We implemented a rule on our East Texas lease several years ago-no killing fawns. We had 3 fawns harvested in one day, people shooting a single deer that comes out on it's own and they can't judge the size/age of the deer. MLD lease. Implemented a $500 fine for anyone killing one. Same fine for anyone killing an underage buck---3 1/2 years old minimum age. Question is this, what is your opinion on this rule. In my opinion, we have no business killing fawns--but when I bring this up to other leases they would never impose a fine for shooting fawns. What say THF?

We implemented a rule on our East Texas lease several years ago-no killing fawns. We had 3 fawns harvested in one day, people shooting a single deer that comes out on it's own and they can't judge the size/age of the deer. MLD lease. Implemented a $500 fine for anyone killing one. Same fine for anyone killing an underage buck---3 1/2 years old minimum age. Question is this, what is your opinion on this rule. In my opinion, we have no business killing fawns--but when I bring this up to other leases they would never impose a fine for shooting fawns. What say THF?

With fines I've always wondered who imposes and collects them? One guy? I understand your reasoning, but it's a broad, slippery slope that can morph into an "expert" deciding he's going to pass judgement, prior to shooting, on each and every buck.

Pretty soon you're showing a trail cam pic of a nice, mature buck to the lease "manager", and he says "Oh, we need to let him walk this year!" but his eyes are saying "I'll shoot him when you're gone."

Hunting is supposed to be fun.

Your lease, your rules. If you are really working at managing your herd, depending on how long you've been at it, you should expect your fawns to have better genetics than older does. Thus, there's even more of a reason to leave them. $500 is steep but it should certainly have the desired effect.

IMO it's pretty stupid to shoot fawns. There have been pics on here of people who let their kids shoot fawns and celebrated like it was a great accomplishment. Congrats, you killed the easiest deer out there and it also happens to have the lowest yield of meat. So you didn't do it for a trophy, and you didn't do it to provide for your family. WTH would you intentionally kill a fawn?

/rant

Hunting is the most fun when you are hunting with a group that have goals when shooting a deer that are somewhat alike. Anything else and things are out of whack. Get a group together that have goals that work for everyone and you won't have this problem. Put what you are hunting in the contract and enforce them, or eliminate them from the group. It is not pleasant, but it is necessary. Penalties or removal are sometimes necessary.

Wisdom.

I pretty much tell anyone hunting that a solo doe is a buck fawn until proven otherwise. On a rare occasion, a doe will travel solo, but not often at all.

Shooting fawns as was mentioned above is a bad idea if you have a management plan AT ALL. Reason being is epigenetics. Epigenetics says that for each successive generation the deer will improve in quality and size given the proper nutrition and habitat (mainly nutrition) until they reacht heir maximal genetic potential. So by shooting the fawns, you are potentially shooting off the "turned on genes" that the mama didn't have "turned on"....

I was reminded of epigenetics listening to a podcast this weekend driving back from OK. Joe Rogan was talking to a girl who escaped from North Korea. She was talking about how the vast majority of the population is starving there. She said it is easy to tell a north korean from a south korean simply because north koreans are on average 5-6 inches shorter than South Koreans. Despite being of the essentially same genetic lineage, generations of malnutrition have made it so North Koreans are just smaller than South Koreans.

Epigentics says if we fed the North Koreans optimally for a few generations, we would not see that difference in size anymore....same goes with deer.

killing doe fawns is best way to bring doe population down, why a lot of ranches that are running really tight ratio’s will try to hammer an entire class of doe fawns ever other or 3rd year. Now very few ranches will have the tag numbers to do it.

I know stuff like that happens but not on my watch. Call me Bambi lover if you want but I would draw the line on that.
Baby coyotes or pigs would be different.

killing doe fawns is best way to bring doe population down, why a lot of ranches that are running really tight ratio’s will try to hammer an entire class of doe fawns ever other or 3rd year. Now very few ranches will have the tag numbers to do it.