Shoot or don't shoot

[captain caveman]

My son asked me the other day if I would shoot a doe with a fawn by her side.  Not for sentimental reasons but what do you guys think?  Would fawn survival be seriously affected?  maybe you should you shoot the fawn which I hate to do because might be young bucks

[Friend]

I seem to always choose spots first.

[ron w]

If you have a real bad winter, the fawn may not make it. I would shot the lil' one and let mama breed. Plus the young are real tasty........

[Larrydawg]

I would let them walk, that fawn could be a potential BOONER and if momma don't teach him survival he wont make it..
Hedgeapple

I went to a deer mgmt seminar put on by the Texas Parks & Wildlife Dept. The biologist there told us that it is better to shoot does with fawns and not single does so that no buck fawns were shot by mistake (this seminar was geared toward gun hunters who often mistake single fawns as full grown does at a distance). The biologist went on to state that mortality studies had been conducted which showed no difference in fawn mortality rates, whether with or without the doe. As long as the fawn is completely weaned and no longer has spots, I don't worry about it.

Bisch

[89redtruck]

From what I've seen, the bucks run those fawns off anyway when the doe comes in heat.

[Rufus 25]

During most of our bow season (Northwest FL) the does have spotted fawns with them.  So if the fawn still has it spots, then the doe will get a pass from me.  But, during late December, when we have our "doe week" the fawns are 3 months old or older and if the doe is decent size then she might get a broad head from me.

[reddogge]

Sorry, I have to watch them interact out of my kitchen window all year and I can't get myself to shoot a doe with fawn or a fawn. They groom each other, rest their heads on the does's back and sometimes the fawn is almost as big as the doe but the doe is usually heavier with a longer face. Call me a bambi lover but I'm comfortable with my views. Plenty of other deer to shoot at.

[monterey]

About 40 years ago I was hunting along a fence line on NF land during the CO bow season.  Was about the first week of September.  The fence was what we call a sheep fence in that it is wire with squares about 8 inces square.  Sorta like giant cage material.  Along the tops of the fence poles were two strands of barbed wire.  Fence was not very well maintained and actually no longer served any purpose.

So, as I go along slow like there is a doe and two fawns on my left.  The doe spots me and moves quickly to the fence and jumps over.  The two fawns follow.  First fawn jumps the fence just like mom.  The second fawn was confused and alternately looking at me and mom and the other fawn.  The fawn panicked and did the craziest thing I ever saw a deer do at a fence.  It jumped sorta sideways like a high jumper and tried to go through between the two barb wire strands back first.  Made it all the way through except one hind hoof got caught in one of the strands.

The fawn was going crazy trying to get free and the mom and other fawn were standing off about 75 yards watching the whole thing.

I made my way over to the fawn and climbed over the fence one pole down it and moved up really slow and quiet.  Fawn is still panicky (why not??).  Was able to get ahold of both rear legs and remove the hoof from the wire.  Meanwhile, the mom and other fawn are still standing there watching the whole thing.  Mom even moved a few feet closer.

Once the fawn caught up with mom and sibling, they all three moved off quickly through the quakies.

Long story short, since then I just don't consider shooting fawns nor does with fawns unless it is later in the year around late oct or so.

[Thumper Dunker]

Im not starving so I wont shoot a baby animal. Well ground squirrels maybe.

[Cootling]

You may actually be doing buck fawns a favor.  At least one study has shown substantially higher survival rates for orphaned buck fawns.  If I recall correctly, orphaned buck fawns didn't disperse from natal range and didn't experience higher mortality rates of dispersing buck fawns.

[captain caveman]

I know they are cute but baby deer taste really good and are easy to haul out of the hills.

[EHK]

I'm with you reddogge.  More about the hunt than the kill and I enjoy watching the little ones interact with momma.  Give 'em a pass.

[**DONOTDELETE**]

i'm an old softy myself... can't get myself to do it.....year before last a had an 18 yard broadside shot at a rare albino black tail deer. she was close to 180 pound too.... as she came down the trail that was crossing in front of me, she kept stopping and looking behind her. i was thinking she had a buck following her....

when she cleared the last tree into my shooting lane i slowly hit anchor as she stopped again.... then i caught the motion off behind her, and out stepped the cutest wobbly legged fawn i've ever seen. Mama and baby both had the most beautiful cream color hides i've ever seen before..... i lower my draw and tried for my camera, but got busted.... i sure would have liked pictures of those two..... if two more seconds would have passed before i saw the fawn, i'd have dropped the string......

i had that happen once before and had the fawn stand there 10 yards away bleating while i feild dress her mama. tore my ass up is what it did....

yup.... i just can't do it. don't need the meat that bad.

[dnovo]

I always carry binoculars with me and one reason is so I can tell the difference if it is a button buck or not. That being said, I am deer hunting so if a doe with fawns comes by I am shooting at whichever gives me a shot. If I shoot the doe, then a button buck will stay in that area. If not I might as well shoot the young buck as he is going to be living somewhere else and won't be my buck anyway.

[far rider]

Originally posted by Bisch:
I went to a deer mgmt seminar put on by the Texas Parks & Wildlife Dept. The biologist there told us that it is better to shoot does with fawns and not single does so that no buck fawns were shot by mistake (this seminar was geared toward gun hunters who often mistake single fawns as full grown does at a distance). The biologist went on to state that mortality studies had been conducted which showed no difference in fawn mortality rates, whether with or without the doe. As long as the fawn is completely weaned and no longer has spots, I don't worry about it.

Bisch

Very interesting post.

I have let 4 separate does with young walk this week. One has been to the well 3 separate times, and her single is definitely big enough to make it. I had one with a double slip past me tonight. Like I said, very interesting information.

[captain caveman]

I admire the respect for our prey but I am always interested when we myself included place more value on things we perceive as cute.  I had an albino whitetail ten yards broadside couple years ago kids had named it but I was in woods not yard and hunti g and here we were I passed and it died in neighbors field of unknown reasons couple months later.  That would have been a unique hide but couldn't bring home "the phantom" all bloodied up and face the young un's

[VictoryHunter]

It's fine to shoot them. Except for really late born fawns they are usually weened and on their own by winter and are able to survive.

[killinstuff]

Two commonly repeated phases I've never agreed with are"anything killed with a trad bow is trophy" and "fawns are tasty". Kill enough critters and you'll come to terms with what "trophy" really is and all deer are tasty, not just fawns.  As for killing a doe with a fawn, I won't if I travel out of state to hunt because I have something else in mind I want to put down and I won't kill one before December here in Michigan. I only get two kill tags and I don't want to burn them up to early on just any deer that walks by. That's the "trophy" part for me. Being selective, figuring things out, everything just comes together, that makes my hunt.

[KentuckyTJ]

Won't stop me from shooting. If you chose not to shoot a doe with a fawn or yearling where I hunt, you would very rarely ever get to kill a doe. The majority of ours have two with them. I have done it for years and our herd is very strong. I never shoot a button buck.