I try to shoot them when good rutting action is not taking place, if possible.
When do you kill does?
- Thread starter rem270
- Start date
peytoncreekhunter
Well-Known Member
I wait to start shooting does till the Monday after Thanksgiving. Most of the chasing I've witnessed has been the week prior to Thanksgiving. I know the chasing and breeding still goes on throughout. Probably not a very scientific approach but it works for me.
BSK
Well-Known Member
"When" to shoot does depends heavily on what you are trying o accomplish and why you are shooting does. To balance the sex ratio? Reduce/control population? For meat?
Every property is a unique situation. On my place, we have the unique situation of just coming off a decade of protecting does. A neighboring Federal Wildlife Refuge was decimating our local doe population with their Earn-A-Buck program, hence we shot no does for many years. However, the ending of that program, and almost no deer killed in the area in 2019 (massive forest damage prevented much hunting in the area that year), has produced a sudden surge in doe numbers. So now we will be taking a few does, but only for meat. We are nowhere near over-populated, and our sex ratio heavily favors bucks. Because we are still somewhat protecting does, I looked for the period where we have the maximum number of does using the property, which would suggest we have the highest number of "non-resident" does at that time. If we can kill a few does that have the best odds of being non-resident, we can have our meat and not affect the resident population. Interestingly, our doe populations peak each year in December, which is post-rut. I have no idea why this occurs, but it does, so we'll be taking advantage of this by killing a few does in December.
Every property is a unique situation. On my place, we have the unique situation of just coming off a decade of protecting does. A neighboring Federal Wildlife Refuge was decimating our local doe population with their Earn-A-Buck program, hence we shot no does for many years. However, the ending of that program, and almost no deer killed in the area in 2019 (massive forest damage prevented much hunting in the area that year), has produced a sudden surge in doe numbers. So now we will be taking a few does, but only for meat. We are nowhere near over-populated, and our sex ratio heavily favors bucks. Because we are still somewhat protecting does, I looked for the period where we have the maximum number of does using the property, which would suggest we have the highest number of "non-resident" does at that time. If we can kill a few does that have the best odds of being non-resident, we can have our meat and not affect the resident population. Interestingly, our doe populations peak each year in December, which is post-rut. I have no idea why this occurs, but it does, so we'll be taking advantage of this by killing a few does in December.
megalomaniac
Well-Known Member
When to shoot them isn't nearly as important as WHERE you shoot them.
Never shoot does on your best buck hunting spots if you plan on hunting that property in years to come. Even shooting one at the end of the season after buck hunting is over will educate the remaining deer and they will learn to avoid that area in future years.
I no longer shoot does for population control. For personal use, I like around 50lbs of pure deboned meat per year. I'd prefer to get that meat from a single 200lb buck, but if I'm not seeing a buck I want to kill, I will shoot a couple does instead on areas where I do not hunt for bucks.
Never shoot does on your best buck hunting spots if you plan on hunting that property in years to come. Even shooting one at the end of the season after buck hunting is over will educate the remaining deer and they will learn to avoid that area in future years.
I no longer shoot does for population control. For personal use, I like around 50lbs of pure deboned meat per year. I'd prefer to get that meat from a single 200lb buck, but if I'm not seeing a buck I want to kill, I will shoot a couple does instead on areas where I do not hunt for bucks.
philsanchez76
Well-Known Member
This is interesting. Are you referring to private land mainly? Where a huge influx of hunting pressure would completely freak out the deer? Also are you saying this occurs with the whole deer population in that area or just mature bucks? I hunt only public for now and I never know who killed what the day before maybe right where I'm hunting.
I will kill a couple in october, but will make sure its a cool day that in am off. Prefer to shoot them in the morning, so i have more time to skin and debone.
megalomaniac
Well-Known Member
Yes, on private land where you can somewhat control what you are hunting. On public, there are a few honeyholes that have no pressure, but in general it's impossible to control what other hunters do
BSK
Well-Known Member
Want to shut down daylight activity in a food plot right quick? Kill a doe out of it. I don't know why killing a deer out of a plot has so much influence, but it has far more influence than just hunting a plot.
Boll Weevil
Well-Known Member
When do you kill does?
Only on days ending with y.
Also since we can kil 3/day we often try to get our target quota done quickly rather than over the whole season. There's been plenty of times we've taken 3, 4, 5 to the meat locker at a time.
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Im sure there is truth in what you just stated, but in relatively unpressured deer herds i dont think it matters much. These 2 pictures were taken in the same field leas than 2 hours apart.
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Its a 1/2 acre wheat and clover food plot wrapped in woods on 3 sides
Granted that while the buck had a very large rack, he wasnt overly mature and was not a target last yr
megalomaniac
Well-Known Member
I think that proves BSKs point. The buck was at night.
Bucks don't leave an area when you kill does there, they just avoid using the area in daylight. And the older does will also learn quickly to avoid that area in daylight as well.
BSK
Well-Known Member
One's a daytime picture, the other a night-time picture. Notice I said "daylight" deer activity.
Boll Weevil
Well-Known Member
And don't think does won't figure it out either. We start banging away at does on day 1…those old nannies are smart.
akachuck
Well-Known Member
When do you kill does?
Whenever they show up
Whenever they show up
BSK
Well-Known Member
ALL older deer are smart. I run trail-camera from August 1 through mid-January. I wouldn't need to know the opening date of deer season. I can just look at the percentage of daylight pictures and tell when hunters hit the woods. There will be a sudden and dramatic decline in daylight pictures within 48 hours of hunters hitting the woods in numbers.
easy45
Well-Known Member
During archery or late in the season, I want them around in the middle as bait.
backyardtndeer
Well-Known Member
Does get a pass by me now. Figure enough others nearby are killing my share, prefer to have some around our farm. I do let my kids shoot does whenever they want though.
Often
