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mommy doe.

beararchery

beararchery

Member
Well while hunting in Missouri I've had plenty of does pass my stand but they had fawns. After telling one of my friends about my encounter with the deer he asked why I didn't take one of those older does. I asked him if he would shoot a doe with a fawn and he said yes.

I don't know if its common for big hunters to take a old doe from her fawn and I just simply cannot do it. I don't know if I'm weak hearted seeing a little fawn out on her own or just if my budy wants to just kill everything.
 
From what I've been told, by people who know better than I, is as long as the fawns have no spots they are able of being self-sufficient and it is alright to shoot "momma doe".

Another theory I've been told is if you shoot a momma doe that has a fawn that is a button buck, that button buck will stick around the same property for most of its life. Does have a tendancy to run off their male offspring to curb in-breeding. I don't know if this is true or not but it sounds like a good theory.

But it is entirely up to the individual hunter.
 
I wouldn't have shot the doe either. Last year I shot a doe that had two button buck fawns with her still, around Nov 10th or so. The doe only went about 20 yards after I shot her and the two button bucks just milled around within 30 yards the whole time grunting and making noise, it was pretty depressing and I regretted shooting the doe.
 
really? you're killing an animal either way you cut it... don't humanize a deer, thats a slippery slope if you ask me. That fawn will survive with or without "mommy", fawn bucks are usually pushed off about the time the velvet comes off of the horns, so they are fully capable.

I have killed quite a few does with fawns in tow, and enjoyed every second of it... in fact during a city hunt, I have massacred a full family of em! :D :grin:
 
Biologically they will be fine, but I am like you and have trouble shooting the does with fawns. The only problem is..they all seem to have fawns.

They do however need to be managed like any animal so it needs to be done but that doesn't mean you have to do it or enjoy it.

My best advice is to do what feels right and if it doesn't-no point in putting yourself through the mental torment. I try to only shoot does that are alone..which is very tough to do. :thrwrck:
 
Funny, I am the opposite. I will not shoot a doe unless it is with a fawn. Call it cold if you will, but that is part of my management strategy. Does without fawns... free pass. Fawns... free pass (could be a future P&Y or B&C).
 
I feel bad too,,Mommy is gone! but I doubt the fawns mourn for long. They are not human children, and soon they band together with other fawns, then other doe groups to go thru the winter. Once the Sex drive kicks in I have seen Mommy slam the daylights outa her fawn that pestered her anyway. Or over choice food ,,Wham,, a hoof to the slats.! No love lost.
 
Shoting Bambi's mom isn't such a bad thing.

There have been studies done, that show a deer's core area is smaller if they lose thier mother, instead of being pushed off by momma. :way:
 
the fawns are weeks away from being ran off from "mommy" anyhow.

this post comes up every year, and i find it hard to follow. you do realize that the main purpose of taking a weapon into the woods, with a tag in your pocket, is to kill a deer?
multiple tags are fantastic. if you shoot a mature doe, and the fawn lingers in range, it can go to the freezer as well
 
I whacked a mama with a doe fawn a few years ago...that doe fawn imprinted on my dads 30acres and is still there as is evidence of the trailcam pics. For some reason I've decided to give her the free pass for life. Over the past two years she's only "kicked" out single fawns...a buck fawn last year, and a doe fawn this year.

I prefer to shoot the doe that offers me the best shot, regardless of size and age.

$$$, I don't think it's a slippery slope, dude. Just a person's feelings on shooting or not. I've passed does with fawns before, didn't affect me one way or another. have passed since then and have shot does with fawns since then. No biggie, IMO...just a "game-day" decision:way:
 
A couple years ago I shot a doe with a fawn. I hit her high and she dropped right there. I put another arrow in her and the fawn wouldn't leave. It milled around for a while then laid down next to her. As I was starting to feel a bit of remorse, another group of does with fawns came by. The original fawn walked off with them. Since then, I shoot whatever large does I have tags for, whether they have fawns or not.

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turtlshell said:
$$$, I don't think it's a slippery slope, dude. Just a person's feelings on shooting or not.
Click to expand...

