Doe harvest

[Zing]

I have read post on larger bucks and bigger racks, but not much on harvesting does. I have insults thrown my way for killing does, but it needs to be done. For larger bucks and heavier deer you need to take out does. When you have a large amount of does running around, they are competing for the same food source as the bucks. They are inbreeding, which will cause smaller racks and smaller bodies. The buck to doe ratio should be around 1:1. This would mean a lot of does killed. Think about this: why would a large mature buck run around during the rut and chase does in the day, when it could wait for the does on the food plots at night. The mature bucks will go noctirnal when pressure incresses in the woods. Bump him once and he is gone noctirnal. Here in TN in unit L you can kill 3 doe a day from around middle sept thru first week in jan. There is no way you could comsume that much meat. My son and I will shoot as many deer as our freezer will hold. We still do not come close to killing as many does as needed and we do get some help from friends. Think about it.

[Zing]

I grow up in texas and back then in east Texas ther were not a lot of deer, and we did not eat sirlons everyday. We took what ever we could, I still do not eat sirlons and vinison and cats are in the freezer. I hunted Ft Bragg in NC for many years and saw what a very large doe heard would do to the deer. A good buck 4 1/2 years old did not weigh 100lbs. The rack at best was a basket rack 8. Around 1990 or so biologist started controlling the heard with a very lebral doe harvest and the weight and rack size incressed. I left in 2005. The average mature buck would weigh about 145-150, with a large buck in the 180s no over 200. The land around FT Bragg deer were being killed 200+

[CatFishingFinatic]

I agree with you zing. We start our muzzey season on Saturday. I won't be ashamed to take a doe. Earlier this year we seen many does with twins even triplets. I believe that deer management starts with the does. Great post.

[Scott Daw]

Here in PA Im sure you've all heard of our childish deer war. the PA hunting culture grew up thinking you shouldnt shoot a doe, only a buck was worth it. then our herd grew out of balance from generations of lop sided harvests. more and more does were running around. anything with a bit of horn was blown away but yet hardly anyone but the meathunters (like me) was tagging does. Now, we have regeneration problems because of the over browsing and more waste trees in the woods because the desirable saplings were eaten. deer body sizes are small if your not in an agricultural area. So comes along Dr Alt who put into effect a heavy herd reduction to help save the forests and balance the deer herd with heavy antlerless allocations. Good idea but was not done right. Now we have sections of the state where theres a serious problem (north central pa) where theres few deer left where other areas like mine are suburban and we have to many deer. Now people are on a head hunting scavenger hunt trying to string up the pgc. the pgc sound like bush and want to stay the course but are strapped for cash because they havent had a license increase since 99. They've cut back on programs and have fewer wco's to patrol. Both sides have made mistakes. The pgc issued to large an antlerless allocation and the hunters who should know what their local herd looks like said "hey thanks for the tags" and filled them all. who's fault is it that theres no deer? its both of their faults. There is NOTHING wrong with harvesting does. Its beneficial to harvest does, so forget their taunting. You'll be the one with the family well fed. just dont over harvest. Ultimately we are the stewards of our lands not the game commissioners. We pull the trigger and with that, the responsibility lies in ours hands. Enjoy the backstrap and happy grilling.

[Big B]

You got it brother. I hunt does and really don't care what other people think. It's called population management. It works wonders for our quality of deer.

[Zing]

Scoot at present I'm not too worried about over harvest. There is not a lot of hunting pressure around me, but there are a lot of deer. In TN when I bought the property about 14 years ago we were killing around 15 bucks off 100 acres. They were all basket rack bucks, except for a few nice bucks. We never saw a lot of does. Then TN change and you can only kill 3 bucks a year, which I really like. We now have some really nice 3 1/2+ year old bucks runnning around here. But we do have a very large doe heard. Last year I counted 20 does in one group pass by during muzzel loader season, and was not afforded a shot. I was able to take out a few as the season went by, but not nearly enough.

