Doe's

[zhall]

So, not too sure how many doe's we have on our 60 acre place. Seems like we may have more bucks than does, but that changes as the season goes on. Hard to say even with cameras out. Guessing 7 give or take, maybe more. How many are ok to shoot a year? Do you shoot only old with no fawns or does it matter to you? Just seeing what the GS has to say about it.

[dustoffer]

I hunt an 80-ac place locally and have seen 5 different bucks this year on-cam, and I think 6 does and 1 fawn. I will shoot 2 does and a buck given the opportunities. Folks south of me will shoot them youth weekend and I've heard a few shots from the north in years past.

The landowner of the place I hunt near Wimberley has already given us instructions to kill as many as we can as they are chomping on her flowers and other landscape plants.

[zhall]

Thanks for the reply. I think we re going to shoot two does as well. Hopefully 2 bucks this year.

[97JeepGuy]

We are absolutely covered in does Over on our place in Livingston. Seems like just about every one of them is accompanied by some fawns too which for me makes it that much tougher to take a doe even though the fawn doesn't have its spots anymore.

[tkuehn5410]

Depends on your management philosophy. 60 acres is really hard to "manage," but if there's not many hunters around you, you can manage it like a much larger place. I've had a 50 acre lease, and we really treated it like a large lease with no hunters in the area, and I've had 500 acres where there you could see 10 blinds from neighboring properties, and everyone treated the property like a day lease...

[zhall]

True, not sure how many hunters are around. But we can only take does during bow season. It's a plus.

[deer farmer]

Camera surveys may be the best way many of us have to monitor our deer on small acreage places. And that is how we do it at my place. Based on your comments here about the buck doe numbers, I would not take any does off the place this yr. Buck to doe would be nice at 1 to 1, but here u say it is less, so why would u take a doe if management is what you are looking at? Old school says take more does but from my research, the new deal is to keep some does around because that is why the bucks drop by your place. Lower doe numbers will reduce buck traffic.

[popup_menace]

We hunt 150 acres and kill about three per year. This does well to keep numbers stable when twins are dropped and also decrease numbers on drought years when no twins are dropped.

[TXHUNT3R]

Search some threads about the topic of which does to shoot, mature or young. I sure changed my stance on which to shoot.

Mature does that have a fawn are proven mothers. You want to keep them around to have more babies.

A yearling that has no fawn and you need meat? There is your target!

In my humble opinion of course.

[SaltwaterSlick]

Search some threads about the topic of which does to shoot, mature or young. I sure changed my stance on which to shoot.

Mature does that have a fawn are proven mothers. You want to keep them around to have more babies.

A yearling that has no fawn and you need meat? There is your target!

In my humble opinion of course.

Yep, especially true for a small tract of land... The bigger the place is, the less important or less impact as to which does are taken.

[TXHUNT3R]

Yep, especially true for a small tract of land... The bigger the place is, the less important or less impact as to which does are taken.

I have learned so much from guys like yourself since I joined TBH.

Much better outdoors-man now!!

[ted_kennedys_liver]

I have a similar situation this year and similar size lease. I will not be taking a doe due to roughly 1:1 ratio. slightly more bucks than does best I can tell based on pics throughout year. Matter of fact it will be first year I HAVE to take a 13" or better buck regardless of size to keep things in check. However game cams only capture a very minute percentage of the property. there has been a few seasons where I Have seen seen deer in person that I never saw on cams.

[3DW5]

Search some threads about the topic of which does to shoot, mature or young. I sure changed my stance on which to shoot.

Mature does that have a fawn are proven mothers. You want to keep them around to have more babies.

A yearling that has no fawn and you need meat? There is your target!

In my humble opinion of course.

Really cool, never thought about this....

[jkelbe]

Here is how I make the decision on my 80 acre lease.

During the winter, I look for natural browse. Vines, berries, the food plot. If there is plenty of food left then I don't need to shoot a doe. I am only shooting a doe to remove a mouth. I want to have as many deer as possible on my place.

[Huggybear]

I wouldn't shoot any doe. The more for you have the more bucks will be coming by in the rut. There isn't any need to shoot any doe. If you want some meet sure it's ok but not a good idea.