What deer would you take ? Opinions please

Its not feelings, its instinct.
Just like salmon swimming up a river to spawn

anyways........perpetuate that warm fuzzy bambi idealism if you wish

here is the real bambi and thumper

 
I have heard people talking before about this depending on what you want to do with the deer population vs what you want for meat.

If you have too many deer and want to limit the population of deer, take the doe. A mature doe is potentially 3 deer next year, compounded year to year, and the fawn is statistically less likely to survive the winter and breed next year.

If you are looking to grow the population, but still want some meat, take the fawn. The mature doe is more likely to survive to next year, is already a successful breeder and will contribute to growing the population.

If you just want to fill the freezer and aren't thinking about population managment, the bigger deer has more meat, but the fawn take up less room in the freezer all at once, specially if you don't eat it often and it would go bad.
 
From a sheer management perspective....the fawn. It's odds of surviving are already low. I personally won't shoot a doe with a fawn but it's legal and that's just my personal thought...no criticism of those that decide to.
 
Adrian J Hare said:
My wife asked me a question yesterday that I had a hard time to come up with an answer. Because I pass up all Doe and Fawns and hunt bucks only and have done so for so many years my answer was - I would prefer a dry doe, but i'm not sure I would think either at this time of year would still survive.


Her Question to another forum :

Well I have been pondering this for a while now, and am curious how other people feel.

I don't believe there is any right or wrong answer, but perhaps a different view on this would help me.

If a doe and a fawn come into your shooting range, and you have a doe tag, which would you shoot.... the doe or the fawn?? .... and what would be your reason for it??
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It depends.

If it's early in the season, pass and a buck may come by chasing the doe.

If things are about to close and you have nothing, go for the doe. As mentioned, the fawn will likely survive alone.
 
Fawn. Unless hunting to reduce herd numbers in overpopulated areas, then by all means choose a doe with twins. Our deer numbers are kinda low right now, so it will be buck or fawn for me this year.
 
Fawn. Yummy

Edit: My first deer was a fawn and when I was cutting the steak on my plate with a fork, :D I vowed to take one every year if I had the chance. I have since shot nothing older than a yearling.

Table fare is just too good to pass up if you ask me.
 
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I always shoot the fawns, we get 2 suplemental antlerless tags, that 2 fawns in the freezer, they are much easier to gut, load, pack out, and butcher and they are good eating.

the general tag I try to hold out for a big buck but tens to shoot whatever comes along, sometimes its a third fawn for the freezer.
 
If I have a doe tag and am fortunate enough to find a herd, I look close, there's always a lead doe, usually the largest, but not always, sometimes they're just the most aggressive. If you shoot the lead doe the younger one's will mill about until another doe, "takes the lead", then the herd follows her.

Reason I mention that is if I'm hunting with someone else that also has a doe tag shooting the lead doe first means your buddy will have a few second's to get his.

Same scenario doe and fawn, shoot the doe first, it'll give you or your buddy a couple seconds to shoot the fawn. (I'm in it for the meat)

Just one tag, I look for an old dry doe first, yearling second, but have no quams about taking a fawn.
 
yomomma said:
Humanizing hunting is the tool of the antis.

These are animals with NO human traits or "feelings".

Harvesting cows or yearlings are conservation tools needed to maintain a healthy population.

Fine if you don't want to shoot them but don't humanize it by painting a picture of hunters ripping babies out of their mother's arms.
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The old school train of thought is to hunt bucks only and to not shoot does. But, many people now realize that shooting does is an important part of managing a healthy herd and in many area's there are simply too many does.

http://outdooralabama.com/hunting/hunterresources/articles/doemgt.cfm
 
I will shoot anything that is legal until I have enough time and money for hunting to be recreation only. If given a choice I'll go for the bigger animal unless the packout is miserable. Later in life big males and helping less experienced people bag their own legal animals.
 
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