized how close she came to being an orpahn. That was the 1st 2 Deer we've had at the feeder this season. Is she would've been there by herself, we'd have meat in the locker.