What is the problem with shooting a doe

[rockbilly]

GB.  These are fairly recent (September) pictures from a camera near one of our feeders.  The first picture is an example of a spike that should be removed from the herd.  The other deer are a mixed lot, some fairly nice bucks, and several one two year old deer that have forked.  We have managed to improve the herd by eliminating the spikes, I think this will indicate a good herd, and promise for the future.

I do have feeders, not necessarily to draw the game in, but rather to provide supplemental feed in times of drought such as that we have experienced over the past five-six years.  Only my son and grandson hunt on my place, so it is not for profit.  It is a very expensive endeavor, but one I choose to continue in order to maintain a healthy herd. (Four feeders, seven bags of feed per feeder every 75 days, about six bucks a bag, and each feeder runs year round.)
 
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[jlgwiz]

 I don't see any problem with  shooting a doe.  Good thing too, as that is all I will get this year.  On the land I hunt the owner has 13 doe tags and 4 buck tags (which are already spoken for).  So do I have a problem shooting a doe,  not at all as it sure beats not hunting at all.

         jlgwiz

[454Puma]

Here in ID  it's either Buck or doe(Mule deer) not both. Doe are usually controlled hunts! I think because of this there are fewer bucks- alot of pressure on Bucks! Now if they opened up to either or you bet I could fill my freezer every year! I did the controlled hunt Doe first year here and had my tag filled 1 hour after sun up first day! Could have done it this year as well but I was hunting horns just took a extra day this year!

[Mnswede]

No problem with me.  Each hunter in my hunting zone will be able to take up to 5 does, 1 buck/doe tag and a further 4 doe tags.  Last year my daughter and I took 4 does, the year before we took 3 does, and three years ago it was 1 buck and 2 does.

[Coyote Hunter]

This year I had two cow elk tags which I filled and a bull tag that I did not.  Had a buck tag I filled as well with a forkhorn mulie.

My hunting buddies took a total of 2 does.  Period.

That makes 4 animals with no antlers, 1 with.  None of us thought twice about it.  Gave a lot of elk meat away and still have a freezer full.  Yum!

[SHOOTALL]

A lot of insight is gained by reading what most have posted !
From what i can tell the biggest problem with shooting a doe is the lack of handles to drag them out of the woods with !
No worry just cut a 3/4 in. dia. stick about 18 inches long . Cut a point on one end and stick it thru. the middle divider of the nose ( deer's nose ) and grab as you would rack on a buck !
Hope this makes it easier for all to get that doe !

[youngbdv]

I would rather shoot a big doe than a little buck for meat and give the buck a chance  to grow, but my brothers   will go without if they can't shoot a buck.

[elmer]

The problem with shooting a doe right now is everyone I see is running all out with a buck chasing her. At least I am getting to see bucks for a change. 

[S.B.]

I think it's too much Michael Weddell and TV? I agree, 100-125 lbs does taste excellent and better than a buck, any day, especially here in Illinois where they're corn fed. Now I've tried the acorn fed deer from Mo. and the pine cone fed deer from Wi. and can't say the same for those deer, those I usually have ground into sausage with smoke flavor added.

[bhod1]

I agree with a lot of what has already been said. I would also add the media for some of it. All you see now is BIG BUCKS, magazines, TV, Advertisements.....it's relentless.


Here in Maine, unless you bowhunt in the suburban expanded areas, it's one and your done.
We basically have two schools of thought.
Some guys are big bucks only...period. Even if they go several seasons  without success
Other people are ecstatic to get drawn for a doe tag, and perfectly willing to fill it. It may be the only deer you see all season.
(I don't think some of you guys grasp the idea of hunting your butt off for a full week....and not seeing a single deer)

By the way, if anyone needs some does culled off their property or lease,  I would be more than willing to volunteer. 

[SHOOTALL]

we have heard ethics , morals and many other reasons for not shooting does .
we have heard food for the poor and game management as reasons for shooting a doe .
if you are shall we say well fed then shooting a doe for food means little to you and if you are stressed to feed your family , well ethics and morals are often put aside . It seems that depending on your financial level and desire to collect a trophy adds as much to the choice as any game laws or population control ever will !

[buckshooter]

It depends on what you have, for example, If I have a buck before gun season then I say okay lets kill does. if I got nothing through bow season then I will shoot does until I have my last tag which then I make it my buck tag, and see what happens. Also It depends on what your doe to buck ratio is, if it's even then wait for a buck, but if the ratio is out of sink then you have to shoot does so it stays in sink, and what if it got so out of sink that you did does only for a number. Then you would of said, I should of shoot does, and for shooting  bucks I say it has to have at least 8 points or more.

Buckshooter 

[SHOOTALL]

about three years ago i set a limit of 8 points and didn't kill a deer since i just hunt and decide when i get a shot !
no set rule , just do whats legal and what i want at the time , the only thing i consider now is temp. i hate skinning deer when flies are all around ! so cold days make me more likely to shoot , but then big racks do also !

[Drilling Man]

  The reason i don't like shooting doe's is, they shoot the hell out of the deer around here, and i "generally" leave the doe's alone to "make more deer"....

  Having said that, i did harvest this big doe a few days ago that came by my stand limping...



  DM