Killing Does Before or After Rut?

[UTGrad]

This topic may have been discussed ad nauseum on here but if so, I missed it.

Is it preferable to hold off on harvesting does before the rut so they can go into estrous and bring in the bucks? Or on the flip side will taking a couple does before the rut enhance visible rutting behavior. I have heard it both ways and I am sure the buck to doe ratio is a factor.

What is optimum for a high doe density property and what about a property with a more balanced herd?

 

[tellico4x4]

We try to take ours as early as possible. Size difference is greatest earlier in season so less likely to shoot buttons; less shooting during rut & once gun season opens, does at our place are off limits on plots as well.

 

[SinningSaint33]

This topic may have been discussed ad nauseum on here but if so, I missed it.

Is it preferable to hold off on harvesting does before the rut so they can go into estrous and bring in the bucks? Or on the flip side will taking a couple does before the rut enhance visible rutting behavior. I have heard it both ways and I am sure the buck to doe ratio is a factor.

What is optimum for a high doe density property and what about a property with a more balanced herd?

No rules for me. I've said I was gonna pass on does, but when they stand around at 15 yards it's hard to not put an arrow through them.

 

[hillbilly68]

This topic may have been discussed ad nauseum on here but if so, I missed it.

Is it preferable to hold off on harvesting does before the rut so they can go into estrous and bring in the bucks? Or on the flip side will taking a couple does before the rut enhance visible rutting behavior. I have heard it both ways and I am sure the buck to doe ratio is a factor.

What is optimum for a high doe density property and what about a property with a more balanced herd?

I was on a lease one time that had a doe rule. No does 11/1 - 12/15. I think it was to let the bucks chase in peace.

 

[UTGrad]

We try to take ours as early as possible. Size difference is greatest earlier in season so less likely to shoot buttons; less shooting during rut & once gun season opens, does at our place are off limits on plots as well.

I was reading an article yesterday and they advocated shooting does early to prevent killing buttons late in the season. I didn't take that into consideration but makes sense.

 

[Boll Weevil]

If there were several of us hunting and we could fill our quota the 1st day of the season I would. Our season starts so early over this way and nowhere near the rut...just as soon get'em out of the way so we can hunt hard and wait when the rut cranks up.

 

[BSK]

Many pluses and minuses for each practice:

Harvesting does early

1) Lowers the sex ratio before the rut, hence rut should be more intense
2) Less likely to shoot a fawn early in the season when the size difference is the greatest
3) Gives something for hunters to "take their frustrations out on" before the rut. Otherwise, hunters tend to be so jacked up by the rut they shoot the first thing with antlers.
4) Potentially reduces browse pressure on important food sources several months earlier, saving food for the winter.
5) Allows for harvests when hunters are still interested in doing so. late in the season they may have lost the drive to do so.


Harvest does late

1) Reduces harvest pressure on the property pre-rut and rut.
2) Gives hunters something to work towards post-rut.
3) Depending on when the rut is, late doe harvests may allow for recovery of fetuses for backdating.

 

[megalomaniac]

In the grand scheme of things, it doesn't make a difference.

But if I'm trying to kill a particular big buck, I never kill a doe from the spot I expect to kill that buck from until he's dead.

Killing does is necessary. BUT doing it the wrong way hurts your chances at a mature buck. That being said, I kill my does very early, very late, or in spots where we don't buck hunt.

I don't worry about when to remove based on habitat or available food sources, as I keep our herd below carrying capacity (actually, provide more food year round than they can eat).

This year will be the single most interesting year we've had on my farm as far as population dynamics go.... for the past 10 years, we've had 10 to 20% fawn recruitment rates due to coyote predation. Last summer, distemper (or some other disease) wiped out out coyotes. We had an incredible( 40%) fawn recruitmemt summer 2022. Since then, we've killed 18 coyotes aggressively hunting them. This year we are over 50% fawn recruitment. We HAVE to kill 20+ does to maintain current population this year. I've increased food sources by 5 acres, but not enough for all the extra mouths. Any doe without a fawn is getting shot this year. My calculations have us at needing to kill 20 does this year on a place that has only had a handful killed the past 10 years.

 

[killingtime 41]

O

In the grand scheme of things, it doesn't make a difference.

But if I'm trying to kill a particular big buck, I never kill a doe from the spot I expect to kill that buck from until he's dead.

