Moral or Personal

[alex1]

Last weekend I had a big doe and twins 20 yds from my stand, I made the decision to let it walk. Mostly because it had the fawns with her yet. When I got to work on Monday a few of my coworkers said I should have taken her cuz the fawns were in real good shape, no spots, and would have made it without her.

My question is, What is the general concensus of you guys and gals. Did I make a good decision by letting them walk, or do you think I would have been alright taking her? My reasoning was also that the fawns still have things to learn from her. What do you think?

[Scott K]

I have let a bunch of does walk that had fawns this season that would have been in the freezer if they werent with her. I also like to let does go that have twins, they tend to have twins again

[eyeguy 54]

they'll be fine and will grow into nice deer that probably will stay local.

[surewood]

She's gonna give them the boot to breed or a buck will run them off. Just a little over a month from now. Let the arrow fly. They'll be fine.

[goblueM]

Its a pretty good bet that if you see a lone doe, it has fawns somewhere in the area. But if you want you can pretend that does that you see by themselves never had fawns, if it makes you feel better

I say let it fly, the fawns are fine by the time Sept/Oct roll around.

In my urban hunts, I'll actually shoot the fawns if the landowner wants as many deer gone as possible. Now THAT is some good eating!

[Archerysniper]

Actually if you want more bucks on your hunting properties shoot the doe's with button buck's. She will chase them off your properties shortly to get ready for breeding.

[Scoot]

I agree with all that was said above. That being said, I pass on does with fawns because I don't care to hear the fawns bawling nearby when I'm trying to field dress their dead mamma. In case you've never seen/heard this, it's not pretty and it'll leave an impression with a person. I tend to shoot does during or after the rut just because of that. Plus, it gives me more time to fill my tag with a buck.

[certified jumbo]

i think its up to each person and i don't think its wrong to shoot a doe with fawns. i personally would've taken the doe.

[CrewJones]

I agree with certified jumbo except that I personally would not shoot.

I have had to chase babies away from dead mom and its very sad for me. But I dont care what someone else does, also depends on how bad you need the meet. That would really change my outcome depending on how hungry I was. I can get over anything....

[jerkin'm]

I haven't been able to bring myself to shoot a doe with fawns in 25+ years of deer hunting...I wish I could, but can't do it....Plenty of people in my hunting group have zero problem with it so they are getting thinned at least...

[96trigger]

I have done both. I have also had to chase fawns away and like was mentioned, its not fun. I once shot a doe with 2 fawns on opening morning. Those fawns came back every day. I'm sure they did just fine but it wasn't easy watching them look for their mother all deer season. I did however get over it and now I either wait until late in the season, or I pass on them. If you are in a high deer area, you will get one by itself eventually.

[Bear55]

I'm a shooter. They will be fine, a lot of times they latch on to another doe in the area.

[matchset]

Id opt to shoot the fawns, tender table fair and alao statistically less likely to survive a Minnesota winter.

When ppl only harvest mature does, you can actually hurt your heard dynamic. Those fawns will be more sought afyer to breed, and since they come into heat later than a muture. You'll get fawns that next spring being born late to yearling moms.

Balanced harvest is a viable option. Gotta remember, deer dont have emotions. Its much more moral to place a Rage in the right place than ket that deer seccum to coyotes this winter.

[leech~~]

Id opt to shoot the fawns, tender table fair and alao statistically less likely to survive a Minnesota winter.

I dropped one of two fawns a few years ago on the very last day of Bow hunting, because I was hungry!

[paceman]

I would shoot the doe, chase the fawns away if they are still around and not give them another thought. They will be just fine.

[slimngrizzly]

Id let them all go. Like Scoot said, I dont wanna hear them bawling while im gutting more. That said, I have nothing against people who do. Thats just me. Currently I cant afford to lose any does or fawns off my property!

[BLACKJACK]

If you don't feel comfortable shooting a doe with fawns, don't do it, but if you do, they'll be fine. Watch them in a field this time of year, the fawns are eating the same clovers, soybeans, browse that the doe is. There ARE does around without fawns, maybe their fawn got killed by coyotes, wait for one of them.

I personally wouldn't shoot a doe with fawns that had spots yet but later on, shes fair game. As far as shooting fawns, since I like venison, I'll shoot the bigger doe first. But come Dec. and if I still have a tag, I'll shoot a fawn. Also a big difference in size between a September fawn and a December fawn.

