When to shoot does?

[BGR]

When is the best time to take some does from a property? Most of my buddies who practice management shoot does late in the season. My thinking is that I’m running the risk of killing bred does with buck fawns. I talked to a biologist and she said that there are so many factors involved that the fear of killing does with buck fawns is negligible.

Thoughts?

 

[Howboutthemdawgs]

When they stand still!
I like late only because I hate tracking and cleaning when it’s hot. I also like mornings cause I hate late nights messing with them. With that said I’m dealing with his now. I didn’t shoot early and now I’m trying to play catch up and it’s not easy. A mature doe is weary and it’s tough to get them in bow range this time of year.
I wouldn’t worry about buck offspring. Better than great chance that said buck will disperse long before it gets to where you would be interested in hunting him.

 

[Tree Spud]

When is the best time to take some does from a property? Most of my buddies who practice management shoot does late in the season. My thinking is that I’m running the risk of killing bred does with buck fawns. I talked to a biologist and she said that there are so many factors involved that the fear of killing does with buck fawns is negligible.

Thoughts?

She's right... don't think that you can manage the herd with selective does harvest.

 

[hillrunner]

When is the best time to take some does from a property? Most of my buddies who practice management shoot does late in the season. My thinking is that I’m running the risk of killing bred does with buck fawns. I talked to a biologist and she said that there are so many factors involved that the fear of killing does with buck fawns is negligible.

Thoughts?

I don't understand the thought process here. Maybe I'm missing something but what difference does it make if you shoot it before or after its bred? It's still 1 less doe as well as its potential fawns. An early season doe has the same potential to raise a buck fawn as a late season doe.

 

[Wind Gypsy]

For me it's late season or after I've harvested a buck (if that ever happens again..). Primarily because with small properties id rather not degrade spots by tracking/retrieving deer or educating other deer that were present at the shot prior to punching a buck tag.

 

[Barndog56]

In theory, if everyone around you shoots their does in the early season, bucks will have to travel more during the rut, or spend more time fighting over fewer does, increasing your chance of seeing a rut buck in daylight.

 

[Baker]

We try to take our does as early in the season as possible. Removes a mouth from the habitat which is a goal. Also tightens ratio making for more intense shorter duration rut which is good for everything. Practically speaking though some always get taken later including bred does. Meaningless really. There are times we target doe fawns when I still want high recruitment but also population management .

 

[H20fwler]

I'm in a low deer density area. As late in the season as possible here to help any fawns she might have with her chance of survival through winter.

Our season opens in Sept, shooting a doe with fawns then pretty much guarantees fawns will die or be eaten by yotes.
. The more maturity and survival instincts a fawn can pick up from mama the better.

 

[fishin coyote]

I’m in the boat of as soon as they stand still long enough to shoot also.
Many a year I would wait for late season and then not get the job done due to any number of reasons. I still try to hold off but every opportunity is different, some get a pass others get killed. Depends on my mood.

 

[bwoods11]

We usually wait until late season. However, the past few years we’ve tried to shoot does earlier . Late season is tough to shoot a doe as they are educated, finicky and grouped up.

We only have one doe down and it’s pushing Christmas !

 

[swat1018]

I kill every one I can whenever I can, till I've reached the freezer quota.

 

[SwampCat]

Early season - more food for the surviving deer, bucks dont waste breeding effort on a doe that is going to be killed later in season, and contributes to more intense rut if killed before rut

 

[Teeder]

Early season - more food for the surviving deer, bucks dont waste breeding effort on a doe that is going to be killed later in season, and contributes to more intense rut if killed before rut

This is where I'm at. Years ago we had biologist Dr Gary Alt give a talk at a local hall to discuss where PA was going with deer management. This was when they first implemented point restrictions 20 years ago. Anyway, he suggested killing them early for the reasons listed above. He didn't get a very good reception here, but I thought he made a ton of sense.

 

[Troubles Trees]

"When is the best time to shoot does"

You have to put that into context, do you mean best time for you to shoot does, or best time to remove does from the deer herd?

Because they are very different answers.

 

[Wind Gypsy]

The fewer does, more intense rut thing seems like a catch 22. If I only have a small property, will having fewer does possibly cycling into estrus really increase odds of the buck movement (that's beneficial to hunting) on my property vs my neighbors? I can see how that makes sense for folks with big properties.

 

[Baker]

I'm in a low deer density area. As late in the season as possible here to help any fawns she might have with her chance of survival through winter.

Our season opens in Sept, shooting a doe with fawns then pretty much guarantees fawns will die or be eaten by yotes.
. The more maturity and survival instincts a fawn can pick up from mama the better.

If your density is low and recruitment is low why remove any females at all? Or at most only remove female fawns .Takes about 2 years before females become highly successful mothers.

 

[Catscratch]

The.way I've always viewed it; lots of does during rut means dominant AND inferior bucks get to breed. Low doe numbers during rut means the dominant bucks are more likely to breed most of them while fending off the inferior bucks. So.... using this logic shooting does before the rut means all the does breed by dominant bucks will survive and have babies. Shooting does after the rut leaves open the likelihood that that not only did lessor bucks get to do a lot of the breeding but also that any does you shoot might be carrying a dominant bucks babies.

With all that said I think it's damn near impossible to impose any effect of a wild herds genetics (barring high end nutrition and epigenetics).

 

[H20fwler]

If your density is low and recruitment is low why remove any females at all? Or at most only remove female fawns .Takes about 2 years before females become highly successful mothers.

Because the road hunting neighbors shoot absolutely everything they can “if it’s brown it’s down” and we love to eat venison at our house.

When we shoot does late season we look for does without fawns or only one.
A doe fawn here is about 30 pounds of boned meat , a mature doe is easily twice that.

 

[Garrett S]

A different consideration is early to be more amply suited to shoot a buck through experience. Sounds dumb but I’ve killed hundreds of deer and flubbing a bow shot is too easy to do. It’s also great for evaluating no gear.

I also tend to go tail end late. Also to end on a high note with a bow or long range with a ML. i strive for those coming onto our ground and eating our resources and/or the big bizzatches that stand on their hind legs kangaroo punching and running others off. The LR aspect keeps the threat ID to a minimum.

 

[Angus 1895]

I would think also about carcass quality.

Early means better feed , usually better carcass. But wet does have demands that will change as the fawns are weaned.

But thumping them where you are trophy hunting early ain’t the best for “ sanctuary “
type deal to keep Bucks around for later harvest.

Final answer

shoot big dry does early on the neighbors land.