The annual dilemma

[TraumaSlave]

When hunting your local deer, do you hold off on does waiting for rut?

 

[hitek7]

Nope

 

[Jcalder]

I rarely ever kill a doe anymore, but if I do it's in December when I'm out of buck tags

 

[TNGunsmoke]

I take them as and when I can.

 

[Hitit9999]

Take this as you will...Mark and Terry Drury say kill them early season and it helps with buck activity later...

 

[BSK]

Due to a drastic reduction in local deer population going back to the big EHD outbreak of 2007, we've been killing few does. However, our local population is definitely on the rebound. As we start taking them again, we will make no special provisions about waiting on killing them. Kill them early, kill them late, doesn't matter. Hunter's choice. But I will recommend to hunters they not shoot them out of food plots. Nothing shuts down daylight use of food plots faster than killing does out of them.

 

[Wrangler95]

I might shoot a doe in late Dec if I havent killed a buck!

 

[Jaahspike]

Due to a drastic reduction in local deer population going back to the big EHD outbreak of 2007, we've been killing few does. However, our local population is definitely on the rebound. As we start taking them again, we will make no special provisions about waiting on killing them. Kill them early, kill them late, doesn't matter. Hunter's choice. But I will recommend to hunters they not shoot them out of food plots. Nothing shuts down daylight use of food plots faster than killing does out of them.

This is interesting. I have not heard this before. I would Love to see some studies on this. We typically shoot ours the last weekend of the season in one of our huge ag fields. Side note: that is the only time we ever hunt that field other than the velvet hunt.

 

[backyardtndeer]

With other nearby hunters killing plenty of does, they get a pass from me.

 

[PickettSFHunter]

Not much reason to shoot a doe locally anymore as we just don't have the deer anymore. I'll shoot some on a trip elsewhere for meat.

 

[BSK]

This is interesting. I have not heard this before. I would Love to see some studies on this. We typically shoot ours the last weekend of the season in one of our huge ag fields. Side note: that is the only time we ever hunt that field other than the velvet hunt.

Very common, especially in "club" situations. Hunters hunt from shooting houses over food plots and as soon they start popping does in the plots, hunter-collected deer observation rates in those plots crash. Of real interest is the clubs who have implemented a "buck only" plot system. In this, some plots are designated as "buck only" kill plots. These plots will see continued high daylight usage by deer while doe kill plots will not. How and why deer can understand does are being killed from a plot is a mystery. But this process is well documented in the club management world.

 

[Ski]

I've heard it from both sides. One camp says you should take does early season so bucks have to compete harder, which means more buck activity. The other camp says save the does until after rut because they attract rutting bucks. Both seem logical to me, albeit contradictory. So who knows?

I kill when I feel the urge and don't stress about it. I've never known it to negatively affect buck activity, nor have I ever noticed significant increase in bucks if I let the does live. Doesn't seem to make any real difference one way or the other.

 

[Boll Weevil]

We get an early start on does but our rut is later than most of the state.

 

[BSK]

I've heard it from both sides. One camp says you should take does early season so bucks have to compete harder, which means more buck activity. The other camp says save the does until after rut because they attract rutting bucks. Both seem logical to me, albeit contradictory. So who knows?

Some killing of does prior to the rut can aid in intensifying the visible rut, if the local adult sex ratio is highly skewed towards females. However, excessive killing of does prior to the rut can drive does nocturnal, driving following buck activity nocturnal as well.

 

[Omega]

Very common, especially in "club" situations. Hunters hunt from shooting houses over food plots and as soon they start popping does in the plots, hunter-collected deer observation rates in those plots crash. Of real interest is the clubs who have implemented a "buck only" plot system. In this, some plots are designated as "buck only" kill plots. These plots will see continued high daylight usage by deer while doe kill plots will not. How and why deer can understand does are being killed from a plot is a mystery. But this process is well documented in the club management world.

Interesting, on my small parcel, 7.2 acres, I drop does right on my food plot and the next time I hunt (1 -2 weeks), they continue going through there, sometimes right at the exact same spot. I have nothing to compare it with since I have always taken a deer where I see them, but it makes me wonder if it has possibly made other deer avoid my area.

