Bowsite.com

Dont shoot the does

Now that its later in the season and the does are pregnant, should they get a pass? To be honest i haven't even thought of it until sixlomax posted it on my live hunt.. And what do you guys think about taking a buck that's already shed?

A doe is no less pregnant now than she was in December.

If you're hunting for meat, who cares if the antlers have dropped? If you're not hunting for meat.... be done with it.

GF X2

Unless you buck to doe ratio is way out of whack I wouldnt shoot a doe. Everytime you do if you think about its 1-2 deer a year that won't be there. I've seen and had a few bucks drop but still 80% holding on to them. Couple mature bucks still pushing some yearlings around this past week. Your call my friend. If your freezer is empty shoot away. Good luck Shawn!

Does should always get the pass in today's world. Unless you're filling a tag to help a game dinner, it's your first deer or absolutely need the meat for health reasons, let them walk. They are the ones that make more deer.....and if you like seeing deer every time out, let em walk.

Shawn from what you have told us you are one of the only hunters actively hunting the area. You have a unique opportunity to manage the deer on the property for yourself and the future. Shooting just one doe now can cost you 2-3 deer next year. Take this opportunity to teach your kids about deer and the other animals in the area. Spend time in the woods showing them the new fawns during the summer months and teach them the meaning of conservation and why hunting is about only harvesting the surplus of any given species and not over harvesting the resource.

If you harvest too many of the does on this property you will ultimately be looking for a new place to hunt.

Shawns spot seems to hold a good number of deer. It probably wouldn't hurt to take one to give the others more to eat this winter.

Does get pass , bucks that shed even one side get pass. Unless it's a mature buck with both sides I will not shoot. If I need meat I'll go to stop & shop :) . Killing a pregnant doe with babies is killing 3 deer not one so unless you have an abundance of deer then you probably want to pass. Shooting a mature buck with one side if you're a trophy hunter then it's a waste, if you are a meat hunter then perfectly fine taking a mature buck who dropped, at least you are maximizing your meat harvest.

I guess it depends where you are ....

If you have exclusive access to a good number of acres in 11/12, you could never shoot enough does to make a dent - you take one and let the next one walk, you end up next fall net even or +1...

The problem we have in much of the state is that the hunters aren't satisfied with a deer population that is small enough for the landscape to support it.

And believe it or not, it is NOT the DEEP's responsibility to keep the population up just as high as the hunters ask for... nor is it a suburban home owner's civic duty to support enough deer to make his neighborhood a productive hunting area.

I get as frustrated as the next guy if I spend all day in the woods and never even SEE a deer - especially if we're talking about 4-5 days without a sighting. But when there are enough deer around that you can get picky about which bucks are "shooters" or not....

REALLY???

I am low on meat and to be honest there are soo many does in my area. But I did take one this year already. I want to keep it at one doe per year and one buck. Obviously if the opportunity presents itself I would absolutely take another buck. I have seen countless does this season and have soo many on my cam its crazy. And its not like the cam is in the same place and I'm getting the same group. Idk I guess ill have to see if one walks in front of me. This year I passed on a yearling doe and she literally came within reaching distance from me. I had drew on her and placed the pin but decided not to shoot. I kinda felt like I had her already even though I didn't shoot. If that makes any sense.. Walked a really lot yesterday and today and didn't see any sheds so hopefully there all still holding on to them.

I had bucks holding last year well into feb.

Every area is different one place I saw 19 does one day on. Camera we only saw 4 bucks 3 small ones and a 9 that spot can take a couple of does less .the Zoo spot we have shot 2 does in 10 years it is still going down hill we think yots and hunter that are in the area that if it's brown it's down attitude .I still like to hunt in Jan but am picky at what I shoot Steve

Honestly gf I think I'm in that area. Soo many does I dont think I could make a dent if I tried. There is no lack of deer especially does here in Groton.

Agreed our zoo spot is being hammered by coyotes I believe. In the past years I have seen no fawns on cameras during late summer early season. I have even found a few fawn carcasses over the years there. I will do my best come feb 1st to try and thin the coyote population. So hopefully more deer make it through the winter and more fawns are born in the spring.

Hey Shawn, you have a prime piece manage it smart and you will have plenty of deer for years to come. Good luck my friend!

Just remember doe are pretty much the future of the property you hunt. 1 buck can breed most all doe in the area.

Bloodtrail, all the does I shoot are for game dinners. I get about 20 of them per doe fir my family.

Shawn, when you ask about shooting does is like when the wife asks if those pants make her ass look fat. If you say yes your in trouble. I don't care cuz all the deer I shoot are for eating. I will shoot the biggest one in range. If buck and doe are same size, I'll shoot a doe. Tastes better.

It's not the pants lololol

I know but when I said no, your fat ass makes the pants look big, it didn't work out too good for me.

Haha you guys are funny. If I was going out not seeing much or having trouble finding them I wouldn't even of asked this question. But the thing is there are an abundance of deer in the areas I hunt and I know there's a lot of does. So I guess what I'm trying to say is if I see a doe its lights out.. I really don't think two deer will make a difference in my area. If I even thought for a second it would I wouldn't shoot one.. Its meat for my freezer!!

Shawn, Steve is right in saying that each spot is different. You have to ask yourself a few honest questions about what you have observed on the property you hunt. Some of the things you need to KNOW about this area; how much pressure does it receive? How many DIFFERENT deer have you seen? (Cameras can be a big help answering that question) How important is it to you to see deer while hunting? How many deer do you like to see while hunting, both in numbers and frequency of occurance? These are only a few of the questions you must KNOW the answer to, and answer honestly, no guestimating allowed. You then have to weigh those answers against how many deer you want to kill per year to make you happy. This will help you decide whats best for your hunting experience and the property you hunt. And as a side note, the number you have in your head now that you think will satisfy your "killer instinct", will most certainly go down as you gain more experience and get longer in the tooth. JMHO

Crow,next time she asks ,ask her as compared to what?.works every time..lol

Shawn,like everybody said it depends on the area ..i hunted mainly one spot this season..there is 6resident does(2mature,3yrling,1fawn)..at times there was up to 20 does..where they came from or went who knows..i might get one more shot to get out,if the resident deer show I'll pass simply because with 1fawn I'll be giving them a better chance

Ya that's not my case.bi personally know of at least 5 to 6 groups ranging from 3 to 8 per group. Its amazing how when I started my season I saw a lot of does and small bucks and as soon as mid to late Oct hit I seen nothing but bucks from then till mid December.. Only a couple of does and countless bucks.. Now once again im seeing multiple groups of does and not bucks.. Its like they vanish and return when they want..

only kill what you will eat. Anything more is a waste.

more than enough deer in CT plus the buck to Doe ratio is way off....shoot away

And let me know if you're open to any help! I could put a nice, fat one to good use!

Register here to reply to this topic