Take it for what its worth, I pride myself on being a doe serial killer.... :grin: :moon:

Let's take this a step further. I used to know a guy that was a consistent big buck killer and claimed to be a quasi-land/whitetail manager. Doing his best to raise bigger deer through the quality genetics they carried on their farm. He made it a point to pass a few large "quality" does on his place year after year. Those does lived long and got old, and for some reason, he didn't see a major increase in quality of bucks, let alone see those genetics stick around.

Here is my thoughts, first of two. I firmly believe keeping mature does around because they "carry good genetics" is actually counter productive. It is natures way of avoiding inbreeding as the does do not keep their button bucks around for more than a few months. In fact, I have read studies and seen it first hand on my cameras that the button bucks end up alone about mid to late August. Ever wonder why button bucks are the dumbest deer in the woods? In short, the does have run them off, or weaned them if you will because the B-Bucks are beginning to get frisky. Because the doe fawns offer no chance of inbreeding (obviously) you will see doe family groups that are 3, 4, and 5 generations deep, even more.

If you keep big mature does around and are trying to improve the quality of your herd you are not doing your efforts any favors. Other studies have also shown that a buck's home range changes drastically after they are weaned. In fact, they will take up residence a long ways (several miles) from where they were born and will not likely return, especially with the annual rut taking them all over the country side.

BUT, if you whack a few of those mature does you greatly increase the likely hood of keeping the genetics you are trying to improve on your property. Those button bucks will much more likely stay close to where they were born and create far superior string of genetics. Sure does carry half of the genetics in a fawn buck, but there is NO way to determine if her genetics are the best available. There is no accurate way to control how those genetics are maintained unless under a deer farm setting.

Secondly, big old does are smart and those thing will ruin a hunt more than any other animal in the woods. Keeping the smart ones around greatly reduce the chances of killing big bucks because they consistently blow up area. Even if you are keeping them guessing, they will still catch you if you give them enough time, especially if you are not shooting them because they have fawns with them.

So, in the end keeping big mature does around will reduce your chances of killing big deer... I say whack all the big fat girls and keep the genetic string fresh with younger dumber does and you will kill more big deer.

There is one doe I have been after for quite a few years (at least 6-7 years old) that is a hunt spoiler... I have moved stands around and had her bust me from 300-400 yards out without moving a muscle.. she just knows... she needs to die! she is such a slutty doe she had her tail removed so she could be even more slutty.... :grin: She has no tail and thats how I recognize her... If she shows up with three fawns like she did last year, I'm gonna whack her! If I don't drop my release this time and have it hit every step on the way down....

:way:
 
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Completely agree THA4. I always pic out the biggest doe. I know what you mean about a hunt spoiler. If you have a group come by there is always one that will peg you and not let it go. She always goes to the top of the hit list.
 
First off calling them mommies is a bad thing. They are does. You call it a cow or a sow not a mommy. I guess growing up around live stock desensitize me. To me its just a part of the cycle.

Mobile Cooter
 
I can't tell if they had fawns with them or not when I have them for dinner.

My son shot a nice doe with a fawn 1st day of youth season, no regrets.

What bothers me is the fact my neighbor was telling me he was out with his grandson and shot a small doe but decided it was not big enough so they just left it lay.

I know there are lots of deer down there so another doe dead won't hurt a thing, but I am trying to teach my boys if you are not going to eat it you better donate it to the hush progam or don't shoot it.

What few thought I have,
Bowdude
 
I always pick out the biggest doe and shoot. Seen fawns come back to mom all the time. One thing I have learned though if you shoot the fawn, mom never comes back.
 
I'm just 17 years old and I let my feelings get to me a little bit when I watch the does fawn run around and play with its ma or twin brother/sister. Maybe because I'm young or maybe just how I am raised it just makes me feel real bad taking a fawn from her mom no matter of she joins another group. When I get older maybe I will realize that is not a big deal or maybe il still pass the doe with fawns, I don't know yet.
 
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