Who takes a doe with fawns

[Culvercreek hunt club]

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.

You are correct. It was supposed to be a stab at humor. Guess I missed the mark

[jjb4900]

You are correct. It was supposed to be a stab at humor. Guess I missed the mark

not at all, I got your humor, but should have quoted the other guys post and not yours.

[thunnus]

Most large mammals-ok all-go through a rearing phase after weaned. Humans, elephants, apes, dolphins, whales, wolves and yes even deer.

Once we are done breastfeeding we aren't able to go out and fend for ourselves.

Same is true of deer, will try to dig up some of the scientific literature.

[wolc123]

Hunting at home, with a bow, or ML, I would target the doe first, with a center-lung shot.  Here, in the NW part of the state, the local deer population is well above optimum.   With a repeating rifle or shotgun, I would first target the shoulder blade of the doe, anchoring her on the spot, then go to the largest fawn, with a center-lung shot.  I prefer to send them to deer-heaven (our families food supply) together if I have the tags and means do so quickly and cleanly.  I average a button-buck every other year or so, and most are taken with this method, immediately or shortly after their mammas.   There are no deer that are finer eating, especially the livers, than them 6 month old bucks and does.  

 

I do hunt one area where the local deer population is a usually a little under optimum (NW Adirondacks) several times a season. Up there, during the early archery season, or ML, I would certainly look to take the fawn first, especially if it was a buck-fawn.   Usually I am in for a long, manual drag, so it is less work for me that way.  I like to leave the does around up there, as they are the key to getting chances at them big mountain bucks, one of which I was finally able to score on this past season.  

            

[wolc123]

That is an interesting article.  The part about the buck fawns hanging around after their mother is killed is spot on.   I just saw it happen again this morning.  The neighbor kid shot a big doe behind our place a couple weeks ago that had a buck fawn and a smaller doe fawn.   The buck fawn passed twice by my stand this morning, but both times out of range.   I will try again tomorrow, because they sure are good eating at that age (especially the livers).       

[NFA-ADK]

The doe I shot last year had twin buck fawns.  I have no video or camera proof but this is one of the twins I saw today.  Both where under my buddies stand today.  Again I have no proof.  I did this hoping they would not disperse.  This could be two other yearling bucks and I am completely wrong, lol.  But I am pretty sure these two boys are the twin buttons I saw last year.

[Buckmaster7600]

I won't do it. You shoot the doe and the fawn"s" walk around aimlessly, they will be out in fields 2 hrs before the other deer just reminding me that I killed their mom.


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[turkeyfeathers]

I've eaten a few dmps over the years as I  only saw does with fawns and won't shoot mama. Yes , I've heard they'll be ok , they'll get adopted by another doe , the even if you don't see the fawn(S) their still around  . Had a fawn a number of years ago crying thru the woods and bed down under my stand for a good hour. Constantly wailing away with bleats and such. I may hunt but still have a heart and felt bad for whatever happened to its mama.  Just don't want to be that guy. Shot a lone doe last year who ended up being dry   Another one that came ripping at me in a herd of a dozen or so. 

Interesting about the BB's not leaving that area. 

[DirtTime]

24 minutes ago, turkeyfeathers said:

I've eaten a few dmps over the years as I  only saw does with fawns and won't shoot mama. Yes , I've heard they'll be ok , they'll get adopted by another doe , the even if you don't see the fawn(S) their still around  . Had a fawn a number of years ago crying thru the woods and bed down under my stand for a good hour. Constantly wailing away with bleats and such. I may hunt but still have a heart and felt bad for whatever happened to its mama.  Just don't want to be that guy. Shot a lone doe last year who ended up being dry   Another one that came ripping at me in a herd of a dozen or so. 

Interesting about the BB's not leaving that area. 

I agree. I have let a couple momma's with little one pass early this bow season. Just can't bring myself to take that shot either.

A lone doe strolling by in range, will go to the processor, even though she may have a fawn out of sight. If you worry about them having fawns that you do not see, then there's no point in getting a DMP to kill a doe. It's a fine line to walk.

