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Shooting Does

at1010

*Supporting Member*
4,944
139
A similar thread got me thinking so I wanted to start this one.

If you do kill does, why do you do it?

I know many of us are into the ratio of does/bucks. Some of use just like the meat, and I would assume some of us do it for pure fun. Personally, I love shooting deer, that I could not imagine not killing does every year. However, I am not really sure if I do it cause I fully believe in the ratio thing. I am sure that is true, but I love seeing a lot of deer too. I will kill does till I turn purple, but only on certain farms and certain years. So for me I would say I kill them mostly for FUN, and FOOD.

Whats you all thoughts?
 

hickslawns

Dignitary Member
Supporting Member
39,721
248
Ohio
Food. Practice shooting and recovering live deer. Thirdly? Heck yeah it is fun!

Ratios? Not really a thought. Sure my buddy and I say every year "we need to keep these thinned down" but I am not sure we are making a difference. I don't think it matters on the small acreage we hunt. On the other hand, there are some properties I hunt with lower densities. I do NOT shoot does off these properties.
 

Hedgelj

Senior Member
Supporting Member
7,145
178
Mohicanish
The only buck I will shoot is either wounded or Ohio Big Buck size. Needless to say other than a couple of wounded ones I haven't shot any bucks since my first buck in 1999 (attaching a pic so you all can laugh at the half rack). Some of the people I hunt with don't understand and will shoot anything with a rack just to say they shot a buck. On the farm we only shoot wounded bucks or 10 pointers or larger.

I shoot does when the opportunity presents itself. I love venison and so does my family. Also on the farm we try to shoot quite a few does to keep the numbers down. deer2.jpg
 

at1010

*Supporting Member*
4,944
139
Thanks for sharing so far guys! I like the input! Also great picture man, you can see you really are proud!
 

dante322

*Supporting Member*
5,506
157
Crawford county
Food. Period.

Does are better eating than bucks. Unfortunately the spots I normally hunt have been over harvested. There are only a few does left. I will shoot a doe on public land or if I find myself in an area that has plenty of them, but not around here.
 

teej89

Senior Member
2,288
48
NE PA
For food.

Also for enjoyment I'd always save a doe tag for late season when we have snow on the ground back in PA and do some stalking with the smoke pole or sit up in a pine tree all day. Next to the rut, I love the late season.
 

bowhunter1023

Owner/Operator
Staff member
48,879
274
Appalachia
I fell in to the whole shooting does for management BS when I first got serious in to bow hunting. Unfortunately the Drurys and the DNR had me drinking the "thin 'em out" Kool-Aid. That was also partially a cover for a guy that loves to shoot does and eat them.

Nowadays with the low deer numbers, I only shoot does for meat and only do so on farms I know the numbers can handle it. We've not killed a doe on our farm in two seasons now and it is benefiting the local numbers. I may take one there this fall depending on what the cams say over the next 3 months. I really prefer to kill them when it is cold and I can let them hang...
 

finelyshedded

You know what!!!
Supporting Member
31,856
260
SW Ohio
I fell in to the whole shooting does for management BS when I first got serious in to bow hunting. Unfortunately the Drurys and the DNR had me drinking the "thin 'em out" Kool-Aid. That was also partially a cover for a guy that loves to shoot does and eat them.

Nowadays with the low deer numbers, I only shoot does for meat and only do so on farms I know the numbers can handle it. We've not killed a doe on our farm in two seasons now and it is benefiting the local numbers. I may take one there this fall depending on what the cams say over the next 3 months. I really prefer to kill them when it is cold and I can let them hang...

Ditto for me TOO!
 

Redhunter1012

Senior Member
Supporting Member
I shoot for meat, but I'm wary of which properties I shoot them off of now. I didnt shoot one with a bow last year because my main hunting buddy and I decided not to. He did smoke a BB in late November with his bow. During gun I did take a couple, although not in my main area
 

buckbuster217

*Supporting Member*
3,136
85
Byesville, Ohio
I try to shoot one doe a year, I enjoy shooting does but this is all the family will eat (just me and the wife), if I can shoot one for the landowner I dont mind using one of my tags for them. The doe population is pretty good where I hunt but does get hit pretty good during gun season so I dont shoot anymore than I have too.
 

Diane

*Supporting Member*
4,715
66
Newark
I like the meat. I'm not satisfied unless the freezer is full, as deer meat is all we eat. I don't buy beef.

However, I just like to hunt. Even if I miss my shot, I still consider it a win because I got in the woods and had a blast.

I'm even thinking of maybe taking up rabbit and squirrel hunting. Lord knows my property has a bunch of them.
 
In Michigan we shoot does for meat and I will take the first decent one I have the opportunity to. With that most of those properties we hunt still have an abundance of whitetails and in general still need thinning to be done. In Ohio we wait and see each year what kind of doe crop we have on the farm. Our numbers are still down and this year I have yet to get a set of twin fawns on a trail camera yet and not that many fawns period. So I would say our numbers are going to still be down this year and will likely hold off on shooting any.
 

at1010

*Supporting Member*
4,944
139
Thank you all for the response!

Seems as though many of us have the same thought process! We like having a lot of deer around!
 

themedic

Junior Member
755
0
OHIO
I've got the opposite problem than many of you. Back 5-7 years ago I was a doe killing machine. I loved shooting them. But then I got married and guess I just got soft. I really cant stand shooting them anymore. Early season it seems to warm and I dont want to deal with butchering one in the heart, then rut I dont want to chance shooting a hot doe, then late season I cant stand the thought of shooting a pregnant doe.

The dilemma, as a landowner I am starting to see that they need managed. I saw 21 does/fawns in my 35 acre field at farm a couple nights ago. So where does the balance start....what is a good way to manage does. I honestly am confused about this topic.
 

Rutin

Senior Member
2,029
0
Ina Duck Blind
I hardly ever shoot a doe anymore.... I killed one last year for meat and that's bc I had NONE. I always donate my buck meat to the shelter so I will only kill a doe once every 5 years or so. The herd is just so piss poor around my area that killing a doe is only hurting my future hunting and its hard enough just seeing deer as it is now!