[MUSKY18]

This past weekend I was sitting and had two fawns walk literally right under my stand. A doe fawn and a button buck. Then out came what I thought was mama. Nice big big doe. Had her broadside at 18 yards, but couldn't pop the string because the fawns still had a couple spots on them, and I figured I would let mama teach them a bit more before she kicked em to the curb. All of a sudden, mama looks back into the brush and bolts into the swamp. Out comes another doe, which was actually mama. Turns out the other doe had her fawn shot the weekend before. Had I known this, she would have gotten popped. I will shot a doe with fawns but not until at least rifle season. Everyone has their own choice to make in this situation and I don't think that either of them is wrong. After all, we are hunting and the goal of that is to harvest an animal.

[nbadger23]

It's really a decision you have to make on your own and what you're comfortable with and what you feel is the proper management on the land you hunt.

I have read many articles that says if you really want to shoot the "weakest link" deer on your land, it's the fawns because they have the highest chance of dying during the winter. Personally, I have a hard time shooting a fawn until December or so when they are a bit bigger, but they certainly taste good!

I too have encountered the 'bawling fawn' after shooting a deer and it left a mark on me. It's not a comfortable feeling watching a fawn try to nudge it's mamma to "get up" when she's laying dead on the ground and then having to shoo her away and realizing that she's basically circling you as you field dress the deer.

My decision is driven by two things.. 1)No spots and 2)How much meat do I need? This year, with only getting 2 tags, I wanted to maximize the doe tag with an adult doe and not a fawn. In previous years, with multiple doe tags, I was more likely to shoot doe fawns or yearlings.

[Scott K]

I agree with all that was said above. That being said, I pass on does with fawns because I don't care to hear the fawns bawling nearby when I'm trying to field dress their dead mamma. In case you've never seen/heard this, it's not pretty and it'll leave an impression with a person. I tend to shoot does during or after the rut just because of that. Plus, it gives me more time to fill my tag with a buck.

This has happened to me, and is why I dont shoot them until after slug season. It is disheartening to listen to the fawns bah-ing 10 yards away as you are gutting their mom out, and they follow you to the truck as you are dragging her back. Sure, it may not happen every time, but once it does, it will stick with you for life.

[deerminator]

Everyone's morals and ethics are different so it comes down to being personal. It's legal to shoot a doe with fawns and science says the fawns are weaned and can make it on their own. Thought I once gutted a lactacting doe on opener who was with fawns.

I’ve had a number of does with fawns I’ve passed on so far because I have one tag. But most have also been pretty small, probably yearlings. Again, with one tag, my personal decision is to wait for a buck or at the least a doezilla. I got the latter traveling with her “fawns” on Dec. 15 two years ago. My neighbor and I could barely lift her frozen body (-15 out) into the truck and I got more meat than any buck to date.

Back to the subject at hand, I am likely taking the kids out tomorrow night for a very short time in a very predictable (I hope) setup. There is a good chance a doe and her two fawns will step out from the field edge into the cut corn. If they do, I will take the shot because the kids are there and it would be great to have them experience “the hunt.” Even if it means waiting til next year for a buck. My daughter has asked me not to shoot “a baby deer.” And I would not take a fawn yet. Maybe in December as others have pointed out. But I have always told the kids that once the fawn loses its spots, it becomes an adult deer. Now I know that’s not scientifically correct, but they seem to grasp then that there’s nothing “wrong” with shooting a younger deer, nor do they associate the doe with the fawns now as “the mother.” They just don't want me to shoot a deer with spots, which I would not.

[archerystud]

I would shoot. I have been in some Metro hunts where they want us to take AS MANY AS POSSIBLE to thin the herd.

[NWBuck]

We shoot 'em down here all the time. And if the fawn lingers too long, it's likely another tag is gonna get filled

[tipup]

Just shot a doe the other day, that had her fawn with her. I have seen the pair everyday I have been out since opener. Mom was always smart, and never got close. Baby was alway 20-30 yards ahead or behind mom, mom didnt really seem to care where or what she was doing. Fawn had no spots and seemed to be doing her own thing, I know she was a fawn because she was about half as big as mom. The other night mom walked right into my lane at about 25-30 yards, fawn was staying in the bushes, I took the shot, Mom ran one way, baby the other not to be seen or heard after the shot.

I been thinking about whats beeen talked about on here since opening morning when I first saw the pair. I made the choice to shot, and I dont regret it. My area seems to have huge numbers of does and fawns, infact it is more unuseual to see single fawns, and to see more twins!! I believe baby will be fine, and I would do it again.

[leechlake]

I shot a mule deer doe a few years ago in South Dakota that was with a fawn. The rancher likes us to fill our doe tags every year to manage.

In this case the doe was with her fawn and the fawn would not leave the area. It walked around about 70 yards away and frankly it was a depressing situation. I'd suggest that doesn't happen much but when it happens bring a tissue or two.