Shot a fawn

[Edward]

You shot a fawn? Ahh, never mind, what's the point.

Good going it would not have made it thru the weather and the bigger ones will ,survival of the fittest .And they eat great

[Edward]

With a Longbow no less, THAT'S HUNTING. This other stuff is just Killing.

Not hardly (GEESH)

[dverna]

I do not shoot fawns or does with fawns. I do not need the meat that badly. But I understand others need meat and shoot anything.

BTW, I am not sure if a fawn has a better chance of surviving northern MI winters with mom but I still could not do it. I have a fawn here that appears to have lost her mom. It lets me get to within 50-60 yards. Cute little thing.

[Les Staley]

If one of you guys would be willing to post a picture of my "fawn", pm me your phone # I'll text you a picture. Seems that some are "reading for comprehension challenged", and a picture would maybe clear up the misunderstanding. Although on one other thread I was cautioned about safety and legality issues and plagiarism, even after seeing the picture.

For your information and so you all can sleep tonight, I did pass up a nice big doe with two little ones in toe right before the killing of the "fawn" in question.

Dverna, I had a Michigan DNR officer tell me point blank, that a fawn will be the first to winter kill, due to being too short to reach available browse. Recommended me to take a fawn, it would help the herd.

[1bluehorse]

If one of you guys would be willing to post a picture of my "fawn", pm me your phone # I'll text you a picture. Seems that some are "reading for comprehension challenged", and a picture would maybe clear up the misunderstanding. Although on one other thread I was cautioned about safety and legality issues and plagiarism, even after seeing the picture.

For your information and so you all can sleep tonight, I did pass up a nice big doe with two little ones in toe right before the killing of the "fawn" in question.

Dverna, I had a Michigan DNR tell me point blank, that a fawn will be the first to winter kill, due to being too short to reach available browse. Recommended me to take a fawn, it would help the herd.

Thanks for that information. I have 3 Doe with 5 fawns that have been hanging around the place since the fawns birth (along with several other deer). Now I know it's alright to take a couple of them, (strengthen the herd thing). I mean they (does) can't take care of five of them, right? Fill my freezer up with 40-50lbs of meat, well, part of the top shelf anyway. Kill what you want, you're right, none of my business, but I still don't think much of it anyway.

[richhodg66]

I proudly culled this "Northern fawn size" spike this morning while haying the cows.
I thought it quite nice of him to expire by the road Made do with the 22-250(again) as I was on the lookout for a particular coyote. 55gr Vmax worked like a big game bullet on this particular deer.


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Because of the antlers, that one is at least a year and a half old. Our fawns by early October are significantly larger than that.

It was mentioned in another thread that the farther north you go, the bigger they get. This is true, there is a biological advantage to more body mass where it's colder. Have heard of white tail bucks in Alberta that made 400 pounds, hard to believe, but seems to be true.

[richhodg66]

I do not shoot fawns or does with fawns. I do not need the meat that badly. But I understand others need meat and shoot anything.

BTW, I am not sure if a fawn has a better chance of surviving northern MI winters with mom but I still could not do it. I have a fawn here that appears to have lost her mom. It lets me get to within 50-60 yards. Cute little thing.

I like to watch and talk to the fawns as well and don't shoot them, but don't assume a holier than though attitude to those who do.

If you don't shoot does, you're a deer herd management problem. Kansas has relaxed a lot of their regs even in the past 20 years I've hunted here. They've only had a deer season since 1965 and have carefully built a very healthy deer population but one thing they won't budge on is the one buck a year rule. If you don't reduce the number of does, your deer herd suffers. Keeping the populations in check and keeping a high buck to doe ratio makes for bigger, healthier deer.

[richhodg66]

With a Longbow no less, THAT'S HUNTING. This other stuff is just Killing.

I did in fact kill a deer with a long bow, cedar arrow shaft, etc., years ago. I'm less of a purist now, but if you think it's all just going out and assassinating one when you use a rifle, you apparently haven't ever hunted.

[rking22]

It's more about how you hunt than what you use to end the hunt. Also spent some time as a trad bow purist, well might still be that way about bows....

[dverna]

I like to watch and talk to the fawns as well and don't shoot them, but don't assume a holier than though attitude to those who do.

