# Does: shoot or not?



## $diesel$ (Aug 3, 2018)

My son is 40 years old. He has 12 antlered deer to his credit.
Monday night, he shot an average doe. Said he needed the meat as his daughters love it. 

Just curious as to your opinions on this. Shoot or not?


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## Carpn (Apr 5, 2004)

If there are enough around why not . In many situation your better off shooting a doe thsn a young antlered buck but it's going to vary by property . For the most part tho shoot away . Does are made of meat and his kids like deer meat . Now he has meat and can hold out for a nice buck


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## Yakphisher (Jul 9, 2013)

Does tend to taste a lot better IMO


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## sherman51 (Apr 12, 2011)

I don't hunt the gun or bow season. but I still hunt our ml season. its any sex any age. I would rather shoot a nice doe as a average buck. but will shoot a buck if he is the 1st one that gives me a shot. Indiana has gone nuts with antlerless tags. they do it by county. some counties have as high as 8 antlerless deer. then if you get 8 in that county just move to another county and start again.
sherman


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## floater99 (May 21, 2010)

Shoot what you like when you want good job filling freezer now wait for horns or not IMO


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## Spongebrain (Feb 12, 2007)

Shoot, as long as the population is not hurting. I try to get a mature buck and mature doe each year. That seems to be just the right amount of venison for my family. I try to take the doe later in the year so her fawns have more time to learn their defenses. I used to harvest indiscriminately but as Ive aged I now have a hard time taking does from fawns.


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## ducky152000 (Jul 20, 2005)

Me personally I like killing a doe early. It kinda fine tunes your skills as far as shooting at a live animal with your bow, blood trail and gives you some excellent meat for the table. And I have always hated the thought of shooting a doe During rut and find out when it's too late Mac daddy was just right behind her. But nothing wrong with killing a doe anytime of the year for the table. I just personally like to get it out of the way before rut comes in.


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## fastwater (Apr 1, 2014)

Most properties I've spent enough time on to get to know, have usually needed does culled to help balance the ratio. If not interested in a buck or what might be following that doe...
I say choot em...


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## ya13ya03 (Sep 21, 2010)

As long as the population can handle it shoot away. I'm all about shooting what you want so long as the heard can handle it.


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## 0utwest (Mar 21, 2017)

Spongebrain said:


> Shoot, as long as the population is not hurting. I try to get a mature buck and mature doe each year. That seems to be just the right amount of venison for my family. I try to take the doe later in the year so her fawns have more time to learn their defenses. I used to harvest indiscriminately but as Ive aged I now have a hard time taking does from fawns.


My thoughts exactly !


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## pawcat (Oct 24, 2011)

cant eat antlers..shoot your does early before they breed


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## Doboy (Oct 13, 2008)

x3,,, What pawcat said!

We consume 2 deer in a year, I BUY 2 tags. 
I'll try to fill those tags ASAP. 
(HOPEFULLY, out of a tree stand, when it's over 40*!)
*'WHATEVER' gets in range, gets ATE!

The rest, can live on, to MATE.
*
My neighbor wants me to shoot every deer that walks through his yard!*
His wife is a school teacher,,,,, she leaves for work at that perfect time. She has already hit 4 deer! The last one put her in a ditch, with a short hospital stay.

Like, How many deer are hit each year??? ;>)

lol,,,, I think the INSURANCE COMPANIES should buy ALL of our tags!???? 
*


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## $diesel$ (Aug 3, 2018)

Hahahahaha. Doboy, you are a funny dude!
I agree with you, just thought most of the guys wouldn't. Nice to see hunters that eat their kills.
My Pa. buddy's are DEAD SET against killing does. They ran that poor wildlife commishioner out of town several years back, cuz he set anter limits and issued more doe tags. Now they have hugh bucks there as well!

Frankly, i believe the does don't taste as gamey as the bucks. Probably just in my head, though.
I have no problem with shooting a doe at any time during the season. At my place, the does out number the bucks, i'd bet, ten to one. I only kill one a year as it's just me and the old girl. Lately, i can't even seem to do that.
Good luck to all.


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## ducky152000 (Jul 20, 2005)

Those fawns are going to get pushed away from their mom in November. Shooting a doe with fawns in October is not going to hurt a thing.


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## TheKing (Apr 15, 2004)

When you own the grounds, management of numbers becomes a key. I think that shooting a weak doe population down when you know what's there (from lots of cameras) is bad management. If you are in the unknown, then I think it is just fine to take a doe. The state has managed that pretty well and I think it OK for long run.


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## G-Patt (Sep 3, 2013)

Shoot the doe. They taste way better and easier to haul out of the woods. Due to this year's doe restrictions on public land (which is where I hunt), I can only hunt bucks since I killed a doe earlier this season. In a past season, I would have been very glad to shoot 2 does and go back to squirrel hunting. However, I'm having a great time hunting bucks and seeing an abundance of does running around. Seeing a lot of good quality bucks too. Just need to connect with one.


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## M.Magis (Apr 5, 2004)

Why is this even a question? Almost seems like trolling.


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## TheKing (Apr 15, 2004)

I always assume the best character and it has worked 99% of the time. Are you on this awesome South Ohio rut?


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## halfrack (Oct 13, 2004)

Yes i will shoot a doe when one gives me a shot. They are much better eating but haven't killed one on the property for 2 years because the numbers were low.


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## TheKing (Apr 15, 2004)

So far I have not noticed a difference in taste between buck and doe. Maybe because I have not taken an old buck yet. I did take an old doe once and the roasts were definitely more 'gamey' flavored.


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## fastwater (Apr 1, 2014)

TheKing said:


> So far I have not noticed a difference in taste between buck and doe. Maybe because I have not taken an old buck yet. I did take an old doe once and the roasts were definitely more 'gamey' flavored.


IMO, older deer...buck or doe...have a tendency to be a bit stronger in flavor. With bucks being the strongest. But with a good 12hr soaking/marinating in milk and choice of seasoning mixed in, I've never had trouble with games taste.
Of course, IMO, like beef, it also depends on where the animal has spent the majority of its life and what it was raised eating. Seems deer harvested in farm country where there's an unlimited diet of corn/soybean is a bit better than deer that grew up in strictly wooded areas.


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## Spongebrain (Feb 12, 2007)

I have shot and ate over 2 dozen deer in my life thus far and have never noticed a difference in flavor, young to old, male to female. Its all good to me. I shot a mature buck and a young doe last year and both were equally delicious to me.


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## Muddy (May 7, 2017)

It’s all about the shot placement, lack of lactic acid, gutting, hanging, and butchering process. I have ate venison every single day of the year for 20 some years now. Every deer tastes just as good as the next when killed, cared for, butchered correctly.


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## Fishstix (Aug 16, 2005)

I guess my first questions would be, "why shouldn't you shoot does?"


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## Doboy (Oct 13, 2008)

I HAD to rehash this,,,,, after I found this poster!
lmbo,,,,


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