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Why would you shoot a fawn?

I hear a lot about this, pro's and con's?

The deer population is some areas is still really high and needs to be thinned, with unlimited doe tags, any doe you can take is s good thing.

If you live in an area with a low deer population, some people will shoot a fawn because they have the least chance of survival anyway.

Lots of reasons, they taste great, it helps establish an older age class of does. In areas where the population is average, why would you shoot a big doe and kill her, plus the fawns she would have next spring? I have not shot a big doe in a lot of years. Also if you shoot a big doe early, there goes her chance of drawing a buck into your hunting area. We have been been shooting doe fawns only for quite a few years on the properties we hunt and it has had a very positive effect on our herd. The only time we start shooting older does is when we see our herd balance getting out of whack. At one time in the early 90's. I shot around 50 in 4 years. The buck to doe ratio was so bad we hardly saw any chasing or seeking by our bucks. Shawn

I don't think I would on purpose. I have, however, during gun season when, after opening day, every lone deer is a button buck....

From TV, Eurpoean countries want you to shoot the young when you spot say a doe & fawn. The reasoning is that a fawn is an unknown entity both in future survival and reproduction. The doe 1) has survived and 2) has successfully raised a young. Therefore, its better for the herd to shoot the young animal.

Here in America, emotions (mine included) prevent that thinking....

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I really never thought of shooting a fawn. I get only a couple tags and I want as much meat as possible but this is a very intriguing discussion and one they may get me to change my mind on what I harvest for the freezer. CurveBow's Euro point seems to make total sense.

PT, it really does help with the age structure of a deer herd. If you keep shooting the bigger older does the herd will have a lot of yearlings and 2.5 year olds. Shawn

I wouldn't shoot a fawn, never have and never will.Won't shoot a doe with fawns eather.Just me.

NY Griz, do you ever shoot any does? In my part of the state it is hard to find a doe without a fawn unless it is a yearling that did not get bred as a fawn. You may not see the fawn when you shoot that doe, but unless her fawns were killed a high percentage have fawns. Shawn

I have and would again. I have shot the mother doe and then shot fawns that came back looking for her. It's all about my current need for meat and herd management. I hunt some management programs that really need the numbers to be dropped drastically. I don't tie any emotional rationale into taking them.

Where I hunt in Westchester there are unlimited doe tags. I do shy away from taking fawns more regularly now due to processing my own deer and the lesser amount of yield I get from fawns. Plus, at a distance it can be hard to tell if the smaller deer are buttons.

When i lived in Jersey i shot Doe.Here where i live there aren't a lot of deer.I've lived here on my farm for 11 yrs and yet to take a doe.I don't need the meat to survive.To many if it's brown it's down guy's in my area.

I'm with ya Grizz

Good luck Bob.

I do not shoot adult doe's or fawns...

Too many buck fawns mistakenly killed in a population not significant enough to absorb this kind of "collateral damage".

Mike

Food, that's all.

As bowhunters we should never make a mistake and shoot button bucks, so there should be no collateral damage. That is what binoculars are for!! Shawn

The original question was a general one regarding killing fawns. Most on here hunt with implements other than bows, and nearly all are impacted by those that do. If you want to kill fawns, have at it. Personally, I have no desire to kill a doe fawn and absolutely do not want to kill a buck fawn, particularly where I hunt.

Mike

So Aubs, do you shoot doe's? Shawn

I have and will again. I have killed a couple of fawns, too. You make good points. However, I don't hunt in areas where we have an overpopulation of deer. Where I hunt in the ADK's, poor fawn recruitment is a major issue.

No, doubt I would probably not shoot any does if I lived in some parts of the Adirondacks. Shawn

It really depends on how much I can get out in the field. Putting some meat in the freezer is priority #1. All hunters have different ethics gauges about what's "The right thing." In the beginning of the season, yes, I will let a fawn or doe with fawn pass by. In late December, if the freezer is still barren, they're goin down. Do I feel a little bad? Yes, a little, but not ashamed in ANY way when I can feed the kids venison stew and chili. Mad Dog

I always feel a little bad when I shoot any deer. I think if you don't than something is wrong. They are just going about their business when we shoot them. I just hate the fact guys shoot big does in the early season, maybe even a couple than they come on the site complaining they are not seeing a lot of deer or any bucks. well maybe if you did not shoot some of your best bait(adult does)you would see more bucks later in the season during the rut. Shawn

I hear ya...no one likes a "glutton,"..speaking of gluttons, how about that guy last season in Staten Island that was taking trophies in the City Parks and taking the heads and leaving the carcasses...what a jerk, heh? How are u making out so far Shawn? Any shots this season? M.D.

I hear ya...no one likes a "glutton,"..speaking of gluttons, how about that guy last season in Staten Island that was taking trophies in the City Parks and taking the heads and leaving the carcasses...what a jerk, heh? How are u making out so far Shawn? Any shots this season? M.D.

I PM'ed ya. I am having a very good year. I passed a very nice 8pt. Friday down in South Carolina, it was at my son in laws lease and one of his best stands so I did not want to take a deer away from him. Shawn

Nice

I never did but I will never judge a person that will harvest a fawn. Along the animal is used who are we to judge . I did come close this afternoon , a yearling was around me for a half hour eating acorns with a bad back left leg . It was otherwise healthy and fat . I'll watch her " no buttons " durning the season it's living on our property and our neighbors . If it looks like it will make it I'll let it be . We had a three legged doe up by our house in Vermont we seen her for two years with only a front leg and she had a young one with her one year. Good luck to all no matter what you harvest .

I never did but I will never judge a person that will harvest a fawn. Along the animal is used who are we to judge . I did come close this afternoon , a yearling was around me for a half hour eating acorns with a bad back left leg . It was otherwise healthy and fat . I'll watch her " no buttons " durning the season it's living on our property and our neighbors . If it looks like it will make it I'll let it be . We had a three legged doe up by our house in Vermont we seen her for two years with only a front leg and she had a young one with her one year. Good luck to all no matter what you harvest .

A yearling is not a fawn. A yearling is just that a deer that is roughly 1.5 years old. A fawn is most likely 6 to 7 months old this time of year. Shawn

Over 70 hrs in the tree this season, no deer in the freezer yet. A small, young deer (no spots!!..yes I have a heart ha ha) is not getting a free pass, sorry! MD

They are tasty, like wild veal!

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