Texas Hunting Forum

When to Shoot Does?

Posted By: Bluemangroup

When to Shoot Does? - 11/06/15 04:29 PM

I hunt a pasture on the Junco, which is a large South Texas Ranch that is high fenced on the perimeter but has low cross-fencing separating the various pastures. Our deer generally rut between Christmas and the first half of January and we are MLD III status.

My particular pasture is approximately 3000 acres, has high fence on 2 sides and shares a low-fence boundary with 2 other pastures that have been better managed and consequently have more deer than us - of course some of the deer pass between the pastures.

We have large group going down next weekend and I was hoping for input regarding the best time to start shooting doe versus cull bucks. We have 18 buck tags and 20 doe tags. One of my low fence neighbors (who was awarded 1.5X as many tags as me) remarked that he was waiting to shoot his doe until after the rut so that his bucks wouldn't come to my pasture looking for doe. Is there any merit to this?

For the record, I'm not in competition with my neighbor. I have spent considerable time and money managing my pasture for the last three years and want to do what's best for the long term health of the property I hunt.

Thanks in advance...
Posted By: HuntnFly67

Re: When to Shoot Does? - 11/06/15 04:37 PM

We struggle with that as well. The boys will go where the girls are, but if you wait to shoot does until post-rut, you are really taking a chance at killing two deer (possibly 3 as frequent as twins are on our place) with one shot. I think the upside to shooting them early is that the boys will have to really get up and walk around to find the girls.

I don't know that there is a 'RIGHT' answer.
Posted By: fouzman

Re: When to Shoot Does? - 11/06/15 04:37 PM

I'm on a ranch just to the WSW of you. We share a high-fence boundary with the Lincoln-Nicholson Ranch which shares a boundary fence with the Junco, so we're all pretty much in the same boat as far as rut timing, etc. We're also MLD III and have shot culls and a few does early in the season in years past. However, once the rut kicks in, our does get extremely hard to find as they're constantly being pressured by bucks. Consequently, we've fallen short on our doe harvest the past two seasons.

This year, we've implemented a does only policy until December 1st. After that, if you kill a buck, you must kill at least two does before harvesting another buck. This should accomplish two things. Meeting our doe harvest of 40 and removing does that bucks would otherwise expend energy chasing and breeding during the rut. This should insure better, more dominant bucks do most of the breeding and come out of the winter in better physical condition. In theory, anyway. smile
Posted By: QuitShootinYoungBucks

Re: When to Shoot Does? - 11/06/15 06:45 PM

I like your plan, fouzman. Good luck! up
Posted By: ChadTRG42

Re: When to Shoot Does? - 11/06/15 06:50 PM

We have also had long conversations about when to take does with people a lot more educated than me on the topic. We were told, if we wanted to take does, to do it BEFORE the rut. So, I will be taking most of my does in the next 2-3 weeks, before Thanksgiving. Our rut is generally the week of or right after Thanksgiving (Breckenridge, TX area).
Posted By: hook_n_line

Re: When to Shoot Does? - 11/06/15 07:08 PM

I was taken on a hunt in archery season and was told to take as many does as I wanted and could shoot a buck after I got at least 2 does. Culls and does get hunted before the rut so they can balance the herd and keep good genes in the pool. The less does in the pasture the more competition among the bucks. The rule on does was a young one and an old one to keep age structure pretty even as well. We all took 2 does and a cull so that during rifle season the trophy deer will hopefully be the ones to breed and give us a shot.
Posted By: Frio County Hunts

Re: When to Shoot Does? - 11/06/15 09:19 PM

I have always hated taking does during the doe/spike season because I was/am always paranoid that Big Boy's girlfriend was harvested along with his genes.
Posted By: GOLDSTEIN

