When you have a chance to take a doe or her off spring , when hunting , which would be best ?
Taking the doe would be more meat but the off spring could be too young to live on it's own .
Thank you.

This year on certain properties......I'll shoot both......if given the opportunity!!! I usually put a green light on killing antlerless on properties I don't manage vs. Properties I do manage for bucks.....which I don't shoot any antlerless on those properties!!!! My family eats deer like it's going out of style!!!!

Fawns are self sufficient well before deer season

Would a farmer his cow a proven breeder or kill the young and have two more next year and never lower the herd I harvest the young And I see the same amount of deer every year

Neither... would wait for an opportunity at a doe without fawns.

Explanation:

- Adult doe with fawn(s) = proven breeder and has either been lucky or cautious enough to have kept her offspring out of harm's way since birth. I want to keep that doe in the herd.

- I would agree most (not all) fawns are self sufficient (do not require nursing) by opening day of hunting season. Six month old fawns are also the dumbest animal in the woods. Kill the doe and you just removed the fawn's #1 defense mechanism. The fawn will likely become a loner or join up with other orphaned fawns....making it (them) an easy target for the next hunter...who by the way, probably can't tell it is a fawn (by body size alone) in the absence of an adult doe.

Just my two cents....which I understand most deer hunters will ignore.

That's why I go for the fawns they are not proven breeders no doubt about it and I see the same Old does yr. After yr no drop in the resident population

For most fawns, the worst is over. Most that are killed by predators die in the first 10 days of life, according to research.

pav You bring up a good point....

According to DNR data, doe fawns and buttons make up roughly 25% of the total harvest every season in Indiana.

And over the last 10 seasons, that 25% figure equates to a yearly average of 31,000 buttons and doe fawns.

We take a mixture every year. I have a buddy who can't stay off the fawns and I usually kill one in bow season every other year or I take one late in the year when they appear to be bigger. We haven't taken a button in a few years which is good. I took what I believed to be a four year old doe last year and every time I sat in that stand I seen her fawn the rest of the season so I would say it made it

I would choose the larger deer if the quality of the shots are equal.

With a bow, I take the first good shot offered. With a gun, I will wait for the larger deer to give me a good shot.

All depends on the localized herd on and surrounding my hunting properties.

I won't be selfish and harvest away if the localized herd is flirting with or is too low...if solid you bet your sweet biffy I'm sending an arrow through a doe every time.

If the young don't have spots on them, I assume they'll survive and would bet 99% of the time they do. Almost always they'll team up with another doe in the group or even seen doe fawns team up with button bucks that first fall.

It all goes back to knowing and understanding your localized herd numbers tho...just because you will eat all you kill doesn't mean you should necessarily kill all you do.

Just a heads up that self estimated 99% (completely non science based or factual...just REM method for those that know it haha!) I said above is survival as far as knowing what to eat, and be "safe". Obviously a hunter could still harvest them, however I'm not a fan of harvesting fawns/yearlings honestly and believe it shouldn't be done unless true population issues are present.

Who is this comment geared to? I'm assuming the green light guy but if me, I perhaps need to re-read my comments because I in no way believe as you stated.

I like to kill some of each. I like to grind the big does into burger and steak out the fawns into fry meat. I usually try to to kill 2 old does and a fawn or a buck, a doe, and a fawn. I've tried to lay off of the fawns because the occasional button gets killed, but I really do think they taste better.

I refuse to kill a "fawn" or a button buck....

The best answer is "It depends" Usually the first ethical shot I get at at a doe

Sometimes BOTH if given the opportunity and the local herd needs reduction.

I seek out Fawns and Button Bucks Reason I am Foremost a Meat Hunter AND free Range deer Farmer ( Thats a new one ) Like any Farmer I Take Care of My Brood stock IE adult Does and Bucks If I just harvest BB and Fawns I Will always have The same No. of deer that call my place home I see the same does Yr. After Yr and Like all Farmers when the young get of size I get my Meat for the year and NEVER hurt the brood stock I pass Bucks when I see them , I would shoot a real big one if seen but I dont need a buck to make my season, ever