Shooting does with fawns

[Hogskin]

O.k., here's a question for you guys. ###Two years ago I was hunting with a guy in the d-11 zone. ###I was rifle hunting, he was bowhunting. ###I had the D-11 tag, he had the A-23 tag (does are legal). ###We're heading up into the hills and we see a doe with a fawn. ###The fawn is obviously a little older (no spots) but still a fawn. ###The guy I'm with says, "Ooh, that one will be a good eater." and starts to plan a stalk to get the doe. ###I get on his case and we start to argue over whether or not he should shoot the thing. ###I say that he shouldn't, he says that it's o.k. since it's later in the year (early November) and the fawn will be fine on its own. ###By the time we finished arguing the deer had split. ###But it's always been a sore spot between us. ###So the question is.... based purely on facts (not emotion), is it o.k. to hammer a doe in such an instance? ###Your thoughts are appreciated.

Regards,
Paul

[BigDog]

Personally, I would not. Even though the fawn was no longer nursing, it was still learning from its mother. To me, a smarter deer is going to live longer and therefore be bigger when I get it in my sights.

[Speckmisser]

That's an interesting scenario. ###

Back in NC, we shot does to keep the population down. ###Later in the season it was not at all unusual to take pregnant does, or does with last year's brood still hanging around. ###The doe harvest increase led to an increase in good sized bucks as well. ###But that was whitetails in a habitat that was better than nature would have provided (soybeans, sweet potatoes, blueberries, etc.), and population control was an issue. ###

Out here, I'm not sure how it would impact populations, since habitat is critical and populations are low and shrinking. ###A youngster in November should be perfectly suited to life on his own, and killing the doe shouldn't do anything more than educate the youngster that humans are dangerous. ###A lot of times the youngster will hang around until the mother gives birth to the next year's fawns...sometimes even longer. ###I've seen "family" groups consisting of a large doe, a smaller yearling with spikes, and a little guy that's obviously working on his first year.

I think it's a philosophical decision... purely up to your own sentiments. ###Personally, I don't know if I'd take that shot. ###But ecologically, I don't think it will hurt anything at all.

[gordon]

I must agree with Speckmisser, I would not have taken the deer. I don't feel any deer mother or fawn should be taken when still together. But at the same time I don't see where it would have done any hurt to the yearling.. If it was atill in spots that would be different.. Then again was this a late fawn ??

[marmot]

It would not hurt the resource. Other than that, it is a personal preference.

[hookingbull]

Tough call. When I was younger, I remember after killing a doe having to kick fawns off the mama's tit so I could load her on the 4-wheeler. ###But, as I have become more educated and older, i would venture a guess to say that it's probably best that your buddy didn't get to kill the doe. ###My reason being that the doe was a producing one with a young one who she had dependant on her reguardless of the age, if the fawn was still present then she was dependent. ###Any one who hunts a lot will tell you, a doe will run the yearlings off when it is time. ###Surely he could have hunted for a single doe or an old barron doe if it was just meat he was after, maybe your podnuh is a game hog! If that is the case then it really doesn't matter what we think, he'll do what he wants anyway, and if he keeps shooting the first thing he sees then he'll lessen his odds on killing something to be proud of. ### ### ### Hookingbull

[heydeerman]

No spots on the fawn = a dead doe here in Ohio.Theres plenty to go around.Shooting a dear with spots is a humiliating disgrace.

[BigDog]

I guess that is also a determining factor on this question. Where you are hunting. I am in Ca. but I recently spent a year in OH. Back there, they have so many white tails that they have to cull the herds. In 95% of Ca. we do not have populations like that. Herd size is a good reason for and against shooting does with fawns.

[Fubar]

Big Dog where is the 5%? I wanna hunt there. ### ### ### ### Fubar

[BigDog]

Tilden Park/Berkeley is one...hahaha
There are a few places that DFG tries to do a doe cull every year and the locals shoot it down.

[ToddP]

Pennsylvania, ###if it's brown it's down. ###Population control around here. ###In Maine, where I bear hunt, it's frowned upon to shoot a sow with cubs.

[gordon]

To many County Supervisors running the show.. Give control to the DFG, & sportsmen.. Then you'll see better hunting and much more game..