Your opinion please...

[Spitpatch]

Just a little something to occupy some time during the off season...

Ok, here's the senario....
You're hunting whitetail in a state with multiple antlerless tags available for each hunter. You have three such tags to fill. Your choices are:
1. Old doe
2. Yearling doe
3. Button head

What would be your choice or combination of choices to fill all three tags and more importantly...WHY? What would be the logic behind your decision?

Have fun with this one...

 

[Wolf_River_Mike]

Spitpatch, I will usually take the largest animal in the group, if I can. Reason? More meat. I cut my deer into thin slices and cook it usually stir fry or marinated and grilled so the "toughness" of an older doe in not a factor. I also grind alot of my deer.

I have shot a few buttons unkowingly. My freezer would have to have been bare for awhile for me to shoot a button knowing it was a button.
Reason? Can't think of one.. old school, bambi story, I don't know.

 

[RAF]

Where I live the winters are pretty severe sometimes and the fawns mortality rate is pretty high. I usually have 4 antlerless tags to fill so if I see a group of deer, I'll usually shoot the fawn. It doesn't stand that good a chance in some winter to survive and if I shot it's mamma, it's chances deminish even more. If I put 4 antlerless deer in the freezer and one buck, there's plenty of meat for steaks, roasts, jerky and sausage.

 

[smokit]

I would take yearlings.Reason-Tenderness.The older does will produce 2-3 fawns to replace herd.I will not shoot a button knowingly.I did take one last year by mistake with my new smokeless .45.It was running at 90 yds.through the woods.Before anyone says anything about shooting a running deer with a muzzy let me say I practice these type of shoots.I shoot at tires (with cardboard centers) rolling down hills at 50-75 yards freehanded.My dad got me started doing this when I was 9 years old. Shooting off a bench is fun,but it is not in real time.

 

[Admin]

Any of em. I'm not that picky. I would prefer not to shoot button bucks but a lot of times you can't tell if they are at any range.

Does with yearlings I'd shoot the yearlings. If I can't tell any difference I just pick one.

 

[cur_dog]

Well, the winters are not harsh down here so they would all survive the winter untill I shot them! 8)

Is the old doe the mother of the yearling doe? If the yealing is old enough to make it on her own, mom goes down fast! Then if the yearling doe is decent size and still hanging around, she goes down. The button buck would walk.

My reason behind it is I would never take a button or small buck if I knew that's what he was. Let him grow. We have plenty of does so the old doe would not be missed. The reason to shoot both does is becasue I also like deer meat!!

 

[DeerNut]

yearling doe....
I'd like to let the buck age about 4 more years and help out the Buck to doe ratio. Plus, the yearling would be good eating.

Also, if the winters tough, I think the old doe would have a better chance than the yearling of making it until spring.

I primarily don't like shooting does anyway. I know if done correctly, its good for the herd, but its my personal choice not to. The Saskatchewan Gov't tends to issue too many doe tags to satisfy the gov't vehicle insurance agency so I decided to avoid antlerless tags as my own protest.

 

[Redclub]

Yearling doe (1 1/2 years old). We have hard winters plus wolves and the old does have made it through several winters. A fawn (button buck) would have a poor chance to survive. I only shoot does if I have to. Earn-a-buck law. We can only eat so much and there is usually a Elk in the freezer as well as a buck. Ducks pheasants,rabbits turkey's make for a variety.
Now the DNR says shoot the old doe as she produces the most fawns.
Redclub

 

[Blue-Dot-37.5]

It would depend on what deer are already in the freezer, what state I was in, and what the deer have been eating. If I needed meat for sausage, it would be 2 old does plus the yearling doe. If there was a shortage of steaks/chops and the deer were eating browse, then it'd be all yearling does. The button buck needs to grow for a while yet! Here in Indiana, a fawn of the current year will dress out to 90# or so during MZ season, and they are corn fed, so no knives are necessary for eating. 8)

Blue-Dot-37.5

 

[Spitpatch]

Now the DNR says shoot the old doe as she produces the most fawns.

I personally am NOT a fan of the DNR's doe policies... I don't beleive a word of it!!!

It's all politically driven to satisfy the insurance lobby!

That said...The responses here are exactly what I was hoping to hear. Variety-and lots of it.

Anyone know the probability of a yearling doe having twins the first year?

Mike, I liked Bambi too. Poor thing :lol:

 

[Admin]

Anyone know the probability of a yearling doe having twins the first year?

Very low. The first one is the hardest. Usually happens the second year or later.

 

[Loggy]

Great Thread Spitpatch.

I will avoid shooting a BB's if at all possible. Sometimes its tuff pending range & how thick cover is but I've been fortunate the last couple years. As far as doe, I will take the first that offers a decent shot.

I myself have the utmost respect and trust in the PA Game Commission based upon my 41 years of hunting PA. There are always those who complain irrespective but these guys are dedicated & trained professionals who devote their lives/careers to Deer Management and serving us Sportsmen. I cant comment on other States.

 

[Wolf_River_Mike]

Anyone know the probability of a yearling doe having twins the first year?

I agree with Patrick, from what I've heard it's rare for a doe to have twins her first year. Depending on habitat/food supply as to whether or not she will have twins at all. Nature is wondrous.

The county I live in you can take three does a day, 1st and 2nd muzzleloader and second gun season. For a thirteen dollar permit you can take does the first gun season. That's basically from the first Saturday in November thru the second Sunday in January. Lot's of small deer.

 

[Hunt 4 Bucks]

Well since do a fair amount of bowhunting, it would depend on what was taken during October in bow season.

I personally would take young does to fill the tags, because they are the most tender ----- Good Eating. I usually take a couple larger bucks each year, so the amount of meat is not a problem. If I were having bad year, I would consider an older doe just to fill the freezer.

 

[JimA]

I think yearling does ( 1.5 years ) are the finest meat out there. I try not to shoot any fawns, BB's or does, because of their small size. They do eat good though if I make a mistake.... I will take an older mature doe in a heartbeat. My area is pretty short on bucks, mostly because of a local dislike for shooting anything without antlers.

 

[Wolf_River_Mike]

Re: button bucks

This is an excellent thread Spitpatch, thanks for postiing it.

I read an article in a hunting mag I have around here somewhere, which of course I can't find right now. The article was saying that most bucks will move off their birth range at least once. Most if I remember will just move once but nearly all will move off the land they were born on. That button you pass on will more than likely move off your land onto your neighbors land or his neighbors land.

Makes sense, but it still doesn't make it any easier to shoot one.

 

[Hunt 4 Bucks]

That button you pass on will more than likely move off your land onto your neighbors land or his neighbors land.

That is probably nature?s way to prevent in-breeding. :idea:

 

[JimA]

Re: button bucks

That button you pass on will more than likely move off your land onto your neighbors land or his neighbors land.

I think they are driven away by their mothers. Shoot her and he might just stay to grow up on your place.

 

[Spitpatch]

Re: button bucks

That button you pass on will more than likely move off your land onto your neighbors land or his neighbors land.

I think they are driven away by their mothers. Shoot her and he might just stay to grow up on your place.

:idea: :idea: :idea: 8) Would that really work???

 

[Redclub]

Does do chase away there offspring, June or just before the fawns are born.Thats why so many are killed by cars at that time of the year. Deer usually stay within a couple square miles of where they were born. The DNR here in Wi is doing a ton of research in the CWD areas to see how far they go. It is not very far.
Ken