Right Time to shoot a doe and buck.

[Briar Field]

I was sitting in my stand when I started to rethink my Hunting statagy. Since I did not have a doe permit I was waiting for a buck to shoot and then in the late season archery take a doe for some meat in the freezer.

Thinking about the breeding of deer, if I shoot a doe in the late season, it may have been breed, and now we will not have those off spring next year. So the buck wasted his time with her. Now if I would have taken that doe in the early season, that would have been 1 less doe to take up the Bucks time and he would have pursed the others which we would have the off sping next year.

Same thought is with the bucks. Buy taking a buck early in bow season, that is one less buck to breed with the does because it would be before the rut.

So in order to maximize the deer in my area, I am better off taking the doe first, and then wait later to target the bucks (thats if the neighbor doen't get him).

So should we have an early doe season instead of a late doe season. I wonder how many bucks get shot during late doe season because they have lost there antlers already?

Just some thoughts on my personnel hunting practices and thought I would see what others think about this?

[Grouse Hunter]

ISo in order to maximize the deer in my area, I am better off taking the doe first, and then wait later to target the bucks (thats if the neighbor doen't get him).
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Good point, take the first adult doe that presents a shot

[fasthunter]

I don't care when I shoot my buck or my doe. I'm not sure it really matters that much when you shoot them. It still equates to the same amount of deer being bred anyway, I believe. Just my opinion though.:)

[aquanator]

Not sure the logic holds true, but we always harvest our does early for other reasons - all "pressure" is then off because the meat is in the freezer, the confidence level in our shooting ability is high, and it's good to take a doe early becasue later a buck will probably be following and we don't want to scare him off.

Hard to beat the confidence that one early bow kill gives you for the rest of the season as you chase the bucks!!:cool:

[smap]

Just Got Off The Phone With My Buddy He Shot A Buck That Droped Its Rack.but He Found 1 Side It Would Have Ben A Forke He Is A Little Upset With Him Self. I Almost Shot A Buck 2 Years Ago But Luckly I Seen He Was A Buck With No Antlers.so Look Very Close This Time Of Year

[walleyeman2006]

if you dont want to hurt the herd or at least only as little as possable dont shoot big does shoot yearling does ...granted you will get more meat from a mature doe but you will allso kill an experienced mother and one who will most likely have 2 fawns...yearlings have one fawn most of the time..as far as when to shoot them it really wouldnt matter...theres allways a buck around to breed ...remember too the late rut is going on now and there are still young does getting bread....ive found fresh scrapes in the past few days and seen some inactive ones getting used again

[oldrank]

if you followed the rules the qdmers wanted you to everyone would be shooting yearling does......to me if you wanted to manage a heard for buck to doe balance and a larger population of mature bucks this makes sense. However if you look at the herd like a farmer looks at his cattle......the best animal to take is a 1 1/2 year old buck. Still good eating and pretty much does no harm to the overall numbers cause one buck can breed a large amount of does. Plus harvesting animals at a young age keeps the heard healthy. thats how nature does things. a constant repacement of the old and week.