Does with Fawns. What do you do?

[Jared]

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

If your pass on the doe your still adding to the herd.

 

[BadgeBunny]

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

Hmmmmm ... I dunno ... that sounds like a question for SoonerDVM ...

 

[RidgeHunter]

Shoot the doe.

Fawns will be fine. They don't have much longer until momma kicks them off anyways. If you're not shooting does with fawns, you ain't shooting does until after the rut. The vast majority have tag alongs somewhere. I've never seen a spotted fawn during hunting season. Have one on trail cam, full spots 2 weeks ago. Came by my stand Friday night, eating browse...no spots. Her momma is going in my freezer if she comes withing range. Heck, that stupid fawn came within 8 feet of me. Should have shot it.

Shoot the doe.

 

[Hondafire]

If both fawns are does, bust her. If they happen to be twin bucks, let her walk. Hopefully next year she'll drop two more bucks.

 

[SMS]

With spots I've let 'em walk. I don't need the meat that bad and there are plenty of other deer in the woods...of course like ridgerunner posted I haven't really seen that during the season. Mostly out-of-season hunting on crop depredation permits....moons ago in Maryland. That place is filthy with deer.

 

[MoBoost]

Let them walk - pair this morning, and another 40 min ago. I don't have much logic behind it, but if it was a heard I'd take the doe, when they are by themselves - I just don't have the heart.

 

[bigredokie01]

what i have done in the past is stick the doe .. teach the fawn some of lifes lessons

 

[dennishoddy]

Let them walk - pair this morning, and another 40 min ago. I don't have much logic behind it, but if it was a heard I'd take the doe, when they are by themselves - I just don't have the heart.

If they are by themselves, most likely they are a button buck that momma has run off..

 

[Deer Slayer]

I agree with Dennis. The loner is most likely a button buck. I have witnessed a young doe with her first fawn be killed by a vehicle. This doe and fawn were a part of a larger family unit which consisted of a mature doe and her twins. The 5 were always seen together. When the young doe was killed her fawn was accepted by the mature doe and raised as her own.

If the fawn was born from the first estrous cycle then the fawn will be old enough to survive on its own by August.

 

[WNM]

I got put to the test last year during rifle season. I was looking for some more meat in the freezer and out walks this fat doe. I'm thinking to myself, time to fill the doe tag.

Then the fawn walks out. I clicked off the safety put the crosshairs on her, but I couldn't do it. Big softy I guess.