When do you harvest your does? We hunt outside of Junction and have to harvest does every year. But, everyone wants to kill a decent buck, so if we kill does the first couple of weekends, there is a chance we may not see bucks that are alerted by all of the action. Another problem we have run into is that if we wait until later in the season to harvest does after some have killed their bucks or they have used up all of their vacation time and money, it is harder to get them back to kill their doe limit. I wish TP&W would have their doe and spike season the last two weeks of October or the first two weeks of November.Everyone would be excited about getting out then with the idea of seeing what caliber of bucks are around, but they might be more willing to kill their does if that is all they could shoot.

we take does as early in the season as possible. we don't shoot them at first light or right at dark. we keep the low light for bucks. i use a 223 and head/neck shoot them to keep meat destruction to a minimum and help cutout magnum muzzle blasts.

Personnaly I have yet to hunt for antlers. Taking a good buck will happen for me one day. It's not my reason to hunt. But I would think it would be better for the herd if you take does early in the season. With less does the bucks would have to fight more to get the does during the rut. More does mean less dominance for the bucks to get the does.

But it is two fold, if you hunt does late in the season, there would be a chance she could be knocked up. Thus killing a possible buck before he could grow up.

Don't want to stir the pot, but thats hard not to do. I plan to take a good buck this year, (have 3 shooters at the feeder on a regular basis already) and plan to take a doe. I'd love to use all my tags, but freezer space is limited. Plus our lease has 7 guys on it and if we all tag out for the county... Wont be to many deer next year.

From a management standpoint, it is better to kill your does early in the season (pre-rut). This allows your bigger, more mature bucks a greater possibility of breeding the does that are left, instead of an inferior buck cornering one up and breeding while your "breeder" buck is tending another.

If you don't care much about the mangement aspect I don't think it matters much when you shoot them.

What fowlplayr said.

Not biased by who I work for, but exactly what the fowlplayr and jgiles said!!

I usually take my does during bow season. Get it over with so I can concentrate on getting my buck. Also helps with the management part as well.

I go along with killing does early for the reasons you listed, but I also look at it from another stand point, that goes along with what Bow HuntinTx stated.

Shoot those does opening weekend, opening day if possible to take the edge off and then it is easier to settle down and hunt for that buck.

You have made meat, that is out of the way, so a person has the rest of the season to hunt horns.

Also, gun fire does not affect deer as much as a person thinks, ever seen one run like hell when it hears thunder????

WE HAVEN'T SEEN TOO MANY DOES THE LAST 2 YEARS SO WE MAY PASS ON THEM. OTHER WISE WE SHOOT THEM ANYTIME AFTER OPENING WEEK.

I have shot more does in my life than bucks. I am a meat hunter. Don't get me wrong, if a big'ol buck stepped out of the woods, I shot him on the spot, LOL. I have recently begun to keep the deer hides and have them soft tanned with the hair on. The bucks definately have a bigger hide than the does. My kids love the deer chili 50/50 mixed with generic ground beef. We just love eating them. )

My lease has a rule that you have to shoot your does before your buck with the exception of the first weekend if a monster buck comes out. Usually we don't really see the shooter bucks until the rut begins, which is around Thanksgiving.

We have found our crew is less likely to shoot an inferior buck for meat, because they have a doe already. We will usually try and shoot the last doe that we will see on the end of a morning hunt, or at last legal shooting light on an evening hunt, that way they don't disturb our normal hunting process.

Now, if I was going to be on a lease with someone, or was really interested in trying a management program, what you have set up sounds perfect to me.

One of the other reasons I can see for taking out the excess does early, is because once rut starts, with fewer does around, those bucks will have to move around more looking for a receptive doe.

I could be wrong, but I believe that there are few places in Texas where there is a shortage of does.

I think allowing a person to shoot a big buck if they see one is a good idea, but except for the big buck, the only thing available for shooting opening weekend should be does. JMO.

I always like to get a doe on the ground as soon as possible. I like to get a decent buck every year, but the main reason I am out there is to get some meat in the freezer. I think the idea of shooting does opening weekend unless a big buck steps out is a pretty good idea.

But then again I don't have a lot of experience with the long deer seasons here in Texas. Where I started deer hunting the rifle season is 10 days long. You don't have much time to worry about when to shoot does, you take them whenever they present themselves.

"I could be wrong, but I believe that there are few places in Texas where there is a shortage of does."

HA HA
I think I have a shortage of DEER where I am hunting LOL

Yes, it is possible that where you are hunting, overall deer numbers may not be that high.

My guess is that on the average, most folks on here and or not on here don't have that problem. JMO.

I like to take one of my does during archery season, preferably early if I can get a good shot at one without a fawn with it. They usually have spots at that time and I have had a bad experience with that so I will pass does with fawns until late Oct. In situations like the lease I have now I have a 5 deer limit and will let my son take at least one of my does and a cull buck so that will not happen until after Thanksgiving as our lease rules allow.

Of course that big ten point is the real focus.

I dont have a proble killin em opening weekend, in fact i like to kill them pre rut, but either way I'm gonna kill one or two a year usually 2 in Menard Co, maybe I can get ine in madison co

Early is definitely better for the herd as stated previously. We hunt near San Angelo, under MLDP, our gun season starts late September. My guest and I shot 30+ deer from my area until mid-November when I shot one of my biggest bucks ever, 16 pts. The more we shot, the more we saw. Don't worry about too much action, but as someone said earlier, leave the low light conditions for the mature bucks. Minimize your scent and don't field dress. Good luck

Most ranches take their does out early. If any of you have ever hunted on a ranch with a low buck to doe ratio you know how fevered the rut gets when there are as many bucks as there are does. If your not seeing alot of rutting activity on your ranch you probably have to many does. On ranches that are managed properly its not uncommon to see 10 or more bucks trailing the same doe.

It looks like to me if the doe and spike season were the last two weeks in October or the first two weeks of November, enough deer would be removed statewide that it would really make a difference forage wise, especially when there is lack of moisture. Wonder why the doe and spike season is after the regular season and not before? Looks like this would make for a healthier deer herd.

We harvest our does early season, this year we are making a trip to our ranch second weekend of Bow season and doin some culling. Try to limit it to OLD magly does, ones that look outright poor with less of a chance of successfully bearing a fawn fully healthy and you can also be working to allow prime brood does a chance at poppin twinkies!
we DO NOT shoot any yearling does because unlike folklore they are capable and will breed successfully. When harvesting does remember you are managing your herd as to limit the deer population as a whole. BUT use it in your favor and selectively eliminate inferior breeders.
I rarely shoot a doe in late season for the soul reason I do not want to eliminate a doe that has potentially been bred by some mogan I've never seen. 50/50 chance I know, but im optimistic.
Will Shoot Axis does year round for obcious reasons.

JMO but this is how we do things!

Adger,
Where do you hunt? Seems like sometimes I can see as many Axis does as I do whitetail does.

This is in Real County, Axis are more than plentiful and they breed all year. More than likely an overly large doe is carrying at any given time.
I would say axis sit 2:1 on whitetail on our property.

I would definitely take doe early if you are on larger ranches with overall numbers that show a big doe harvest is needed. If you are on smaller plots of land that may not be a good idea (for strictly hunting purposes).

I have seen small properties that do not shoot any doe and that is to entice bucks from neighboring properties for hunting. A lot would depend on your situation and management/hunting strategies.