How many doe whackers we have out there ?

[leavenworth5]

Especially bowhunting!  Can't eat them horns....... but they can be nice too.  Never pass an animal on the first day, that you would gladly shoot the last day....  Totally agree, if a spindly little buck walks by... shoot his girlfriend!  Neighbor's wife laughed a couple years back after I anounced my doe kill.  Her hubby had "rifled" a very nice muley.  They couldn't eat the meat, even in spaghetti!  Dogs wouldn't even eat it.  We finished our doe meat in 2 months!!!  Son (14) shot (rifle) his first deer last year, a nice doe.  His buddies ate tag soup!  All good times!

[woodswalker]

While I agree that does are tasty and fill the freezer, from a biological point of view its cutting off your nose to spite your face.  When you take a buck, there will be another one to breed the does.  When you take a doe you END the line of deer production of bucks AND does...  Think it through....how many deer does a doe give birth to over her fertile lifetime?  Lets assume for easy numbers she can give birth to 10 deer, 5 does and 5 bucks that survive to adulthood and fertility.

Over her lifetime and the lifetimes of the next 2 generations you will get 10 deer from her, which will produce, over their life - using the same numbers 50 deer, 25 does and 25 bucks...and the second generation will produce 250 deer, 125 does and 125 bucks.  hence if you take the does you cut OFF the deer production.  That one doe costs 300 deer in the out-years.

I realize that this is an oversimplification but it serves to emphasize the point that taking a doe has a tremendous impact on the overall population potential for deer.

Also understand that SOME places are overrun with deer, like the wheat fields full of WT's and that the GOAL is to reduce the year to year population growth...which IS wildlife management.  But for the rest of the populations, we are served better by sticking to bucks.

[PlateauNDN]

I will shoot at the first BIG doe that gives me a shot. I am all about the meat, just cant wait to get the kids a big fat juicy deer steak! 

I usually spend a couple of weekends trying to out of the fall to get a bull or buck but if that presents no opportunity then doe steak, burgers and ribs eat better then bulls and bucks!!!  Any meat is good meat and better than no meat!!!!  

[STIKNSTRINGBOW]

Because I really never TRY for a deer, I just shoot the first legal deer that is dumb enough to let me get close.
I shoot my deer while hunting for Elk !
Also, just to respond to

While I agree that does are tasty and fill the freezer, from a biological point of view its cutting off your nose to spite your face.  When you take a buck, there will be another one to breed the does.  When you take a doe you END the line of deer production of bucks AND does...  Think it through....how many deer does a doe give birth to over her fertile lifetime?  Lets assume for easy numbers she can give birth to 10 deer, 5 does and 5 bucks that survive to adulthood and fertility.

Over her lifetime and the lifetimes of the next 2 generations you will get 10 deer from her, which will produce, over their life - using the same numbers 50 deer, 25 does and 25 bucks...and the second generation will produce 250 deer, 125 does and 125 bucks.  hence if you take the does you cut OFF the deer production.

I realize that this is an oversimplification but it serves to emphasize the point that taking a doe has a tremendous impact on the overall population potential for deer.

Also understand that SOME places are overrun with deer, like the wheat fields full of WT's and that the GOAL is to reduce the year to year population growth...which IS wildlife management.  But for the rest of the populations, we are served better by sticking to bucks.

As you stated, that is an over simplification, and I used to think that way, but I do not feel that it has that much affect on populations.
when numbers are low, and food is plentiful, does "twin up", meaning they have twin (2) fawns.
When numbers are stable, food is normal, then a lot of them still "twin up"
In bad years, they will have one fawn, in bad winters they will even abort, nature seeks a balance in all things.
When it comes to deer, in a healthy herd, a few are going to get hit by cars, killed by predators, die from disease, etc.
harvesting a few does has no significant impact, now harvesting a lot of does, might...
But as an example, look at the Islands, lots of does killed every year, by all weapons, still a lot of deer.

[elkboy]

I muzzleload in one of the wheat-field dominated units where deer numbers are high, but buck-to-doe ratios have dropped steadily for ten years.  Between that population reality and the fact that doe meat is excellent, I usually take the first doe that strolls by without a current-year fawn in tow.  Some of my buddies poke fun at me for not shooting 'antlers only', but (for me personally) the best trophy is the one that's cooking over mesquite coals! 

[Kain]

The exponential growth of deer could get out of control quickly if does were not taken.  Food, disease, human conflicts are all things to be just as concerned about.  In some areas doe's need to be protected so that population can recover.  In a lot of areas deer populations are stable and have been for years by allowing doe's to be taken. 

If there was a 50/50 doe to buck ratio and all the doe's had two fawns the population would double.  Of course there are far more doe's than bucks, not all would survive and there are other factors involved but letting populations double within two to three years could lead to major problems.

[NWWABOWHNTR]

In early season in my elk area, it is a 3 pt minimum, so hunting buck there, however if I get a chance at a big doe before I leave for elk camp then a doe will go down.  I have the extra Whidbey Doe tag again... so gives me a chance to put meat in the freezer and still a chance at a buck with my other tag.  Of course if the 3 and 4 pt I have been watching here happens to make a mistake on opening morning of early deer.... 

[runamuk]

another thing to consider taking does who dont have fawns at their sides could be culling a non producing doe freeing up resources for a doe who is doing her part....

I know a gal who hunts montana every year with her dad and calls herself the doe slayer  she takes several every year last year she got her first buck and some does .... its all about whats available and filling the freezer..

and Kain love the demon doe and fawns 

[shanevg]

Actually it is very healthy for Healthy deer populations to remove does from the herds. Talk to biologists about it, they love that hunters are willing to take does.

Personally for me it depends on the year.  I will shoot a doe in any given year because I seem to run out of meat no matter what I do. This year with a bear down already and a Colorado deer hunt in November I may be a bit more selective than normal. But, if a doe stands broadside at 30 yards right off the road I won't be able to pass on the shot! 

[dylanb]

cant eat the horns but you cant hang the meat on the wall eather

[Jellymon]

If this was about bucks there would be pics all over the place! Come on dont be ashamed to post pics! This is my doe from last year, very tasty!! I think I am going to wait on the does until late season this year, because in the past two years I have gotten a doe on the first or second day. I like deer hunting too much to only hunt them two days a year! Now if a decent buck walks by on the first day.....

[sirfunkeybut]

i would never pass on a doe towards the end of early season. I shot a doe opening morning last year and that was a big mistake, such a long wait for the next season. plus if i tag out with a doe this season i have late season elk. And besides no matter how much i want that nice rack on the wall, antlers dont taste as good as a doe

[Antlershed]

I will shoot a doe on the first day if she is big and doesn't have fawns with her. Gotta get back to fishing 

[buckfvr]

It would have to be a baren doe, no does in the early season here, so it would have to be the late season, dec 10th thru the 15th.....I wont know til it happens..........but not as a rule.

[pianoman9701]

I'd whack a doe in the first 5 minutes to have some camp meat. Eating venison for the whole elk season? Mmmmmmmmmmmm, Yeah.