The oldest does blow more. Let the air out of those. It's absolutely worth targeting those old biddies...

The blow stomp is annoying for sure!

Good luck filling the freezer, doe are mighty fine table fair.

I look for the biggest doe, it there is a group of deer. I think the only route (if you want an invite back) is to do what the rancher says. However, I also think this can be over thought. For example, an old doe may already be at deaths door. A doe fawn may live a full life span. IMO, if there are excess does, everyone gone makes a difference.

I always pick the biggest of several at the feeder.
If it’s not a yearling a doe is a doe if that’s the mission.

If you are trying to improve your Deer population by keeping certain types of Bucks then shooting the oldest Does each year will help in your quest. But if not then just shooting Does of any age does not matter.

Great read. And I have stored the original and all links, for future intake. I agree with everything said, and learned some too.

I have shot old does that were tough. I shoot mature does but not necessarily the biggest/oldest. I have not eaten any meat off this one yet. I mark all my meat when I vacuum pack so I know which deer it was. Also pull jaw bones on most.

other than fawns any dead doe is a good doe - we shoot 50-100 each year (unless it is severe drought) - so we do not get picky. If there are multiple does standing out there I shoot the biggest one and move on - best management tool we hunters have IMO- unlike cull and management bucks, shooting a doe is never a mistake ........... it is all about taking out mouths that eat the food that the bucks need to grow - there is X amount of food to eat period.

So eliminating Doe numbers leaves much more food to eat for those that count - BUCKS. More food equals bigger horns - pretty simple if you think about it

'Inspires me to keep pulling the trigger. 4 more to go to fill my MLD quota. What do y'all do with 50 to 100 does? I assume donate, but to where? I've worked out an arrangement to donate, but it's still, most of the time, $30.00 each. PM me, if you'd rather not post it. Thanks!

great question. Other than the ones our members keep we donate to the Game Wardens who take them to needy families. We call them and they roll into camp to pick up. And they are very grateful.

Our Landowner also takes a lot of them to donate to needy families - nothing gets wasted ever

So if we shoot a doe all we do is gut it, tag it, fill out the transport paperwork, put it into our cooler, and they get picked up

Thanks! I've met the GW folks filling in out here (the position is currently open), but I didn't get their cards and didn't think to ask. I will try to contact them. I also heard the Menard county Sherriff's department might do the same. There are plenty of people in need out here; it's pretty obvious.

Our game wardens and border patrol are on speed dial! lol

We were very successful and have 11 nice does in coolers which we will be cutting and packaging this evening. Thank you everyone for the information, this harvest, (I would not really call it hunting) was a very unique experience for me. The land owner and manager are obviously really good at what they do, it was a target rich environment to say the least. We usually hunt in Denton County and do well to keep a few does around and to see a couple of legal bucks each year on our place. We are very grateful for the meat and our families as well as others we know from church will benefit huge from this experience. Just a thought, if you need to cull a lot of does each year, In addition to local Game Wardens, contacting local church leaders wherever you are will probably help you find families in need. Youth and/or Wounded Warrior type hunts would also be good and nobel ways to cull does if you have a heart for service like that. Anyway, great experience with one young man getting to take his first, second, and third deer grin: Looking forward to some delicious meals!