Would you shoot a doe?

[P8riot]

I have been devastatingly disappointed in the lack of deer sightings at my new property. Now, I haven't sat anywhere on my property and I have no trails cams set up yet. But my neighbor said the doe population is way down and he hasn't seen any good bucks (that he disclosed!). I have no deer meat and I was hoping to get atleast a doe come Saturday. I would almost feel guilty taking a doe at this point though with the low population.

I don't even need a license with the landowner exemption, but now I can't even enjoy it!

Would you try for a doe or give them a pass until next year?

 

[Hedgelj]

I have been devastatingly disappointed in the lack of deer sightings at my new property. Now, I haven't sat anywhere on my property and I have no trails cams set up yet. But my neighbor said the doe population is way down and he hasn't seen any good bucks (that he disclosed!). I have no deer meat and I was hoping to get atleast a doe come Saturday. I would almost feel guilty taking a doe at this point though with the low population.

I don't even need a license with the landowner exemption, but now I can't even enjoy it!

Would you try for a doe or give them a pass until next year?

as @Jackalope has stated "every buck falls out of a doe"

So taking a doe your dropping next years numbers by 2-3.

My suggestion is to take a button buck instead.

 

[Bigcountry40]

as @Jackalope has stated "every buck falls out of a doe"

So taking a doe your dropping next years numbers by 2-3.

My suggestion is to take a button buck instead.

This,

 

[Curran]

Yeah, as hard as it may be, if the population is already hurting then I wouldn’t do more damage (and I love shooting does). Laying off the does for a season or two can really make a positive difference.

 

[P8riot]

That was my feeling. My neighbor also told me there is a couple hundred acre lease and Florida jackasses come up and destroy the does. I will be responsible and manage what is left for us.

 

[Outdoorsfellar]

With already taking a buck, I've been goofing off & waiting until the middle of November to take one, so next week it is.

 

[triple_duece]

If your numbers are down, I wouldn’t shoot a doe. Rather not shoot a button buck as it don’t yield enough, to me that’s not getting what it’s worth. I’d shoot a spike, unless it counts as your buck tag.
If it’s true about the guys in Florida I’d either lease it or find someone that would lease and manage it better.

 

[5Cent]

 

[Left field]

Yeah as much as it sucks shoot a PA. doe , maybe plat natural food plot next year

 

[Jackalope]

Couple thoughts.

If you didn't participate in the decline, then not participating isn't going to increase their numbers. You weren't the problem. It's a bigger problem and you'll have to get your neighbors on board with not believing everything the DOW tells them they're allowed to shoot in your area. Good luck with that.

Concentrate on security, shelter and food. Create thick areas that you stay out of where deer feel safe, provide some type of food, plots, fertilize acorns, plant fruit trees etc. Snare the crap out of coyotes this winter in January, February and March.

The logic behind shooting a button buck is actually pretty sound. Tracking studies show that does don't stray far from where they were born. Button bucks on the other hand end up miles away by the time they're a year old. It's natures way to prevent inbreeding. So if you shoot a BB it's not really your future buck, it just screws some guy a few miles down the road.

 

[bowhunter1023]

Another vote for a BB. That's someone else's Booner and is of minimal impact to rebounding the #s in your area. Plus, they're made of meat and taste good, so it's a win-win. #buttonbucksarepussies

 

[P8riot]

There is a TON of brush piles with tree tops. It was timbered of all the big old oak trees a couple years ago. The edge of the woods is littered with the tops.

I plan on rough cutting the back portion of my property. My neighbor said that was all clover, so it should grow back if I cut it low enough so it doesn't get choked out.

 

[P8riot]

Well now...found a nice scrape out there. Could be hope yet!!

 

[LonewolfNopack]

I only shoot does when I am made to by the landowner. If I didn't have to shoot a doe and wasn't seeing many, I definitely wouldn't be shooting one.

 

[Hortontoter]

I hope my profile banner answer your question for you. At this stage of life I refuse to kill does. I did when I was younger, but not any more. If I ran the show at the ODNR I'd implement a couple new rules. First no hunting over bait and second does can not be taken after Oct. 20th. Once the does become pregnant every one that is killed reduce the herd by 2-3 deer, the doe and 1 or 2 fawns she is carrying. A bit radical, but everyone like yourself, wants to see deer while hunting.

 

[triple_duece]

I hope my profile banner answer your question for you. At this stage of life I refuse to kill does. I did when I was younger, but not any more. If I ran the show at the ODNR I'd implement a couple new rules. First no hunting over bait and second does can not be taken after Oct. 20th. Once the does become pregnant every one that is killed reduce the herd by 2-3 deer, the doe and 1 or 2 fawns she is carrying. A bit radical, but everyone like yourself, wants to see deer while hunting.

I understand what your saying but a natural balance is best, it’s what God created. Numbers ebb and flow, plenty sometimes a few in some years. It’s a cycle.

You mention about killing a pregnant doe, well all will be pregnant at some point so I don’t see the “when” being an issue.

We as stewards of the property we hunt, should do the right thing to sustain a healthy population. Only those people hunting the property can truly know what needs to happen. Don’t listen to a biologist who surveys your woods from the truck. They all say kill numbers cause that makes the owner happy. You will find yourself wondering where all the deer went. This happens in every state. Remember one thing if you listen to my crap at all “YOUR NEIGHBORS HAVE THE BIGGEST INFLUENCE ON YOUR PROPERTY”!

 

[Big_Holla]

We had trouble years ago with very low deer numbers, over hunting and EHD way back then. We would see the same 4 does on our 170+ acres and that would be it. Simply put we were not going to contribute to the deer slaughter just because the ODNR said we can kill 3 - each hunter. Fast forward it was over 10 years before I felt comfortable shooting a doe again and once I did it has been the last one I've shot on our place since. I gave a couple buddies the opportunities the last couple years as well as my daughter's EX boyfriend last year (he shot 2 - greedy bastard ). Each and every year you need to analyze your local deer herd and make decisions on whether you will or will not kill does. If not then make it a sanctuary for outlying does to move to and hopefully take up residence. If I felt I needed to kill something for the freezer I would look at the buck population, including button bucks, and choose something from there. Yeah I know it goes against the idea of let em go, let em grow but the impact is much less severe than no deer residing on the property.

 

[Johnny44]

You said you haven't sat on the property yet and have no trail cams... Are you basing this solely off of your neighbor?

 

[P8riot]

You said you haven't sat on the property yet and have no trail cams... Are you basing this solely off of your neighbor?

To some extent yes. I was leery because I hadn't seen many in my limited looking. I have been crazy busy with the house. In a month's time I have seen less than a dozen. I have a good view of the smaller field from my house. But then again that scrape I can't see from my house. My neighbor said they would walk along the edge of the ridge and then out into the field. The edge of that ridge is 100 feet from my driveway that I walk atleast 6 times a day to my shop getting tools. This house sat empty for 3 years. They had a pattern and me moving in changed it. With the new unknown activity to them, I'll bet they are just staying clear until they get comfortable with the new activity.

 

[Tipmoose]

From what you posted, you really have no idea what the herd composition is. You have no cams out and you haven't even sat the property.

I'd just shoot whatever I needed for my freezer and be done with it. Trying to manage small acreage is pretty much a waste of time and effort. Whatever you let walk, someone else will shoot.