Killing does is necessary. BUT doing it the wrong way hurts your chances at a mature buck. That being said, I kill my does very early, very late, or in spots where we don't buck hunt.

I don't worry about when to remove based on habitat or available food sources, as I keep our herd below carrying capacity (actually, provide more food year round than they can eat).

This year will be the single most interesting year we've had on my farm as far as population dynamics go.... for the past 10 years, we've had 10 to 20% fawn recruitment rates due to coyote predation. Last summer, distemper (or some other disease) wiped out out coyotes. We had an incredible( 40%) fawn recruitmemt summer 2022. Since then, we've killed 18 coyotes aggressively hunting them. This year we are over 50% fawn recruitment. We HAVE to kill 20+ does to maintain current population this year. I've increased food sources by 5 acres, but not enough for all the extra mouths. Any doe without a fawn is getting shot this year. My calculations have us at needing to kill 20 does this year on a place that has only had a handful killed the past 10 years.

How many of the doe's actually live on your farm vs pass through. Or browse and return to property next to yours. Resident doe's

 

[deerhunter10]

We kill ours late. Number 1 reason is pressure. We kill several a year always done it late. We are almost always hunting a particular buck and we do not want us shooting a doe to potentially hurt our chances at him. Theres obviously upside early as well but just how we do it. If you herd is that off as you say I would shoot early. Biggest thing to putting it off is you have to do it don't get lazy when you are tagged out or not wanting to do it the end of the year.

 

[TNTreeman]

End of season for me and weather plays a huge role. I plan it when it's cold for processing .

 

[Ski]

We try to take ours as early as possible. Size difference is greatest earlier in season so less likely to shoot buttons; less shooting during rut & once gun season opens, does at our place are off limits on plots as well.

Logical wisdom as always. I'd not considered the button factor like that before but will from now on.

I've always shot does either very early because I need meat in the freezer, or very late to thin some out and/or stock the freezer. Can't say I've ever noticed much change in rut activity that I could relate to shooting does before rut but I probably didn't shoot enough early to make a difference. I don't "pound" the does until last few days of season and only in years it seems necessary. This year will be a doe year so perhaps I'll take a few right away & see if it makes a difference for rut.

 

[UTGrad]

Also, different units have different doe bag limits. Unit B only allows 1 doe harvest once gun season kicks in.

 

[JeepKuntry]

I prefer by early November. But I will kill 1 later if the freezer is empty.

 

[Boll Weevil]

Also, different units have different doe bag limits. Unit B only allows 1 doe harvest once gun season kicks in.

True.

We're 3 a day in L or CWD, 4 seasoned hunters and a lil guy in my crew…we could almost be done within 1 day if the deer cooperated. This was the morning haul a few years back. The next truck was parked in the shade loaded down just like this one, gutted, cooling, and headed to the processor.

 

[Buzzard Breath]

My freezer is getting empty by the bow opener. So, I try to shoot all my meat does ASAP. It also helps me hold off on shooting a buck less than what I really want to shoot when I know I've got a full freezer.

 

[tellico4x4]

Can't say I've ever noticed much change in rut activity that I could relate to shooting does before rut but I probably didn't shoot enough early to make a difference. This year will be a doe year so perhaps I'll take a few right away & see if it makes a difference for rut.

We've got 15-17 folks working on them, so it makes a difference for us. Not shooting them on plots is huge as well. Kill 5+ yr olds every year on plots that follow does out. Good thing for us is that it's a couple weeks after gun opens before our rut gets cranking. Things get a chance to settle down after ML. We don't run cams on plots during season either, or scouting, or moving stands. Only traffic past camp is hunting.

 

[megalomaniac]

O

How many of the doe's actually live on your farm vs pass through. Or browse and return to property next to yours. Resident doe's

That's hard to answer...

Most years about 10 does never leave the property.

Another 10 spend 75% of their time on the property.

About 30 are on my farm vs neighbors equally.

another 20 that are mostly on the neighbors and occasionally use my farm.

I don't think there are any does that just 'pass thru' my farm. Does just don't normally wander long distances like bucks do.

This is on a 500ac farm that is very diverse geographically as well as diverse habitat wise

 

[woodsman04]

I like after rut for less disturbance in the woods for buck hunting.

But I also try and purposely hunt a doe only spot at the beginning of bow season.

 

[UTGrad]

Here's a question:

If you do choose to kill does before the rut, do you kill the most mature does or the young ones?