[Zing]

Sorry Scott for the miss spelling

[ladyfish50]

Good posts, & glad to hear some of you speak up on this. My first deer was a doe, & I can't tell you how many "macho guys" acted like it wasn't that much of an accomplishment to kill a doe. I was very proud of her, & my husband was thrilled for me. In fact, he's proud every time I take a deer, buck or doe. I've never killed a good buck before, but am just waiting for that day to come. I do know when you see alot more does & yearlings, your population is getting out of balance, even if the big ole boys have gone nocturnal. We have been teaching our grandsons that you do take some does, but you don't go out & shoot everything you see. They learned to watch a pair of young yearlings, & to let them walk, but then one boy got his first deer, a spike, and the other one got his first, a doe. They were both just as excited, and so were Grandma & Grandpa!!

[CatFishingFinatic]

Hey ladyfish, great post yourself and it is great to be in company of other ladies who share the same passion as I do. I can't wait for the day to take my grandbabies hunting and fishing. Especially my granddaughter. Not that my grandsons and granddaughter are any different I just think daddy will be more willing to take the boys then the girl.

I haven't shot a doe yet. I hunted deer for 6 years and never even got close enough to draw up on one till 2 years ago and I did get lucky enough to shoot a 150 plus class buck. Which my husband and kids were all very proud of, we photographed it as a family a team effort, I shot the deer but we all enjoyed it and continue to. This year I won't be ashamed to take a doe and will have just as much pride in it as a buck.

[Kutter]

By shear luck, I have a great place to hunt with a very good chance to shoot a book buck. However, the owners who a so nice to allow me the privilege to hunt on their land, have asked that I thin the does out as much as possible. I know which side my bread is buttered on. Last year, I got 11 does. The year before, 9 does. I have hunted up there for about 10 years now and have only got 2 bucks, both nice 8 pointers. However, I have let many nicer ones walk. I honestly can not remember how long it has been since I got a buck. This year, I will continue the does quest, but I'm also making plans on a real good buck. I'll have the farm almost to myself for around 4 days, so I think I have a better than average shot at it. LOL

[jeffw51]

right on richard, you got to take the does.besides controlling the numbers and making the herd healthier,it makes the rut more intense.when the amount of does decreases the competition between bucks becomes fierce and you get, more chasing, more rubs and scrapes ,more fighting,etc.

[Cathooker]

On the property that I hunt in Alabama we have to take two does before we can take a buck. It is under a management program and we all know the importance of keeping the numbers down.

Here in my home state of Ga. my neighbor and myself combined own a total of 200 acres of huntable land in one tract . We both love to eat venison. Because of the surrounding hunting pressure on bucks, the poor soil quality and no agriculture except our food plots the bucks do not grow very large in this area. A 130 class buck is considered huge. ( I go to Ky and Alabama in search of the bugger bucks.) Thusly we shoot a lot more does than bucks on this property.

Not only do I agree with the harvest of does I encourage it. I don't care if the uneducated group, that oppose it, think bad about me for this practice.

[flathead willie]

I'm a meat hunter first. I don't worry about bucks until I have three deer in the freezer. That eliminates the pressure, and lets me concentrate on finding a nice buck. It also helps me locate family groups and their core areas. The bucks will come there when the rut gets closer. Big bucks are nice to get, but I've found that you can boil those antlers all day long and they still taste like CrAAaaPPppP!

[billNpam]

Well the misses (PAM) does not like the taste of vension. So I limit my self to two deer a year. Most of the time it is the first two that walk under the stand. this year I want something to go on the wall in my new house so I will kill one doe and one buck. As far as taste for me I usually like to only kill does. If I was not Horn hunting this year I would only shoot does.

[jstall]

I read an article that said, “Kill does until you think you have kill to many then kill more”. I do not know if I believe this but I am not educated in this field. I harvest deer to eat and I like doe meat over bucks. I past the larger old bucks up. This makes my son and daughter crazy. I photograph them to prove I saw them. They taste bad and stink to bad to eat. I cannot use that much sausage. I can remember when all I saw in a year was two are three deer, here in my part of East Texas. Now there are so many deer I cannot grow crops they eat.

[bootshowl]

They plan the gun season here in IN to be around the rut, and I just think the doe taste better. Getting more meat doesn't help if it's gotta be sausage. I think the hunter gets blamed sometime for poor field dressing, care etc, but most times it's age and hormones. Just "Gamey".

