Does with Fawns?

[reddogge]

I still have some meat in the freezer from 2 deer last year (wife doesn't eat it) so Wed. night I passed a dry doe, three does with three fawns. The last group of 4 passed giving me perfect shots. The object of my affection did come down the field and jump the fence at dusk followed by another deer but he turned away at dark and I lost sight of him. I figure the does are good lures. I still have a week of rifle hunting left for Sika so I'm not hard up yet.

I usually regret these passed shots later in the season when they seem to disappear.

[arrowlauncherdj]

We don't have that many predators in my neck of the piney woods. Some coyotes and an occasional bobcat but I've watched fawns grow up way more often than not after mom had been in the freezer.

[Brock]

You are going to see yearlings and older fawns with does here in south all the time.  Pretty much if the spots are gone and they are browsing they will be fine if you take momma.  Remember....shooting does is to manage the population that is why they are allowed as they impact it more than bucks.

I have seen spotted fawns into late October here as it stays warm and some get bred in Jan and Feb or later here due to our somewhat mild winters.

If I get a shot and they are close...I try for the largest doe....or a scraggily young buck.

Those older fawns are usually going to survive and will join up with older siblings or other does and their youngsters....

[ChuckC]

Keith there is a more than good chance she lost her fawn(s) to predators or some accident already and heat may not play into it at all.  A severe winter ( up north) may have affected her pregnancy.  She may have gotten chased by a dog or other predator and is temporarily separated from her fawn. There are lots of reasons why she may not have a fawn at her side at that moment.
ChuckC

[Pat B]

I would shoot a doe with a big fawn. Generally by hunting season the fawn can survive without the doe. Later in the season, in areas where the winter climate is harsh I think I'd shoot the fawn because a big doe has a better chance of surviving a severe winter than a fawn.

[LittleBen]

I spent all last season saying I won't shoot a doe with fawns or the fawns (guess having my first kid got me soft). It's also antler restriction in my area (3pts or more one side). Ended up spending most of my season passing up shots. Biffed an opportunity on an 8pt, and spent several months regretting it. This year I will shoot the first good opportunity,mouth preference for a fawn over a doe, and then I will wait for a buck. Only managed 1 deer last year and it wasn't with the bow.

[trubltrubl]

for me , if the yearling (not a first fall fawn )  will survive without the doe ...I take the doe keeping in mind the biologosts would not have a season for Does unless the numbers are good in the area...

[Bowwild]

I would never disrespect a person's (legal) decision about what to attempt to take.  

I might not respect their rationale, especially if it is unsound.  I hate to see incorrect information passed on.

There have been a couple big old Does in my past with I.Q.s greater than mine that I was tickled to shoot or attempt to shoot.  By the way, in a couple of those cases I was the unfortunate cuss that educated those Does!

The only deer I've been sure to pass the past several years are small-racked bucks in my 1-buck state.  It gets to the point sometime that I'm disappointed when a walking deer turns out to be a fork or basket-rack 8 instead of a Doe and fawns.

In a growing deer herd, twins of adult Does are the norm rather than the exception.  Triplets are more rare but happen. I remember a Doe in Elkhart Indiana that I passed one year because she had three button bucks.  Probably just chance, but I liked her "contribution".