Deer Control / Which animal would you harvest?

[Dredly]

**Assuming all shots are ethical and the correct tag's are in the hunters possession and it is early in the season**

You have excellent easy broadside shots at 2 doe. One is a mature (3 year old est) and the other is clearly a yearling.

Which shot do you take? Why? What influences your decision?

[Arch007er]

haha, you goof did you think of this tread stimming from a post on "deer seasons here, post your pics" haha i already said on the other thread i would normally take the smaller doe, it is more tender and easier to drag, and i believe that an older doe has 2 things going for her to why we should allow her to pass, one she is older and wiser therefor i think she will have a better chance to survive the bloody gun season and archery season for that matter and two she has a better chance of being knocked up in november not saying that a yearling cant get pregnant i just think she (the ol' doe) has a better chance of it, there is no real wrong answer here its personal preference, sometimes if the yearling is real small ill choose to shoot the mother, i dont know why, i might feel like a creep shooting something i believe is too young, but than again i did just shoot its mom, so i dunno, ill just flip a coin next time is that a good answer? LOL

[Feddog82]

If the doe approach in a herd situation and there are several/singular large doe all with yearlings I'll take one of the yearlings. If a a large doe approaches on her own I'll take her too. I try to take whatever deer is going to bring the least to the table next year. I belive it is our duty to manage the deer populations due to the fact that the PGC is incapable of executing proper deer management.

[Dredly]

Originally Posted by Arch007er

haha, you goof did you think of this tread stimming from a post on "deer seasons here, post your pics" haha i already said on the other thread i would normally take the smaller doe, it is more tender and easier to drag, and i believe that an older doe has 2 things going for her to why we should allow her to pass, one she is older and wiser therefor i think she will have a better chance to survive the bloody gun season and archery season for that matter and two she has a better chance of being knocked up in november not saying that a yearling cant get pregnant i just think she (the ol' doe) has a better chance of it, there is no real wrong answer here its personal preference, sometimes if the yearling is real small ill choose to shoot the mother, i dont know why, i might feel like a creep shooting something i believe is too young, but than again i did just shoot its mom, so i dunno, ill just flip a coin next time is that a good answer? LOL

haha yeah its the exact reason, figured we shouldn't hijack the other one.

[moose]

My opinion may be different since I am in NJ, where there are significantly fewer hunters, and consequently much more deer. I always take the biggest doe I can find. My reasoning is that the older deer are more cautious, so taking them out is essential so that they don't continually become wiser to our antics and pass it on to younger deer. (it could be argued that doing this teaches the younger deer, but I disagree) As others have said, the older deer have a higher chance of breeding, since we already have too many deer, I'll get two in one shot by taking the older doe.

I have to admit, the strongest reason I have for taking the older deer is that there is just more meat there! I hear the "tenderness" argument all the time. If you cook it right it will taste great regardless. I pride myself on my deer meals, so I want to get as much meat as possible.

[knight0334]

Which ever is the closest.. Call me lazy, but I hate dragging them things.

[bigborehnd]

The property I hunt has alot of doe on it, so if I am going to shoot a doe and use a tag, I will go with the large doe. I butcher my own deer, so I want to get the most meat out of each tag I use. I only archery and muzzleloader hunt. Hunting with a rifle just doesn't do it for me anymore. Plus, this property I hunt is archery only as per the landowner. After I have a doe in the freezer I can concentrate on HORN huntin', I won't shoot anything under 18" inside spread. One deer is enough for the wife and I, any others are for jerky, bologna, sausage, etc. for my friends. To each his own.

[toadyoforangeville]

Depends I've seen where i shot the older doe and the young one comes back. Since I have 2 doe tags and the freezer is EMPTY I'd shoot the older doe . Then if the young one comes back stick that one too. or at least try........

DAMN TREE RATS!!!

[moose]

Originally Posted by toadyoforangeville

DAMN TREE RATS!!!

Tell me about it....I had a damned bird land on my shoulder yesterday morning....never heard of that happening before!