Re: When to Shoot Does? - 11/06/15 09:27 PM

Chootem early and often cheers
Posted By: Navasot

Re: When to Shoot Does? - 11/06/15 09:43 PM

Take um when you can.. don't overthink it
Posted By: SingleShot85

Re: When to Shoot Does? - 11/06/15 09:50 PM

Originally Posted By: Navasot
Take um when you can.. don't overthink it


this ^^^^^
Posted By: wall8053

Re: When to Shoot Does? - 11/06/15 10:59 PM

When I see em
Posted By: don k

Re: When to Shoot Does? - 11/06/15 11:02 PM

Shoot them as soon in the season as you can. Why wait?
Posted By: Revoman

Re: When to Shoot Does? - 11/07/15 01:02 AM

Take them out now. Why let a buck waste all the energy breeding does and then shoot them?
Posted By: stxranchman

Re: When to Shoot Does? - 11/07/15 01:03 AM

I would wait till after Thanksgiving to shoot any doe in South Texas. Fawns will be old enough to do okay on there own. I have always waited to shoot does till after the rut on any ranch I have managed. I wait here on mine till Jan. I like to keep the does around as bait during the rut for keeping mature bucks around. I also like to concentrate on any of the bucks that need shot off first. I also think there is a little less fighting by the bucks when the rut is going also when there are more does around. When Jan rolls around I do not waste time and kill the does as quickly as I can. I would shoot cull bucks now and then trophy hunt and then shoot my does. 2cents
Posted By: therock

Re: When to Shoot Does? - 11/07/15 01:35 AM

Depends on your buck/doe ratio. If way too Many does, shoot early and often. If not, hold off.
Posted By: HillTxJsa

Re: When to Shoot Does? - 11/07/15 06:29 AM

If you have that many your not going to hurt anything. pack the freezer then hunt the trophy is my motto
Posted By: ryorgensen

Re: When to Shoot Does? - 11/07/15 08:45 AM

Shoot the doe now before your rut begins.
Posted By: don k

Re: When to Shoot Does? - 11/07/15 12:53 PM

I had a neighbor that had a different way of thinking. He had 3 sons. they would not shoot does but would shoot every buck they saw. They said that shooting all the bucks would draw in the neighbors bucks to service their does and then they could shoot those new bucks. One of the reasons my father originally started HFing. Good luck everyone this morning. Kinda glad I don't have any hunters this weekend with the way the weather is. Bucks are getting a little frisky here but the does aren't.
Posted By: Leonardo

Re: When to Shoot Does? - 11/07/15 02:16 PM

I prefer to shoot them early.
Posted By: cm250

Re: When to Shoot Does? - 11/09/15 12:46 AM

When legal, which for us in Red River Co, is four days at thanksgiving. Call it our meat hunt wknd.
Posted By: Longhunter

Re: When to Shoot Does? - 11/09/15 01:06 AM

There are a lot of scenarios and you will get a lot of different answers to this question. Ask the experts, the Biologists in your area, and you will get a better answer for what is going on right now where you are managing your pasture. JMO....

Oh yea, and welcome to THF.. Purdy good place ta hang around!

welcome
Posted By: soonersorlaters

Re: When to Shoot Does? - 11/09/15 01:31 AM

Originally Posted By: Bluemangroup
I hunt a pasture on the Junco, which is a large South Texas Ranch that is high fenced on the perimeter but has low cross-fencing separating the various pastures. Our deer generally rut between Christmas and the first half of January and we are MLD III status.

My particular pasture is approximately 3000 acres, has high fence on 2 sides and shares a low-fence boundary with 2 other pastures that have been better managed and consequently have more deer than us - of course some of the deer pass between the pastures.

We have large group going down next weekend and I was hoping for input regarding the best time to start shooting doe versus cull bucks. We have 18 buck tags and 20 doe tags. One of my low fence neighbors (who was awarded 1.5X as many tags as me) remarked that he was waiting to shoot his doe until after the rut so that his bucks wouldn't come to my pasture looking for doe. Is there any merit to this?

For the record, I'm not in competition with my neighbor. I have spent considerable time and money managing my pasture for the last three years and want to do what's best for the long term health of the property I hunt.

Thanks in advance...