 

I will say, my time with the bow is getting more limited now, and as much as I don't want to be a home wrecker, I have spent too much time tuning my bow ( most of which was in my frikin' house ), sitting in the woods, letting some of the few deer I have seen pass, to keep looking at a freezer with no deer meat in it much longer. I have a heart as well, but I have a stomach, a bow, and a freezer that want a tag filled. 

Edited November 6, 2016 by ....rob

[Jim Droz]

My outlook has changed regarding doe harvest. A doe with fawns gets a free pass from me. The point was driven home again a couple weeks ago while my daughter was sitting with me and whispering as loud as she could "don't you dare shoot her, she has babies"!! I have zero issue with someone else taking a doe with fawns, it's simply my personal presence. I'm all for harvesting doe .. Just prefer to harvest when i believe the doe is solo .. 

[Chef]

I will take a doe with fawns as long as the fawn has no spots. I feel like that is the sign that the fawn is old enough to survive on their own....... heck a dead mamma is the best bait to shoot the fawn too... a few years back we were dressing out mamma, fawn kept coming back to check on her... I started to feel bad for the little bugger that he would have to survive without mom. Thought about the other dmp I had in my pocket and popped his ass too


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[Elmo]

8 minutes ago, chefhunter86 said:

I will take a doe with fawns as long as the fawn has no spots. I feel like that is the sign that the fawn is old enough to survive on their own.......

Same here.

[wolc123]

I have never seen a fawn with spots during hunting season.  A friend did take an un-spotted doe-fawn on our farm many years ago that probably would have fit in the game pouch on my upland game jacket.  I helped him butcher it and the meat quantity was pitiful (probably very tastey though).  We used my mother's hand grinder, and my arm didn't even get tired.  

[Culvercreek hunt club]

I don't get the emotion against taking them. They will survive. Thanks to Walt Disney there is too much human feelings imparted to the animals on our part. I ask the ones that feel it would be cruel to the mother or the fawn, how many of you have showed up 8 weeks after a litters birth and walked out with one of the puppies?If there is "emotion" on eithers part, how would that be different? 

[Chef]

I have never seen a fawn with spots during hunting season.  A friend did take an un-spotted doe-fawn on our farm many years ago that probably would have fit in the game pouch on my upland game jacket.  I helped him butcher it and the meat quantity was pitiful (probably very tastey though).  We used my mother's hand grinder, and my arm didn't even get tired.  

Such a waste grinding any of that it was probably all so tender.... I would love to shoot a fawn October 1


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[Doc]

On ‎11‎/‎6‎/‎2016 at 8:50 PM, chefhunter86 said:

I will take a doe with fawns as long as the fawn has no spots. I feel like that is the sign that the fawn is old enough to survive on their own....... heck a dead mamma is the best bait to shoot the fawn too... a few years back we were dressing out mamma, fawn kept coming back to check on her... I started to feel bad for the little bugger that he would have to survive without mom. Thought about the other dmp I had in my pocket and popped his ass too


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I was always taught to "pick a spot" when aiming at a deer. Mother nature made that rule easy to follow with fawns.

[NFA-ADK]

One of the main reason I did not shoot doe for years was I always thought they where the best bait for bucks!   I really do not like to kill fawns as the meat provided is minimal.  One reason I started to target doe was population control and I only do that on LI or area with an abundance of doe.

Because our winters on LI are so mild most fawns will survive unless the snow gets deep for an extended period like we had last year.  Besides predation snow I believe is the biggest killer of fawns.  When it gets past their belly they struggle to keep up with mom and can get stuck in drifts causing death. 

Fawns have a 50% chance at surviving their first year IMO.  So I have no issues with others taking a fawn.   If it's a really bad winter they probably would not make it anyway, IMHO.   

Like stated before if the moma doe is taken I believe the fawns will connect with other deer and be able to survive if the snow does not get them.  And I agree that by the time bow season starts most fawns are a few months old and are capable of surviving without mom.  And TV along with movies has corrupted our minds into believing we are destroying a family.  Sometimes you have to be a stone cold killer to hunt and part of hunting is population control.  We are told it is our obligation to do this or they will keep using snipers like the 1000+ deer killed this past week by them on Long Island!

