STOP KILLING THE BABY MAKERS

[NOCK NOCK]

My intention in this thread is to get folks to really think about others points of view, not just their own.

How many of you have been out in the field and seen does without fawns? Guessing everyone. I personally see more without than with. How come?
Many factors to fawn recruitment/survival…..one of them being not enough bucks to service all the does. We kill to many bucks with all of our modern equipment.
Do we stop all hunting to save the herds?

Will the natives and poachers follow suit?

[KFhunter]

Fawns are tough to see in fields, I know as I've run em over with haying equipment.  I hope your not looking at does in tbe fields during summer months and tbinking their barren 

All tbe does get covered by bucks, when the buck to doe ratio is way akimbo does and cows might get a 2nd estrus, the problem with this is it spreads out the fawn or calf drop, which in turns lengthens the vulnerable duration and ends up with more eaten by predators, there is safty in numbers

Also, older prime bucks and bulls are far more efficient at breeding, their fawn and calves survive better cause they drop together, so this lends a sound argument for 4 pt min restrictions. 

[boneaddict]

Good list to start with nock.

Yeah, most does without fawns now I think you can thank a local coyote or bear for.  I see about as many old barren doe as I do old gnarly mossbacks

[fishngamereaper]

If we are having an honest discussion about herd health and sound management then we need to look at the totality. I think the focus and attacks on antlerelss harvest got a little out of hand and definitely got me fired up. I don't like seeing people attacked for legal harvest.... anyway
.

 As far as management goes ..Is it a piece of the puzzle. Yes. And I'm pretty sure I haven't condoned killing antlerelss in area's with poor herd health. But there is a time and place and it's totally acceptable in my book.

Many mention herd numbers. Are you guys burning your general tag to. Saving a deer is saving a deer is it not.
Would you guys be willing to give up multi season.
Second deer.
Go to Mule deer draw only.
Or better yet pick your flavor ..BT, WT or Muley.... Or follow the elk model. East or west.
All of these would have huge impacts on herd health.
Are we all in....or just picking and choosing. 

[KFhunter]

I'll admit, I've dropped a few bombs to get conversation going, and taken a beat down for it! 

"COVID is exploding testicles!"

Oh ya, that was a gooder!

[kramman]

Wow this thread seems to have touched a nerve with a lot of folks on here. It's to bad we as a community can not be happy for someone, anyone who harvests a game animal legally. Calling them non sportsman is keen to calling them poachers, which in my thinking and belief is a lager threat to the deer population then hunters taking does. Sad day it is that someone is not willing to post a game animal legally taken on a HUNTING website. My 2 cents and if you dis like me or want to ignore me for my opinion tells me all I need to know about you.

[Onewhohikes]

Wow that last statement was kind of a jab also.

[kramman]

Yea it was.

[boneaddict]

Are you guys burning your general tag to.

6 years now, but I hurt peoples feelings asking them not to shoot a doe     I'll let you craft that roll out.   

[Skyvalhunter]

I think Bone hot tired of climbing in the cliffs to shoot and pack out the big boys so now he shoots them with a camera.

[NOCK NOCK]

Fawns are tough to see in fields, I know as I've run em over with haying equipment.  I hope your not looking at does in tbe fields during summer months and tbinking their barren 

All tbe does get covered by bucks, when the buck to doe ratio is way akimbo does and cows might get a 2nd estrus, the problem with this is it spreads out the fawn or calf drop, which in turns lengthens the vulnerable duration and ends up with more eaten by predators, there is safty in numbers

Also, older prime bucks and bulls are far more efficient at breeding, their fawn and calves survive better cause they drop together, so this lends a sound argument for 4 pt min restrictions.

Been around the woods for close to 50 years, I know a thing or 2 about deer/fawns.

Throwing out a blanket statement of all the does get covered is simply not true.
If it was true we would not be in near the predicament we are today in population numbers, safety in numbers as you pointed out.

Yes more mature bucks and bulls are better at breeding, but those are the ones everybody shoots.

I asked this already why not put restrictions on the amount of bucks to get taken?

Some does will not let an inferior buck breed them it’s not good for the species……… kind of like me when I was younger only certain pretty ones would work 

[KFhunter]

You think hot does don't get attention due to lack of bucks?

[boneaddict]

I asked this already why not put restrictions on the amount of bucks to get taken?

So funny story.  I’m pretty sure it was Bobcat that I used to go round and round about this with. Whoever it was thought we better go to draw only for mule deer.   I pushed back seriously because I didn’t want to give up my hunting every year, especially so some westsiders could come hunt my hometown.    I did quite well, and didn’t want my opportunity cut, and hunting was tradition and a way of life for me.     As posted before, I have self cut for 6 years, so what would be the difference.  Anyhow, I probably can relate to some guy coming on here saying what I have about this. 

I defended antler restrictions, that’s a whole other debate.

Draw only is closer than you might think.  It doesn’t help that many of us are pointed out and sick of it.

[GWP]

Fawns are tough to see in fields, I know as I've run em over with haying equipment.

Ahhh yes! Shades of working on a farm in Montana! Nearly every year we would get fresh deer during hay season.

[Pac_NW]

Are you guys burning your general tag to.

6 years now, but I hurt peoples feelings asking them not to shoot a doe     I'll let you craft that roll out.

imo burning a general tag only lowers the % of deer taken in the state that the WDFW uses to estimate numbers. If that occurs than the state will issue more tags and assume more deer are out there than actually are.