[cantstopgrandma]

I'm with yall, i kill a doe anytime i can. Last year i shot a doe on opening day of shotgun season. Everybody told me i was crazy, cause i'd never see a buck the rest of the year. Well, i seen several bucks through the season. Dont get me wrong, i love to shoot those nice bucks, but i'm not gonna give up a chance to kill a doe "just in case" theres a buck around. In my area of maryland, you can kill 2 bucks and 10 does for each of the seasons (bow, muzzleloader, shotgun), but you gotta kill 2 does and buy a "bonus stamp" before you can shoot that second buck for each season. This keeps a lot of people shooting does around here, that would normally only shoot bucks.

[postbeetle]

Did I misunderstand Matt? 2 bucks and 10 does for each of three seasons? My God I thought we were overrun by deer. How many freezers you guys keep around?

[Cathooker]

Did I misunderstand Matt? 2 bucks and 10 does for each of three seasons? My God I thought we were overrun by deer. How many freezers you guys keep around?

Here in Ga we have a 10 doe 2 buck limit.

Where I hunt in Ky we have 1 buck and no limit on does.

Where I hunt in Alabama we have a 3 buck limit and a doe a day limit for the entire season.

Ample opportunity to fill several freezers.

Come on Girls and boys let the doe killing begin....

[psychomekanik]

i kill a doe almost every weekend. if not, more than 1. i shot 3 does in one day a couple years ago. my friends and i love jerky, sausage, meat sticks, etc, etc. i'm not greedy. i just love eating them, and the herd needs thinned out around here. dont let others beliefs and ideals keep you from shooting those tasty little boogers. on the other hand. i wont shoot fawns, buttons, or young bucks. i do what i can to manage the herd where i hunt..

[baitchunker]

like alan said: we have a huge heard in alabama, and the quality of the individual deer is starting to rise as well. bow season starts on oct. 15th -- from then until jan.31 you can legally kill one doe per day and 3 bucks total.(new law for the bucks-just started this year)

i have talked to a bunch of clubs that are going to the 2 doe's first rule. i like it. i have seen as many as 53 deer in one food plot at a time. with a solid 2/does per buck ratio or possibly 3/1.

me and amy only buy beef on special occasions--veterans day, christmas, etc. i keep a deep freeze full of deer meat and fish. i was worried last year that i harvested too much meat, but we just ate our last pack of burger 3 weeks ago, and i finished off my last roll of sommer sausage last weekend. the roasts and loins are long gone.

what i like about killing does is that you dont see as many spotted fawns in the middle of hunting season. the deer just seem more healthy and happy all the way around. and you sure as he!! get more rutting activity.

[ShilohRed]

I have read post on larger bucks and bigger racks, but not much on harvesting does. I have insults thrown my way for killing does, but it needs to be done. For larger bucks and heavier deer you need to take out does. When you have a large amount of does running around, they are competing for the same food source as the bucks. They are inbreeding, which will cause smaller racks and smaller bodies. The buck to doe ratio should be around 1:1. This would mean a lot of does killed. Think about this: why would a large mature buck run around during the rut and chase does in the day, when it could wait for the does on the food plots at night. The mature bucks will go noctirnal when pressure incresses in the woods. Bump him once and he is gone noctirnal. Here in TN in unit L you can kill 3 doe a day from around middle sept thru first week in jan. There is no way you could comsume that much meat. My son and I will shoot as many deer as our freezer will hold. We still do not come close to killing as many does as needed and we do get some help from friends. Think about it.

Zing we have so many does in our county. That we are allows 3 doe per day all season long. Now that adds up to a lot of does. But then agian we are over run with them also.
Good luck and I sure hope my buddy that is going to be nice and kill me 3 or 6 is able to hit them. LOL
As theres plenty of them here. I hope to have enough in the freezer to make Jerky until next season.:big_smile: Its going to be nice he shoots me deer to eat. And that leaves the winter open for me to fish . Can you say Cooked Sauger?
Pete

[Zing]

Pete if you need some deer meat I think I could send some your way just let me know. I have nothing against shooting bucks. I would like to see more hunters let the younger bucks walk. I'm all for kids shooting what ever the want. Forrest wants to get one to put on the wall, I just got to get him in the woods more.

[poisonpits]

up untill this tear i took 2 bucks and 2 does the first week of deer season.this year the other members of my hunt club voted to stop running beagles an implimented an 8 point 12 inch spread on your first buck and an8 point 16 inch spread on your second buck so im going to take 4 does the first week end and go back to fishing.if your land will handle the taking of does without reduceing the buck doe ratior below 1 to 1 you are ony hurting your chances of taking a big buck.by the same token if the people around your land dont let the young bucks walk and you dont have high fences you are wasting your time any way.they will take the deer you are leting go.