Dominant bucks prefer to stay in their core area, provided does are there. Shoot the does early, assuming you have a good population of them. If you're MLD 3, you should or someone didn't do the math correct. Reduce the does and your dominant bucks should do what they do and DOMINATE the subordinate bucks. With your harvest numbers(18 buck / 20 doe), it sounds like taking does first would promote the big boys to take charge and make the lesser bucks look elsewhere.
Posted By: kpg4923

Re: When to Shoot Does? - 11/09/15 03:40 AM

As I understand it, it really doesn't matter. If you have 4 does and they are all pregnant and you shoot one post rut, you will have 3 fawns in June. If you take the same four does and shoot one before the rut you will have 3 fawns in June. If they are not all getting pregnant and you shoot one pre rut, she may or may not have bred. But she will be one less doe to breed. So whats the difference?

Shoot them when its legal.
Posted By: Bluemangroup

Re: When to Shoot Does? - 11/09/15 08:54 AM

Thanks for all the input guys. From this I take that we definitely need to get our inferior doe AND bucks off the pasture as early in the season as we can.

Chuck
Posted By: QuitShootinYoungBucks

Re: When to Shoot Does? - 11/09/15 03:42 PM

Originally Posted By: kpg4923
As I understand it, it really doesn't matter. If you have 4 does and they are all pregnant and you shoot one post rut, you will have 3 fawns in June. If you take the same four does and shoot one before the rut you will have 3 fawns in June. If they are not all getting pregnant and you shoot one pre rut, she may or may not have bred. But she will be one less doe to breed. So whats the difference?

Shoot them when its legal.


The difference is your bucks won't have expended energy breeding her. Also, if you cut down the number of does coming in to season, you increase the odds that they get bred by the dominant buck.
Posted By: redchevy

Re: When to Shoot Does? - 11/09/15 03:53 PM

I think people focus on the genetics of 1 buck too much. That buck, unless you brought in genetics, was born and bred from the deer on your property his genetics are already out there and what that one deer does or doesn't breed is going to have little effect on your deer.

I prefer to shoot later in the season as it keeps the pressure down on our hunting setups. Nothing like trying to hunt your mature buck late in the season out of a blind that's already had 10 deer shot out of it.
Posted By: stxranchman

Re: When to Shoot Does? - 11/09/15 03:59 PM

Originally Posted By: QuitShootinYoungBucks
Originally Posted By: kpg4923
As I understand it, it really doesn't matter. If you have 4 does and they are all pregnant and you shoot one post rut, you will have 3 fawns in June. If you take the same four does and shoot one before the rut you will have 3 fawns in June. If they are not all getting pregnant and you shoot one pre rut, she may or may not have bred. But she will be one less doe to breed. So whats the difference?

Shoot them when its legal.


The difference is your bucks won't have expended energy breeding her. Also, if you cut down the number of does coming in to season, you increase the odds that they get bred by the dominant buck.

Those bucks will now also expend more energy fighting off more competition for fewer does and then covering more ground to find receptive does. This all leads to more broken up racks and crippled up bucks. It can work for you or against you depending on the ranch and past management.
Posted By: Erich

Re: When to Shoot Does? - 11/10/15 04:20 PM

we hunt deep south tx as well. not as far south as the junco, but we're pretty far down there. just east of Hebbronville. our rut is also vary late, and our fawns are born pretty late. we still have fawns where the spots havn't completely faded. the doe is still bagging, and fawn probably nursing to some extent yet even though they will also browse. you will come across any number of arguments about when to shoot does related to rutting activity and or killing does that have already been bred, etc, and on that you probably have to do whatever makes the most sense to you.

but I would side with ranchman on waiting at least until after thanksgiving before shooting does just because it does give that fawn extra time with the doe. since fawns that far south are born so late, and since mother nature is pretty ruthless down there, I can't help but believe that extra couple weeks gives those fawns better survival to maturity.

also redchevy is right too about putting too much hunting pressure on your stands killing does before you get serious about your buck hunting. the more your hunting pressure increases...shooting does, shooting spikes, shooting hogs, etc...the more shooting goes on the more your bucks will become elusive and start avoiding those stands.

those two things I'd say are for certain, the rest....I dunno.

does are also usually easier to harvest...when you do start shooting them, maybe try to not shoot so many of them out of your regular stands. use a tripod or pop-up blind and try using a road feeder to just corn some roads or senderos and spread the shooting around. try not to shoot so many directly under the feeder even though that is the easiest place to get them.
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