Opening day

[frogtosser]

well I guess I am just cold hearted to think of taking a doe with little ones but when I have limited time in the woods and have to drive over an hour to get to where I hunt I choose not to be picky if I get a chance.

[deerminator]

Around where I hunt, if you waited for a doe without fawns, you'd be waiting a long time to get a shot at a doe, if any all season. Maybe gun season after someone had taken out her fawns, or better yet, you mistaked a loan fawn/doe for what she what she really was, a button buck, in all likelihood. I have nothing against taking a doe with fawns opening day and

I've taken several does with fawns now. For me, though, with one tag in my lottery zone, I'm waiting a bit to see what happens. Per lcornice's post in the other thread, they're pretty much weaned at this point. Perhaps not the smartest or woods wise yet, but enough make it to next year to keep populating.

As for being mean or instituting an unwritten reg about not taking them, well, its mean to shoot any deer then. What about piebalds or albinos, are they off limits too then. I'm not trying to go overboard, but when you start talking about it being mean to take a doe with fawns, well, then the animal rights people will jump all over it and it will snowball. Taking a deer with a bow is mean because its not as quick as with a rifle. And so on.

Good luck everyone and be safe out there.

[BradB]

I recently asked a Naturalist who oversees a nature preserve and knows quite a bit about deer about shooting does with fawns. She told me that it doesn't generally effect fawn survival as the orphans will seek out and key off the nearest matriarch deer in the herd. She said go ahead and shoot them, as it didn't make any difference to the population.

[Scouter]

Strictly biologically speaking, which is how true hunter's should strive to portray themselves, there is nothing wrong with taking an early season doe. I'll tell you why (this is based on biology and not opinion):

1) survival rates of the fawns is not drastically decreased by harvesting them during the fall hunting season

2) buck fawns are way more likely to not be "moved" from their home range if the doe is harvested according to studies sited in Deer & Deer Hunting recently

3) we need to take the "Bambi" mentality out of our Disney imprinted brains to look at deer as legally harvestable game and not talking stuffed animals

Do I harvest a doe if she has smaller than average very well spotted fawns? Not usually, but I don't blame others who do.

Do I take does w/ average sized fawns? Every chance I get!

Unless I'm patterning or waiting for a trophy buck I've patterned, I think since I typically hunt in areas where there are liberal limits and overpopulation especially, I feel I owe it to the herd to full my freezer w/ pepper sticks, chops, and roasts.

[Mark Christianson]

I'm with Scouter on this one.

If you are one that doesnt agree with taking a doe that has fawns early, whats your criteria for the time to take a doe with fawns then?

If we all used the mentality to pass on does that have fawns(for however long during the season), we would be potentially overrun with deer in areas that already have plenty.

Bottom line, if there was a biological reason for us to NOT take a doe with fawns at any time of the season, there would be some reg of some sort to help guide us through those timeframes.

Harvest away, and enjoy the hunt.

[Stratosman]

There is no biological reason to not take them, it's all personal preference. The area where I hunt I have no problem taking a dry doe pretty much every season. But everyone hunts in different areas with different deer populations, and every hunter makes thier own decisions. I am certainly not against anyone who decides to take a doe with fawns and will congratulate anyone who does on a successful hunt. The other reason is I really like to eat the 1-1/2 year old does that did not get bred the season before. They are ultra tasty And like I stated, no shortage of them around me. I hope I get the chance tomorrow, man the weather blew this weekend!

[Mark Christianson]

Oh yea, I harvested a doe with twin buck fawns last night...

My choice, and based on scientific fact, those 2 little boys should be fine.

Seriously, it is whatever you want it to be.

If you choose to wait for a "dry" doe, then its up to the individual. I know there have been some years, where if I was strict on a "doe with no fawn" rule, I would have had no opp to fill a tag.

[Stratosman]

Awesome... well then honering my above post, Congratualtions! Now time to go after he big one?

[USPENAMC]

i like the small fawns/yearlings the ones with NO SPOTS they are tender meat and good eating.

[USPENAMC]

saturday RUM RIVER SF- nothing seen

Sunday Carlos avery- nothing seen

had a good time in the rain and enjoyed being out there still have some time

might try SE MN this weekend

[BLACKJACK]

I missed a really nice buck. I was mad...

Back to the archery butt for more practice!!!

Have you practice shot a broadhead to see if its shoots like your field points?

Clean miss?

[BLACKJACK]

Congrats AC777!!!!

My first buck 25 years ago was also a velvet buck! And it was smaller than yours...

[BLACKJACK]

Anyways, it was great to get out and listen to the woods and marsh go to bed. A flock of geese landed on the marsh, a family of raccoons came out, a kestrel landed in the tree next to me when it started to downpour, a barred owl started calling towards evening as the frogs picked up, the mallards were very content and were using the feeder chuckle out on the marsh.

There you go da chisel!!! Thats the reason I love archery hunting!! I worry about guys and their obsession with horns, just enjoy the hunt!!

[sparcebag]

Originally Posted By: da_chise31

Anyways, it was great to get out and listen to the woods and marsh go to bed. A flock of geese landed on the marsh, a family of raccoons came out, a kestrel landed in the tree next to me when it started to downpour, a barred owl started calling towards evening as the frogs picked up, the mallards were very content and were using the feeder chuckle out on the marsh.

There you go da chisel!!! Thats the reason I love archery hunting!! I worry about guys and their obsession with horns, just enjoy the hunt!!

Ya I find myself losing concentration on deer all the time! Daydreamin and watching,hearing nature.ISNT it GREAT!

[Kyle]

I sat in the rain last night, and at 6:10 I see this doe standing in the middle of this dirt field. Im wondering how the heck she got there? anyway, the wind is blowing right at her, she smells something but not sure what it is, so she comes to investigate at a trot. walks right underneath my stand(never had a deer that close)and starts smelling around. Luckily I had taken every precaution with scent elimination, and even sprayed some fox urine on my boots and at the base of the tree. She was never scared at all. she walks behind this big oak, I stand, she stops at a bush, and i notice I have a 1 1/2 foot diameter whole in the tree branches of this huge oak. She obviously wasnt in a shooting lane. she turns broadside enough, slightly quartering away at 25yds, I set the pin slightly back and let it rip. WHACK! absoulutly crushed her. Hit the opposite shoulder. Ive never seen so much blood so quickly. She barely made it 10yds and fell over dead. It was awsome, and great way to start off the season. It goes to show, that ya never really can predict deer movement, even if its raining.

I was shooting a rage three blade by the way-unbelieveable!

[Studer]

Congrats Hunter4life!!! Sounds like an exciting hunt. I cannot wait to get out myself!! Keep em coming.......

[DonBo]

Congrats to those who scored this weekend. Gonna be a long season, enjoy and be safe!

[Wanderer]

A little too cold for me to take out the mamma this early too. One more month at this age is alot. But that's just me.

Maybe I overstated my position and made it sound like I care if YOU take a doe with fawns this early - I really don't.

Good luck and enjoy the BEST time of year.

[bigbucks]

Congrats to all who scored.

Hunted a stand twice we built three years ago that I'd never hunted. It had been hunted less then 5 times by anyone. Passed on a young 8 pointer opening morning & two big fawns or small yearlings last night. Two of the three were directly below the stand, so close a shot at that point would have been impossible.

We might have to use that stand a little more...

[bottom-bouncer]

Relax its just a joke! One I choose to tell. Just like the does I choose to shoot. My choice.