Would you shoot a doe with fawns?

[Jlburger]

Just wondering if there is a reason you wouldn't shoot a mature doe with fawns/fawn?

 

[Fargo]

By gun seasons, I'm hard pressed to consider them still fawns.

 

[winchester]

shoot mama first and the yearlings just hang around to be shot too. there's no sweeter meat than Bambi's little loins

 

[17 squirrel]

My son and I both harvest deer for two reasons, one is to fill our freezers and hunters for the hungry freezers. And secondly to fulfill the crop damage permit quota.
Generally it matters not the age of the females.

 

[Bfish]

It's a personal call for sure! Would a lion kill a mama gazelle if it's babies were near by? Sure if he didn't just kill the babies!

Basically there are hunting seasons for a reason, and if you did then it'd be ok, plus they aren't so little by fall. Some won't and thats fine. Some will...

 

[1861navy]

Depends, I'd probably just take the doe, depending on how old she is of course. Also putting into consideration size of "fawn". If it's spotted, and still following its mother then I might let them go. No reason other than not killing a mother in front of the baby, so to speak. However, by this time they ain't babies no more.

 

[Hookeye]

I have seen folks who have supposedly hunted for years shoot stuff with spots.
It's supposed to be a sport for cryin' out loud.

For the effort/work, I like around 100# dressed for doe (or bigger).

If a doe comes in that size with fawns not having spots..........and if I feel like taking a deer (sometimes I just don't).........I'll zip her.
Does I normally shoot with bow.
Took one a couple yrs back with rifle, for bullet test..............still doesn't set well with me.

I've killed 'em in the past with gun, just don't like to do it anymore. Hell, I'm almost to buck hunting only. If my kid heals up well enough next yr I'll let them pop does for the freezer.

 

[oldpink]

It all depends on your definition of fawn.
The first doe I shot was accompanied by her yearlings, but they had long ago lost their spots and each gotten up to well over the 80 pound range.

 

[yote hunter]

If you process your own meat then shooting fawns would be ok, but if you take your meat to a locker then it isn't very smart to shoot a fawn unless you don't mind paying $8.00/$10.00 a pound for the meat... As far as shooting a doe with fawns if she gets close enough she is in trouble !!!!

 

[Principal Skinr]

Not me. Plenty around without fawns.

 

[JeremiahJohnson]

Even early bow season late born fawns that still have their spots are weaned. So, yes, if I was looking for meat I'd arrow a doe that was accompanied by her two weaned fawns.

 

[tmschuller]

Not me. Plenty around without fawns.

+1 with the deer herd down , wouldn't be wise pass? Just asking.

 

[funkeecowboy]

Not me. Plenty around without fawns.

Same here, even come late archery season I'll pass on a doe with fawns still present. There are a lot of deer in this state folks.

 

[Mark 1911]

Fawns can survive on their own by the time fall rolls around. Sometimes they become coyote food, but that's nothing that mom can save them from.

 

[midget]

Come rut, momma runs them off. So I see no problem with shooting the doe if she is of proper size.

 

[Hookeye]

I've seen them with fawns during MZ season.
Nuked a 130# dressed doe w 629 late into gun season. Button came back rather upset.
Made me feel bad..........almost. Figured some jackweed was gonna blast him anyway. Yelled at him 3 times before he scampered off.

BTW, 14 antlerless came in on me, the doe hung back and let her button and another fawn walk through first.

So much for caring about her kiddies. Rather can call the DNR version of CPS I just decided she was worthless as a mother and shouldn't breed again LOL.

Never seen that Disney crap out in the sticks.

Did see bright orange fawns in MZ one season, tiny. I thought they were two fox. WTH?
Doubt those two made it Skittish and on the move, they had no other deer with them.

 

[JeremiahJohnson]

Fawns can survive on their own by the time fall rolls around. Sometimes they become coyote food, but that's nothing that mom can save them from.

Absolutely true.

I've killed does with late born fawns (June vice May due to secondary rut breed), mom still has milk but it's drying up. Mom doesn't protect even late born fawns by October, they feed just like any other deer. They get ran off, or ran away from during rut. As a matter of fact there's plenty of research that indicates nearly all yearlings - first season fawns - breed that fall. They typically have one fawn the following spring and "typically" two every year after that until they either die or are past their age.

 

[JeremiahJohnson]

This is a decent 30,000 foot level read: Breeding During the Whitetail Rut | Deer Hunting the Rut | DeerHunter.com

 

[BigMatt]

Fawns can survive on their own by the time fall rolls around. Sometimes they become coyote food, but that's nothing that mom can save them from.

This^^^

The way I understand it, hunting seasons are timed around breeding seasons. By the time you can legally shoot it, the offspring can survive on its own.

I even heard Indiana was thinking about an early-summer squirrel season timed around the two litters a squirrel has in a Summer.

 

[Hookeye]

Squirrels are slutty like that.