[cantstopgrandma]

Did I misunderstand Matt? 2 bucks and 10 does for each of three seasons? My God I thought we were overrun by deer. How many freezers you guys keep around?


No, you didn't misunderstand me. that's 36 deer total (if you buy a bonus stamp in each of the 3 seasons). Its weird here. We have 2 different "zones" i live in the one where you can get the 36 deer total. The other zone is only "1 antlered and 1 antlerless" for each season (total of 6). we even have "suburban archery zones" around the big cities (baltimore, anne arundel counties) where you can get unlimited antlerless deer. big range here

[223reload]

We arent allowed but one buck per season whether you hunt bow/ml or rifle here in N.M. and I've seen up to 40 does and fawns in a field with only one or two bucks ,and they were only mediocre sized too. Our state has got to have some dumb A$$es for bioligists imo.

[Arkie55]

DID SOMEONE SAY DOE? Yeph, I think they did.:smile2: The way I see it, one doe on the ground, meat in the freezer. Two does on the ground, more meat in the freezer. I will shoot a doe with my bow anytime I get the chance. Now, I get pickey when hunting a doe. I wan a nice mature fat healthy doe. Then, I will take another one just like the first one. Then get the gun in hand and look for a nice mature shooter buck. In arkansas that has to be a buck with at least three points on one side. After taking a good shooter buck, then I look for one a little bigger. IF that don't happen, I still have a tag left for taking another buck or doe with my bow. I love the looks of a nice deer in my skillet.:wink:

[CountryHart]

I agree wholehartedly. I prefer to shoot them baren doe and let a young buck walk. I won't shhot yearlings because in my experience i shot several nubbins.

[massa_jorge]

i shoot does every chance i get! they are great eating and just as much fun to hunt as the bucks. i will shoot a buck if i get a shot, don't get me wrong, but i am feeding my family and a doe will do just as good as a buck.

[Zing]

I understand, I like shooting bucks as well. If a mature buck gives me the chance I will take it. I have nothing against shooting bucks I just prefer to take a larger buck over a young buck. I would like to see more mature bucks. With taken does out it benifits the herd. I mostly eat deer and I hunt for food. I ask the ones that hunt on my porperty to try not to shoot yearlings, or younger bucks. If it is a youth, or someone being introduced to deer hunting I do not care what they shoot .

[David Knotts]

I like shootin does, cause most of the time there are 3 or 4 more with that one, so that's 8 to 10 eyes lookin around. Most of the time a buck is alone so that's only 2 eyes lookin, and not so hard to get into shootin position. I've killed some buck that would walk almost to close, and had more than a few does spot me from way off. That's all in the fun of huntin. I'm not sayin that a doe is smarter than a buck, but some times it seems that way.

[rednecksportsman511]

Zing, the only way to properly manage a herd is to take does regularly each season.

[Big B]

I read an article that said, “Kill does until you think you have kill to many then kill more”. I do not know if I believe this but I am not educated in this field. I harvest deer to eat and I like doe meat over bucks. I past the larger old bucks up. This makes my son and daughter crazy. I photograph them to prove I saw them. They taste bad and stink to bad to eat. I cannot use that much sausage. I can remember when all I saw in a year was two are three deer, here in my part of East Texas. Now there are so many deer I cannot grow crops they eat.


Just let me at them. I know what to do.:wink:

[flathead willie]

I read an article that said, “Kill does until you think you have kill to many then kill more”. I do not know if I believe this but I am not educated in this field. I harvest deer to eat and I like doe meat over bucks. I past the larger old bucks up. This makes my son and daughter crazy. I photograph them to prove I saw them. They taste bad and stink to bad to eat. I cannot use that much sausage. I can remember when all I saw in a year was two are three deer, here in my part of East Texas. Now there are so many deer I cannot grow crops they eat.

I find that if you "age" deer properly, I can't tell the difference between a buck and a Doe when it's cooked. I hang them all in a cooler for a week before butchering them. I put 4 Does and two good sized 8 pointers in the freezer last year and couldn't tell the difference.