No question pre-rut. If you shoot them post rut, they could be pregnant carrying a future monster 10 pointer.

Moot point!! Whats the difference? If you shoot pre-rut, she could be carring the genes for a 10 pointer so whats the difference? Antlers are largly produced by nutrition and good geneology. A lot of ranches including ours thin the herds in late gun season. And eventhough we don't totally agree with everything that TP&WD says, the late season is good timing for does and spikes!

i think if i had to, id shoot pre rut. seems like the earlier they are killed the more food u will have for the others, no point in feeding a deer all winter just to kill it 3 days before the season is over..

I think the real important issue here is to tag out on does sometime during the season. Too many of them.

I like to take my does before the rut. I agree that it will help you on the bucks during the rut. But I take them because I don't want any added flavor to my does. I have taken bucks during, and before the rut and to me the meet is better before the rut. I feed Indian corn because the deer really seem to like it and will stay at the feeder longer.

But does it make the venison taste like the smell of a convenience store.

Numbers are more important than timing - make sure you're killing enough to bring some semblance of balance to the herd. If you have the option, early is best.

We take most of ours during the special season in January...
1. Because its colder and the meat keeps better.
2. Less pressure in the pasture keeps our bucks closer to home.
Everyone has their own way, but this works well for us.

but if you have a group of 6-10 does that stick together, and this is the second year they have returned, with new borns now, is that too many. Is this a situation where the bucks have too many to choose from and your chances are slim to get one in the open. i seem to be leaning towards the pre rut just b/c it makes sense of not letting a doe eat as much as she will, just to shoot her later in the season. If there are less does around, maybe tinks 69 will actually work for us?

+1

Take them when ever you see them. The point is to get rid of them.