Does with Fawns. What do you do?

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What do you do?


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dennishoddy

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Well, here is my story about early does.
The fawns will survive.
My problem with shooting an early doe, and sometimes even into MZ season is that the fawns do not know fear of humans.(private ground)

When you shoot the doe, its kind of disheartning when the fawns stand about 40 yards away bleating......

That being said, the herd needs to be managed, and I'll run at the fawns to teach them fear. They usually don't come back. If they do, run them off again.
 

BadgeBunny

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Well, here is my story about early does.
The fawns will survive.
My problem with shooting an early doe, and sometimes even into MZ season is that the fawns do not know fear of humans.(private ground)

When you shoot the doe, its kind of disheartning when the fawns stand about 40 yards away bleating......

That being said, the herd needs to be managed, and I'll run at the fawns to teach them fear. They usually don't come back. If they do, run them off again.

Dennis ... you have a heart!! Who knew?? ;)

I am with you. No spots on baby Bambi, momma is fair game.
 

Shadowrider

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I had a book once on deer written by a biologist.
He said that often other does will adopt and nurse another's fawn if it's in distress.

So I'd shoot the doe too if the herd needs to be thinned. And if that's the case I might shoot the fawn too. :rubhands:
 

ignerntbend

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A guy I know, took nothing but spotted fawns to make a leather jacked for his young son.......Nice looking jacket, but......

It could just be sentimentality, but I've always seen the spots as a sign that the critter isn't viable. Does will be kicking their yearlings off in just a few weeks when the rut takes hold, so this IS weaning time, but...
 

Schuster

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I've passed hundreds of does in the past few years because they had fawns with them. Most of the time I will let them walk, but if I am needing meat and I see that the does look and act old enough to fend for themselves, then meat it is. So far it hasn't come to that where I hunt. I always have plenty of does around.
 

sesh

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Now this is totally hearsay as I cannot remember who told me or where I read it but somewhere along the line I heard that if the fawn is old enough, shooting the doe will cause the fawn to go into estrous in the late part of the rut and can be bred. If that is indeed true, then by shooting the doe you are adding two extra fawns to the herd and/or possibly getting a crack at a nice late rut buck. Reading it, it sounds a little unlikely but I did throw in a nice disclaimer to start the post:)
 

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