Your choice, snipers controlling the population, or hunters!!!

[WNYBuckHunter]

I'll shoot the doe, then shoot the fawn that's with her if I have the chance and tag and it's not a button buck. 

[ApexerER]

I will not knowingly shoot a doe with a fawn. My Dad shot a doe along time ago. He thought it was all alone but after the shot saw the fawn. The fawn literally walked over and was hitting the mom with its nose trying to make her get up. Then started bleating her head off and wouldn't leave. When my dad went over to the doe the fawn kept coming in bleating like crazy and crying its head off, literally walking right up to my father. My dad was yelling at it to try to get it to go away. He said he felt so bad that he seriously thought about shooting it to put it out of its misery even though he didn't have another tag. The fawn followed him all the way back to camp crying. While he was dragging momma. I wasn't there, but it is a story I will never forget. I think that is the biggest reason my Dad won't hunt anymore. I always feel some guilt after the kill. If I went through that I think I would feel like a POS. I am a hunter but I also love animals. That is not something I want to experience.

[Culvercreek hunt club]

9 minutes ago, ApexerER said:

I will not knowingly shoot a doe with a fawn. My Dad shot a doe along time ago. He thought it was all alone but after the shot saw the fawn. The fawn literally walked over and was hitting the mom with its nose trying to make her get up. Then started bleating her head off and wouldn't leave. When my dad went over to the doe the fawn kept coming in bleating like crazy and crying its head off, literally walking right up to my father. My dad was yelling at it to try to get it to go away. He said he felt so bad that he seriously thought about shooting it to put it out of its misery even though he didn't have another tag. The fawn followed him all the way back to camp crying. While he was dragging momma. I wasn't there, but it is a story I will never forget. I think that is the biggest reason my Dad won't hunt anymore. I always feel some guilt after the kill. If I went through that I think I would feel like a POS. I am a hunter but I also love animals. That is not something I want to experience.

I respect your decision but It's the Walt Disney syndrome again. 

[ApexerER]

6 minutes ago, Culvercreek hunt club said:

I respect your decision but It's the Walt Disney syndrome again. 

I respect everyone's decision as a hunter. As long as it is legal I am ok with it. But, you wouldn't feel guilty if you shot a doe and the fawn was crying its head off and followed you the whole time you were dragging it crying. I don't think that's Disney syndrome...I think its human.

[The_Field_Ager]

As we see in politics, just cause its legal, don't make it  ethical . And I agree, having a heart and empathy has nothing to do with the 7 dwarfs 

Edited November 8, 2016 by Papist

[Culvercreek hunt club]

7 minutes ago, ApexerER said:

I respect everyone's decision as a hunter. As long as it is legal I am ok with it. But, you wouldn't feel guilty if you shot a doe and the fawn was crying its head off and followed you the whole time you were dragging it crying. I don't think that's Disney syndrome...I think its human.

I've had it happen. Had twin button bucks stand and watch me gut the doe I shot with the bow. It's bleating. it isn't crying. There are no tears associated.  Ever pick up a puppy at 8 weeks and take it home from it's mother? Same "emotion". Not say anything bad about you or anyone that feels this way. Just trying to point out that it is imprinting human emotion onto an animal. 

[WNYBuckHunter]

Think about it guys, that fawn is a few weeks from getting the boot from its mother so she can go get her freak on with Tommy Tall Tines anyhow. They are pushed away this time of year and just join back up with the herd. 

[stubby68]

16 minutes ago, ApexerER said:

I respect everyone's decision as a hunter. As long as it is legal I am ok with it. But, you wouldn't feel guilty if you shot a doe and the fawn was crying its head off and followed you the whole time you were dragging it crying. I don't think that's Disney syndrome...I think its human.

            I have had that happen and no didn't  feel guilty. They are a food source  nothing more. I have no problem with killing when I  start to feel guilty about it I will put up my guns and stop hunting. I couldn't hunt if I felt bad for doing it.

               Not a knock at you or anyone who does feel that about it. It is a personal thing and I personally have no problem with killing. The little one will get over it. Like Culver said nobody has a problem taking a puppy from it's  momma at a few weeks old.