Taking a doe (w/fawn) or cow (w/calf)?

[Little Fish]

During early elk season I had an opportunity to take a doe, but realized at the last minute she had a young fawn with her (this year's fawn). I didn't take the shot, but am curious to know what would have happened to that fawn had I taken her mother. Would a very young fawn or calf elk be able to survive if it lost its mother? It seems like a calf might be able to because they can just hang with the herd and are feeding on plants by September, but am not sure about a fawn. Does anyone know?

[lokidog]

I think a lot of it depends on the number of predators and the available food supply.  Fawns might try to sneak a drink yet this time of year but, here, even our late fawn in the backyard which still has spots, is not drinking off mom and eats grass/plants and apples.

I do think you are right that a calf elk would more likely survive due to it being part of a herd.

I might pass on a doe during early season with a fawn but would not pass on a cow with a calf, or even the calf given a good opportunity for a clean shot.  I would take the same doe during late season though if it was a matter of filling the freezer.   

[npaull]

I hunt with my longbow for meat. They are all trophies with a longbow. I shoot the first legal animal that presents a shot. This years offspring are fully capable of taking care of themselves - indeed, they are generally chased off during the rut.

[the1rod]

some friends of mine were hunting early archery elk and came across a cow who had been shot and not recovered. she look like she had been there a couple days and she had a calf who hadn't left her side. they next day they went back and the calf still hadn't left so they notched a tag on it thinking that it would not live. now if the mother had been recovered and was not around there is no way to know what the calf would have done. with this in mind i would probably pass on a cow with a calf or a doe with a fawn, especially since i rifle hunt and usually could find a solo doe or cow to fill the freezer. 

[hoyt5199]

I would at least wait until the young were a year old, I just a doe last year in michigan and she still had milk, the young still need the mother to survive until, the mom will usually leave the youngs after a while

[Ray]

I have passed on a lot of does with fawns. I think it's the right thing to do most of the time and have eaten tags over the decision several times. Including last year. Let em grow. I might take a cow which travels with an elk calf though. I believe they are more likely to survive among the herd. Just my take on it.

[elkoholic]

The cow I shot this archery season had a calf.. we diddnt see the calf when I shot. we walked up on them and watched them for about 20 minutes before they feed close enough for me to take the shot. they were  out in the open the whole time...I shot her and packed her out(still no calf to be seen) went back in the next morning to check the pile for bears yotes or whatever and threw a cow call and a calf comes running in, we were about 200 yards from the gut pile still. Not  sure it was her calf or not but I think it was....

[Bob33]

Calves can survive without a mother, although they are more prone to predation with a mother's protection.  I would guess that calf loss is considered when setting seasons and limits.  In other words, there is an assumption that some calves will also be lost.  Is that necessarily a bad thing if there is a surplus of animals?

[boneaddict]

I just don't take cows or does.   I want a herd thats multiplying, so you leave the females alone.  I'm not hungry though.   I'm not passing any judgements by the way, just saying I never take them.   Lots of talk about buck to doe ratios and things.  I'll worry about that when the population has peeked, which I don't see happening in the near future. 

[elkoholic]

We did see a bear less than 1/4 mile away from my gutpile also.. my brother shot the calf after it went away and came back to our calls twice. We figured something was going to get it if we diddnt shoot it anyways...

[jackelope]

I've passed any does I could have shot if they had fawns with them. This includes back east where I could have shot a couple does a year. I just don't feel like I need the meat that bad.

[patton1]

I'm with you jackelope. I've shot plenty of does in my life but never one with a fawn.  I'm not against it, I just can't bring myself to kill momma with baby hanging around.  I guess I'm just a big softy.  

[Little Fish]

Thanks for all the input....maybe I'm a little too soft as well.

[Gutpile]

When I have a doe tag I shoot the biggest slick head in the bunch with or without a fawn. Same thing with my daughter. She knows to just shoot the biggest one. The fawns will be fine they get kicked out in a month anyways. I don't know anything about Elk but would assume the same.

[D-Rock425]

Two years ago I shot a cow with a calf I didn't know the calf was there.  When we found the cow the calf (still with spots) was laying next to its dead mother.  It seemed kinda sad at the time.  3 days later the calf was dead about 100 yards away from what was left of its dead mothers guts.  Something had gotten the calf and eaten half of it.