 

[DoubleRidge]

When I read the title of this thread "annual dilemma" I would have bet (and lost) the topic was which week do I burn vacation...."first week of November or the second week"

Note: my solution to that dilemma is 3 vacation days for each week one, week two and week three...plus add in the Thanksgiving holiday....hunt hard ,hunt often....man I love November.

Ok...back to when do we shoot does....for me I'm not in any way interested in shooting does during the peak rut period.....just never know what's trailing behind her?..... nothing biological about that....I just want to kill a mature buck and the peak rut period in November (for my area) is the best time to accomplish that goal.....so for us early season or late, late season.....but it's been years since we've felt the need to kill does.

 

[BSK]

Note: my solution to that dilemma is 3 vacation days for each week one, week two and week three...plus add in the Thanksgiving holiday....hunt hard ,hunt often....man I love November.

Umm, yes! In my area, November is it!

Below is a graph of average number of older bucks photographed in daylight over the last 8 years on my place, separated by the acorn crop that year (good versus poor). As I've said many times about my place, we actually have fewer deer during a poor acorn year, but those fewer deer are more active during daylight because they have to move farther and more often to find food. Notice those big peaks of daylight activity in November for a poor acorn year. And for my area, it's going to be a very poor acorn year this year. The vast majority of my hunting time will be spent hunting November.

 

[JeepKuntry]

I'm back to hunting public so my expectations are lower, and so are my standards. I will try to get a deer for meat, then be picky.

 

[DoubleRidge]

Umm, yes! In my area, November is it!

Below is a graph of average number of older bucks photographed in daylight over the last 8 years on my place, separated by the acorn crop that year (good versus poor). As I've said many times about my place, we actually have fewer deer during a poor acorn year, but those fewer deer are more active during daylight because they have to move farther and more often to find food. Notice those big peaks of daylight activity in November for a poor acorn year. And for my area, it's going to be a very poor acorn year this year. The vast majority of my hunting time will be spent hunting November.

Interesting stuff! And this data matches our experience over the last several years. Thanks for sharing!

 

[killingtime 41]

If your hunting a very small parcel of land and a few doe walk the through I would hold out. But big enough acreage kill what you need to and don't worry about it.

 

[Bloodwolf1984]

I'm chasing does....they taste better imho lol

 

[Gravey]

I don't shoot does anymore unless I know somebody that wants it because we don't eat them enough. If I was shooting does I'd shoot them whenever I had the opportunity. Early season or late season makes no difference. They're not gonna have fawns either way.

 

[Coker]

I shoot them when I have a chance. Usually take one or two in bow season, for the meat, and wait until late season to take more. BUT, if the opportunity presents itself, I will take them anytime.
Just remember, the more you get out of your stand to track a doe, field dress a doe, drag the doe back to the truck, the more scent you are leaving behind. And, the more gut piles that are around, the more yotes will come running.

 

[UTGrad]

I pass on the does and will shoot a fawn or two late December, early January.

 

[rmmonty32]

I'm back to hunting public so my expectations are lower, and so are my standards. I will try to get a deer for meat, then be picky.

Me too

 

[BlackBelt]

Not shooting does this year.
We are a month out from gun season so Im staying out of the woods til then. Hopefully that will encourage older bucks to come exploring for does when the rut gets here.

 

[Andy S.]

I typically kill 3-4 does a season, some years a few more, depending on demand from family/friends. 99% of the time, I do not hunt/shoot does early season where I plan to buck hunt mid/late season. Another factor to consider is whether or not the hunter uses a processor. If a hunter depends on a processor to get the meat back in a timely manner, taking the doe(s) early season may have advantages as most processors are not as busy and overran with deer like Nov/Dec.

 

[41Magnum]

Haven't shot a doe up in my neck of the woods in years. When I hunted West Tennessee I took a few, but not up on the mountain. I believe the last doe I took up there was in 03-04 with a muzzleloader.

 

[WestTn Huntin man]

I like to shoot a few early season does for the freezer. If it the weather is right to leave it lay I have shoot several nice Bucks sniffing over a Dead Doe carcass.

 

[ROVERBOY]

I've not killed a doe in at least 10 years. I used to kill a few but, haven't in awhile. Had the sights of my .357 on one last year for about 30 seconds, and never pulled the trigger.