Worth shooting as a back up plan?

[HunterofWA]

NOTE I am not planning on shooting this one during early season because her fawns are way to small.

[fishnfur]

No bucks showing up at the bait?

[Elmer Fletch]

Have you considered finding a different spot for you bait? If there are no bucks, and only does with fawns, I would find new spot with some buck activity. Just my 

[Jpmiller]

I would forgoe taking a doe with a fawn only if it is a matter of conscience. Four years ago my father shot a doe with two young fawns on his place in eastern Washington opener if archery. We watched the two fawns and the next year I harvested one of the two. The other one is still around, both twin bucks with some really goofy antlers. I'm hoping to complete the trifecta in a few weeks.

[HunterofWA]

The place i hunt is only 40 acres and it's really brushy so this is really the best spot I really have for a bait pile

[fishnfur]

Pssst...  The bucks are in the brush (whispered).

[Fish4Fun]

If you take the doe, the little guys will survive more than likely. Here is the problem though, when you dump a doe with little ones. They usually won't go far and will 9 times out of 10 come back looking for mom. So, while you are cleaning and dragging her out, it is not unusual for the little guys to be hanging around. That is the main reason, we always look for a dry doe when we have anterless tags. Yeah, we have dumped a few doe's and had a little fella in the weeds and then you have to chase them off. You will feel like a turd when the yearly is standing there 50 yards away looking at you drag mom away.

[sirmissalot]

That doe will start bringing bucks around in a couple months from now. I have one camera that has a ton of does and fawns coming in. 3 sets of does with twins and one old dry doe, only a couple of dinker bucks but I know all those does will bring the bucks when its time.

[pd]

Have you considered finding a different spot for you bait? If there are no bucks, and only does with fawns, I would find new spot with some buck activity. Just my 

Respectfully, I completely disagree with this.  You have a gold mine here.  BT does will not wander far during the rut, especially with fawns around.  The bucks will come to them, just be patient.  Keep that camera up, and let's see what happens.  My prediction is the bucks will be thickest in that spot Nov. 1st through 10th.  Let us know how this works.

By the way, this doe looks a lot better than the last one.  I think the fawn is weaned, and the mother is putting on weight.  If you bought the archery tag, sure, take her.  Or, take a chance and buy the rifle tag, and take a fatter doe or a nice buck in October.  (In 564 you can take any deer.)  Using your bow in October with a rifle tag is a really good option. 

[Elmer Fletch]

Have you considered finding a different spot for you bait? If there are no bucks, and only does with fawns, I would find new spot with some buck activity. Just my 

Respectfully, I completely disagree with this.  You have a gold mine here.  BT does will not wander far during the rut, especially with fawns around.  The bucks will come to them, just be patient.  Keep that camera up, and let's see what happens.  My prediction is the bucks will be thickest in that spot Nov. 1st through 10th.  Let us know how this works.

By the way, this doe looks a lot better than the last one.  I think the fawn is weaned, and the mother is putting on weight.  If you bought the archery tag, sure, take her.  Or, take a chance and buy the rifle tag, and take a fatter doe or a nice buck in October.  (In 564 you can take any deer.)  Using your bow in October with a rifle tag is a really good option.

I completely agree with you, bucks will start showing up looking for those does  first couple of weeks of November. My impression is that he will be hunting archery seasons, and not wait until late rifle. Me and my brother have two spots with food, one is getting hit up with bachelor bucks and few does, the other one only does and fawns. You won't see bucks at my brothers spot until late october, november. My spot is a hot spot in September. In October the bucks vanish, and then they are back in November. I am talking about whitetails here. We are on 42 acres as well. So, in my opinion, 2nd camera and spot would not hurt.

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[Rainpaddle]

Let me know what you think. She still has a fawn with her but she's coming really consistently during shooting light. I want to know what your thoughts are so that if I don't get an opportunity at a buck...

And you want Disney to do a remake of Bambi?

Rob

[pd]

Have you considered finding a different spot for you bait? If there are no bucks, and only does with fawns, I would find new spot with some buck activity. Just my 

Respectfully, I completely disagree with this.  You have a gold mine here.  BT does will not wander far during the rut, especially with fawns around.  The bucks will come to them, just be patient.  Keep that camera up, and let's see what happens.  My prediction is the bucks will be thickest in that spot Nov. 1st through 10th.  Let us know how this works.

By the way, this doe looks a lot better than the last one.  I think the fawn is weaned, and the mother is putting on weight.  If you bought the archery tag, sure, take her.  Or, take a chance and buy the rifle tag, and take a fatter doe or a nice buck in October.  (In 564 you can take any deer.)  Using your bow in October with a rifle tag is a really good option.

I completely agree with you, bucks will start showing up looking for those does  first couple of weeks of November. My impression is that he will be hunting archery seasons, and not wait until late rifle. Me and my brother have two spots with food, one is getting hit up with bachelor bucks and few does, the other one only does and fawns. You won't see bucks at my brothers spot until late october, november. My spot is a hot spot in September. In October the bucks vanish, and then they are back in November. I am talking about whitetails here. We are on 42 acres as well. So, in my opinion, 2nd camera and spot would not hurt.

Understood.  I will defer to your knowledge of white-tailed deer (I know nothing about them).  The OP is in an "any deer" area for both the archery and rifle tag.  The rifle season is the 2nd Saturday to Halloween (longer than the eastside).  The rut really starts to pick up at the end of October, extending to the first week or two of November (no open season then).  This is always a difficult decision for BT hunters.  And for the OP, he has a classic dilemma.  Does he go for the "bird in the hand" (does consistently in his secret spot now) and buy a bow tag, and hunt all September, or does he gamble and buy the rifle tag, and hunt 3 weeks in October, hoping for some nice bucks. 

The OP and I have a different situation.  I have a lot of good bucks on camera, only a few does, no fawns.  I should probably hunt the bow season.  He has a lot of does with fawns on camera, no bucks.  I would suggest that he hunt the rifle season.  But this is his decision, only he can make it.

[HunterofWA]

Last year during rifle season we had 6 does coming to the apples and then we had 6 bucks show up that we had NEVER even thought existed, so I'd like to hunt the modern firearm season with a bow, but the season is so short that I think I want to just buy the archery tag and then hunt the nov 23 - the end of december

[HunterofWA]

Any way season is just a few days away so I think I need to buy my licence 

[Jpmiller]

Hope they get the system back up so you can purchase it.