Some studies have shown that fawn bucks actually do better WITHOUT thier momma's!! They are more independent and learn to avoid danger faster without them, thus helping them to grow big and old.
Therefore it might not be always bad to shoot momma's with fawns just for this reason. Of course in areas of low fawn survival rate, this may be different. But most of the U.S. has very little problem with whitetail fawn mortality.
I usually shoot the biggest antlerless in the bunch. Having worked check stations as a biologist I know from experience that BIGGER DOES NOT ALWAYS MEAN OLDER, when it comes to antlerless deer. On several occasions I have checked in does that were taken from the same property on the same day. The big doe would age 1.5 years and the smaller doe would age 3.5-4.5 years.
Typically, older is bigger, but not always.
I also have no problem shooting fawns. The unit I hunt in NE pretty much has unlimited antlerless tags, and I will shoot antlerless deer until they stop coming or I run out of purchased tags.
My personal opinion is shooting doe fawns is the absolute best thing to kill IF your objective is to reduce the size of the herd. Once fawns make it to hunting season, thier odds of survival until next breeding season are very high. Therefore, the young, are the most "fit". By that I mean they have the potential to produce more offspring in the coming years than any older deer. Thus you end up with an "aging" deer herd that simply can't produce the # of offspring younger deer can. BUT.....thats a great theory that isn't really practical, as most hunters refuse to shoot fawns for a variety of reasons.
Therefore it might not be always bad to shoot momma's with fawns just for this reason. Of course in areas of low fawn survival rate, this may be different. But most of the U.S. has very little problem with whitetail fawn mortality.
I usually shoot the biggest antlerless in the bunch. Having worked check stations as a biologist I know from experience that BIGGER DOES NOT ALWAYS MEAN OLDER, when it comes to antlerless deer. On several occasions I have checked in does that were taken from the same property on the same day. The big doe would age 1.5 years and the smaller doe would age 3.5-4.5 years.
Typically, older is bigger, but not always.
I also have no problem shooting fawns. The unit I hunt in NE pretty much has unlimited antlerless tags, and I will shoot antlerless deer until they stop coming or I run out of purchased tags.
My personal opinion is shooting doe fawns is the absolute best thing to kill IF your objective is to reduce the size of the herd. Once fawns make it to hunting season, thier odds of survival until next breeding season are very high. Therefore, the young, are the most "fit". By that I mean they have the potential to produce more offspring in the coming years than any older deer. Thus you end up with an "aging" deer herd that simply can't produce the # of offspring younger deer can. BUT.....thats a great theory that isn't really practical, as most hunters refuse to shoot fawns for a variety of reasons.