Post by: Gobble Doc on November 23, 2013, 05:23:19 PM
Post by: BOWHUNTER45 on November 23, 2013, 05:26:53 PM
Post by: Gobble Doc on November 23, 2013, 05:30:18 PM
Post by: BOWHUNTER45 on November 23, 2013, 05:55:04 PM
Post by: Bigtine96 on November 23, 2013, 06:19:04 PM
Post by: DBHAWTHORNE on November 23, 2013, 06:30:10 PM
Post by: pendoreilleadventures on November 23, 2013, 08:25:19 PM
If I don't have a buck I want by the end of the season then I always take a doe..preferably one without a fawn.. But ultimately meat is going in the freezer.. One way or another
Exactly
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Post by: BlacktailBowhunter on November 25, 2013, 08:31:55 PM
My wife had the same concern if a doe with young ones showed up, so I did some research and found that after something like 10 weeks they can survive without their mother.
Here is the verbage and article link:
http://www.portal.state.pa.us/portal/server.pt?open=514&objID=585094&mode=2 (http://www.portal.state.pa.us/portal/server.pt?open=514&objID=585094&mode=2)
At what age can a fawn live on its own? If an archer harvests a doe, and the doe is with a fawn, what are the chances of the fawn living on its own? Would another doe take it under its wing, ever?
Fawns are functionally weaned by the time they are 10 weeks old. They will still nurse if allowed up until they are 5 or 6 months old. However, this is not necessary for their survival. After 10 weeks of age, fawns are perfectly capable of obtaining food on their own by grazing and browsing. Deer do learn feeding behavior so the longer a doe and fawn are together, the more the fawn learns. By the time archery season rolls around, fawns are self sufficient and they remain with their mother for purely social reasons. Orphaned fawns are rarely adopted but there is no need of this in the fall anyway.
Post by: The scout on November 25, 2013, 08:59:43 PM
Post by: Jonathan_S on November 25, 2013, 09:04:32 PM
"Fawns" this time of year are not fawns. They're just young deer and a lot of them reach sexual maturity around this time I believe.
Post by: Gobble Doc on November 25, 2013, 09:39:04 PM
I had an interesting next morning after I decided to pass on the doe.
I arrived on Sunday morning really early and positioned myself in the same spot. Watched the sun come up over the mountains at about 15 degrees out. First thing I saw was a yote but it was at about 60 yards and just watched me. After another 30 minutes another doe started down the hill. Cool. It was alone this time so in my mind it was game on. Over the next 30 minutes the doe closed into about 50 yard and was on a good trajectory in my direction. I sat and waited. Next thing I hear is the snap of a twig over my right shoulder. Hmmm? I turn slowly around and there is a big buck! I don't know if it was 3 or 4 points on each side as I was too excited to count. Buck was at 20 yards max. How in the heck was I going to turn around to take a shot? Anxiety was setting in. I knew that RadSav could pull off a ninja shot but not me. As I sat still the buck started to walk forward and my only hope was that he was going behind a small scrub pine with his head down. His head disappeared and so I drew back. Next problem was that his head never emerged from behind the bush as he stopped walking forward. Eventually the buck snorted and turned around and dodged back to about 30 yards. I went ahead and took the shot but my arrow hit a twig. Buck gone. I figured 2 possible shots in 2 days for my first deer outing wasn't too bad. I am replaying the missed buck opportunity over and over in my mind. I think I should maybe have just sat still longer but then I think he would have seen my anyway. Who knows. More off season archery practice is going to happen.
Post by: BlacktailBowhunter on November 25, 2013, 09:46:31 PM