Shooting does

[covert]

Hopefully without this turning into anything heated,    is there anyone who doesn't shoot does?  Why or why not?

I am just curious because I was brought up in a "You don't shoot does because if you do there won't be any more bucks" household.  I have read and seen enough at this point I know that (shooting does) isn't the only part of the population equation.  The last couple years I have considered taking a doe during MZ season if I hadn't gotten a buck but then I either had a buck and didn't need to, or I had a shot but just couldn't bring myself to do it.  I guess old habits die hard. 

I was on vacation this past week and I saw 20 antlerless deer the whole week but not a single buck and I got to thinking that when money is tight it is sort of stupid to let "free" meat walk by.  Most of them didn't end up within bow range (range that I am comfortable shooting anyway) but they were all well within rifle/MZ range.  This may be the year, we'll see I guess.

[bubba]

where we hunt, we try to limit the numbe rof does taken.  However when we hunted state land, and it was legal, we shot does regularly. Our thought was if we didnt the next guy in there would.  The ratio of bucks to does should also be a determining factor. If you saw 20 does in a week I would say that there is a high doe ratio and shooting soe of them would actually help. I saw 10 does this past week, none of which were in range.  If onehad been, I would not have hesitaited.

[132 eight pointer]

A friend of mine doesn't shoot doe.I will if it is old enough.I enjoy venison while my friend wants a  trophy. Around Rochester I feel a few less doe are a few less I will see splattered on the side of the road.Up in the big woods of the Northern zone may be a different story.

[WNYBuckHunter]

I shoot as many does as I can, theres no shortage around here! 

[TH41]

It helps out the whole herd,we have to take does on our properties. Its made a difference over the past several seasons.

[Doc]

Our local deer population is large enough to warrant doe harvests. I have no problem with that. Depending on your confidence in the DEC, you might assume that if permits are available, the herd locally must need some decrease in numbers. I generally use a blend of what the DEC is saying and what I am actually seeing in order to determine whether I want to fill my antlerless tags or not. That decision has not always been the same from one year to the next. What really doesn't make sense is for people to complain about deer scarcity and then try to max out their antlerless tags. The opposite is also true. It's pretty silly to complain about a perceived over-population situation and then refuse to shoot does.

Doc

[fasteddie]

I have seen plenty of doe during the summer months . The only deer I have had within shooting distance so far this season are doe fawns . I will pass them up all the time . I want the deer for their meat , not niblets !

[Pygmy]

I never ate a doe I didn't like.... ....

I have gone through different phases in my hunting career...

At first it was important to take a DEER...

Then it was important to take a BUCK...

Then it was important to take a TROPHY BUCK...

Now I am at a point in my life where I have trophies and no place to display them..

From here on, I intend to hunt deer for the sheer joy of hunting, and hopefully kill a couple a year for the freezer, be they does, small bucks or whatever..

I'm not saying I would pass up a big buck if he walked by, but I don't intend to pass up a small buck ( as I have done many times in the past) waiting for a big one...

Does are fine with me ......  If a buck comes by, that's just fine too...

[Doewhacker]

Of course I do...hence the name. haha..so far this year I am Doemisser. But we have lots of them where we are.

[Fantail]

Generaly speaking, I would prefer two does over an average buck - anyday.

[nyantler]

If you have a doe tag use it!.. if nothing else donate it to the venison drive to feed the hungry.

[Mr VJP]

Shooting does is part of managing the deer herd and I take them when I can.  I find the venison to be good eating too!

I'd actually rather take a big old doe than a 1 1/2 year old fork horn buck.

[fasteddie]

Shooting does is part of managing the deer herd and I take them when I can.  I find the venison to be good eating too!

I'd actually rather take a big old doe than a 1 1/2 year old fork horn buck.

Ditto ! Shoot those does .

[outdoorstom]

We don't hesitate to shoot does here....they're so tasty!

[bushnell]

I shoot does. I need to put atleast 1 deer in the freezer for my wife and I.

[heatmizzer]

I also was from the era of if you shoot a doe you just killed next years buck. I now understand this is crazy. But what I dont understand is in my area I could not get a second doe permit. but the farmers that border me on two sides have over 100 permits to kill "does" with rifles. And let me tell you I have found several deer just gut shot on my property. I have been in the woods for over a week and I have not seen near the deer I usually see. I have trail cams out and the number of doe pics are way down. I dont understand why the sportsmen are not allowed to harvest a 2nd doe, but the farmer can almost eliminate them. I understand the crop damage thing. In my area I just dont see the ammount of deer that would warrant that many permits. And I dont know the exact number of permits given to each farmer. but I have talked to several of the "hunters" using them and thats the number they gave me.