If you don't shoot does, you're a deer herd management problem. Kansas has relaxed a lot of their regs even in the past 20 years I've hunted here. They've only had a deer season since 1965 and have carefully built a very healthy deer population but one thing they won't budge on is the one buck a year rule. If you don't reduce the number of does, your deer herd suffers. Keeping the populations in check and keeping a high buck to doe ratio makes for bigger, healthier deer.

Agree sir!! We try to manage the herd as best we can. The hunt camp I am associated with has about 1/2 a section of land surrounded by state land. Our rules are simple...only one buck per hunter allowed...must be 8 pt or better unless it is a buck that should be culled due to poor genetics, and no limit on does because our buck to doe ratio is 1:8....which is way to high. Part of that management effort is putting in food plots, and we have about a dozen. We have also planted apple trees and are looking at chestnut trees. It is a lot of work but rewarding as well. We have 5 active hunters in the camp and maybe 2-3 guests a year. Guests cannot shoot bucks unless those bucks need to be culled.

This year we have taken a 10pt, 9pt, deformed 7pt and three does so far. I have taken a doe but not taken my buck yet. I will take another doe or two towards the end of the season if I cannot get a buck. We are planning to harvest another 3-4 does this year.

Most in our camp are "trophy hunters" hence the 8pt restriction. I use my venison and give some to family, but the others donate much of their venison to locals who need it. Our camp considers hunting for meat as an unacceptable reason to kill fawns...in part because we give venison away to those who need it. In almost every case around here, those killing fawns are poor hunters and/or poor shots. But that may be a local issue so I try not to be too judgmental when on a forum like this where I do not know the factors affecting the decision others make to take fawns. I know I would certainly kill one if my family was in need!

I was reluctant to join this camp at first. The locals despise "trophy hunters"...see them as rich dudes killing for sport. But as I got to know them and began to understand their desire to manage the deer herd I was swayed. I am their only neighbor, and they have made me an "honorary member" subject to their "rules". I was humbled by their invitation. They have had the camp in their family for 65 years and I am the first "honorary member".

[Omega]

The way I see it, nobody has the right to judge another on how he hunts. To me, as long as it's legal, I'm ok with it. I like venison, but can afford beef, so while I'm a meat hunter, it's not to feed my family. I have my own self regulated rules, I pass on spots, shy away from evening hunts (I set my own no-shoot time), and won't knowingly break a game law. In my area, I'm allowed 3 doe a day, and 2 bucks for the year, there is a reason for that. It may come a time where I'll take two small doe vs picking the large one in a group, but not yet. I'm probably not helping the management aspect as much as I can, but that's the way I hunt.

[Edward]

I do not shoot fawns or does with fawns. I do not need the meat that badly. But I understand others need meat and shoot anything.

BTW, I am not sure if a fawn has a better chance of surviving northern MI winters with mom but I still could not do it. I have a fawn here that appears to have lost her mom. It lets me get to within 50-60 yards. Cute little thing.

When winter comes that doe will kill that fawn for a mouth full of brows ,survival of the fittest is more than a saying it"s life in the wild !

[Texas by God]

My doe to buck ratio in the freezers is usually two to one. We try to convince the other hunters to take does first, then bucks. But buck or nothing attitudes persist.

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[dverna]

When winter comes that doe will kill that fawn for a mouth full of brows ,survival of the fittest is more than a saying it"s life in the wild !

I could find anything to support your statement that a doe will kill her fawn to survive. Would you, or anyone else, be kind enough to post a reference? Thanks.

[Texas by God]

Les Staley's "fawn"! Bigger than mine!
Now let's kill some does!
Nice old "55" 94 as well, sir.

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[richhodg66]

That's a good deer and very nice rifle.

[Hickok]

They all count when they are in the skillet!

[white eagle]

I do not shoot fawns or does with fawns. I do not need the meat that badly. But I understand others need meat and shoot anything.

BTW, I am not sure if a fawn has a better chance of surviving northern MI winters with mom but I still could not do it. I have a fawn here that appears to have lost her mom. It lets me get to within 50-60 yards. Cute little thing.

I have seen lone fawns get picked up by doe groups
they do well with others its a feminine way of doing things
I have evolved in my hunting as well I think that happens to
some I watched it happen to my Father as he did with his

[dverna]

Les Staley's "fawn"! Bigger than mine!
Now let's kill some does!
Nice old "55" 94 as well, sir.



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Nice! That rifle is a great gun too. Thanks for posting

[Les Staley]

Thank you, Texas by God, for posting my picture. I tried, but no joy. Great talking with you last night.