Who takes a doe with fawns

[bowtech2]

Who takes a doe with fawns? Safe hunting and good luck

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[burmjohn]

Any buck that doesn't mind some baggage.

[Paula]

Someone asked that a few weeks ago and I believe most people would do it.

Hope that was meant to be funn John, it was. Lol

[thunnus]

In Europe the etiquette is to take the fawns vs the does. I would do the same but hold out for yearlings or bucks (from bow range and a little time in the tree can determine yearlings from does and fawns).

The thought is orphaned fawns are never adopted have no idea what to eat in winter or even where to go.

May sound cruel to our sensibilities, but I'd take a fawn ahead of a doe.

I once did it the other way. Having waited till last day of bow season, she had pushed off her fawns and no buck trailing, field dressing her to see the fawn circling 10 minutes later was one of the worst feelings of my life.

Killed two deer w/ one arrow, one through the aorta and lungs, the other very cruelly.

Edited November 14, 2014 by thunnus

[landtracdeerhunter]

The mature fawns this time of year, the mother graduates to the freezer. Earlier in the season, with younger smaller fawns, mom gets a pass. We try to do our part to keep the doe buck ratio in check.

Edited November 14, 2014 by landtracdeerhunter

[Jason118]

Thunnus ~ that's a interesting concept but if you think about it a doe has pushed button bucks away from her months ago and they seem to do quite fine. The only reason (my opinion) to take a fawn instead of the mom would be to leave her to attract the bucks. Personally I don't shoot either but im not starving if I don't fill a freezer.

[Fletch]

Anyone who shoots a doe does. Most have fawns even if not in site at the moment. I will unless early season. Fawn will be fine.

[nycredneck]

thunnus that is not true, the fawns survive fine unless it's an unusually cold, deep snow winter. A  severe winter sometimes kills with or without momma doe around. The fawns will be fine and I see them getting by ok in winter near my home. 

[thunnus]

thunnus that is not true, the fawns survive fine unless it's an unusually cold, deep snow winter. A severe winter sometimes kills with or without momma doe around. The fawns will be fine and I see them getting by ok in winter near my home.

https://journals.lib.byu.edu/spc/index.php/wnan/article/viewFile/29206/27669

I tend to favor the scholarly articles by field biologists vs even my experimeces, anecdotes and hunches.

This Article from BYU includes yearlings as fawns, but to your point, button bucks, those that are "pushed off" have a >50% higher mortality rate (accounts for hunting) than their sisters, as they do not know what to forage on in the winter or where to bed/yard w/ out the doe to show them.

Spoke to a dec officer who relayed the following anecdote/observations about orphaned fawns and the cold winter. Namely he found a fair number of dead fawns on a field edge he patrols regularly in the cold winter gorged on pine needles in solo beds. In any case, didn't mean to impose my will of taking a buck (even a spike), then a yearling, then a fawn, the a doe.

Stay safe out there and enjoy the season.

Two other thoughts, most large mammals have relatively short gestation periods coupled w/ long periods of rearing - for mental/environmental development. Humans perhaps the longest and other primates.

If a deer doesn't learn what to eat, where to find it and when to find it (or even a bear) from its mother; it doesn't innately know.

The last thought: in NYS the dec recognizes the "reading" stage and only allows us to take solitary bears.

Edited November 15, 2014 by thunnus

[thunnus]

Bump

[jjb4900]

does shooting a pregnant doe in January with a visible fetus count?

[G-Man]

Always try n take the doe with twin button bucks, with no momma to kick them out they stick to her home range and you see them as 1.5 year olds,with their first horns.

[jjb4900]

Always try n take the doe with twin button bucks, with no momma to kick them out they stick to her home range and you see them as 1.5 year olds,with their first horns.

first and last set if I see em!......

[Hock3y24]

I did this year, late November, fawn was good sized and I'm pretty sure I saw it again wed right where she's always been

[Mr VJP]

Who shoots a doe with a fawn?  Any hunter that has never seen the movie "Bambi".  

 

Most fawns are fully able to survive on their own by hunting season.  Fawns that lose mother's will gravitate into a herd of deer before long.  Those deer teach it everything it needs to know as well as mom would have.

 

Young deer, of either gender, have a harder time getting through a bad winter than a healthy mature deer.  When you find dead fawns, you sometimes see their mother's with them.

 

[jjb4900]

I'm just worried that they'll never get over seeing their mother getting killed.......but, on the other hand, no parent should outlive their child. I say we shoot neither......

[Bowshotmuzzleloader]

If I have enough tags , I will take them all..

It breaks my heart to split up the family...

[jjb4900]

If I have enough tags , I will take them all..

It breaks my heart to split up the family...

that's probably the best solution.........sometimes after I shoot the Doe and I want to get it taken care of right away, I tell the fawn "don't go anywhere, I'll be right back"........they usually listen.

[ATbuckhunter]

I actually prefer to shoot the fawn before the doe. If i can ill wait till November when the fawns are not with the doe, so I don't feel guilty. 

[Culvercreek hunt club]

The last thought: in NYS the dec recognizes the "reading" stage and only allows us to take solitary bears.

But only for the very caring parental bears of the southern zone. They realize the Northern zone is filled with less than ideal parents bears and that is why they allow you to shoot them out of a group up there. They probably know they are better of on their own that to learn the poor northern zone habits.

[dbHunterNY]

a whitetail deer is a ruminant animal.  after 2 months old or so a fawn's stomach is fully developed with all four chambers which allow it to browse and graze, on plants.  by bow season (October) it's 4-5 months old depending on how soon the doe was bred last season.  by then they will sometimes nurse if the mother lets them, but have gotten what they can from their mother's milk.  they're fine.
 

that said I don't shoot fawns due to the risk of shooting a button buck which is part of your future pool of bucks.

 

[stoneam2006]

But only for the very caring parental bears of the southern zone. They realize the Northern zone is filled with less than ideal parents bears and that is why they allow you to shoot them out of a group up there. They probably know they are better of on their own that to learn the poor northern zone habits.

Side track for just a second.....you can shoot a bear out of a group in the daks?

[jjb4900]

But only for the very caring parental bears of the southern zone. They realize the Northern zone is filled with less than ideal parents bears and that is why they allow you to shoot them out of a group up there. They probably know they are better of on their own that to learn the poor northern zone habits.

and unless I'm mistaken, I believe they are born while the mother is hibernating, and then stay with her and go back into the den with her for a second time, that's why bear only produce offspring every other year....they mature much slower and require more care to make it through their first year.

[Five Seasons]

If I'm desperate I do. Otherwise I don't. No real reason, just personal preference.

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[Culvercreek hunt club]

Side track for just a second.....you can shoot a bear out of a group in the daks?

Yes