When Do You Harvest Does?

[kykevin]

When do you like to cull your doe herd?

[nhdeerchaser]

Kevin,

Our state only allows certain days to take does with muzzleloader and rifle, so when I'm in WMU's that allow me to harvest a doe, I will take the shot 100% of the time on a mature doe.

Mike

[bowhuntingbiker]

I dont worry over timing of taking does. If I have a shot, I take it. BHB

[JPH]

I voted "Late Season (After Rut)" but that does not really describe what I do accurately.

On the property I own in North Missouri, have have begun to wait until after the opening weekend of rifle season. The rut is still on, but it is beginning to get late in my hunting schedule.

I also hunt several properties in Iowa that I do not own. Those properties are larger and have a bigger deer population. When hunting there, I will take does in October and again in late-November. This lets me hold out for a buck during peak-rut.  

[schlupis]

I voted early season because I usually like to kill a doe with my bow early on. My reasoning is 1. I like to get a doe on the ground early for meat for a friend who cant hunt anymore but still likes the veny. 2. This is just my opinion I like to kill a doe early to drop the doe count before the rut starts hoping it will bring on a more intense rut in my area. (let me clarify I am not the only one in camp that kills a doe early there are 3 of us). Wheather this works I dont know for sure but it works in my head. LOL.
 
We also try and kill a doe late season of ml and for sure bow season. There is something about seeing a deer any deer coming through the timber with snow on the ground. Usually dont try to kill does during rifle season usually a lot of bucks getting pushed around and I dont want to shoot a doe then go tracking it and pushing a buck off the property.
 
One last thing I try and shoot the younger does my personal opinion is the older does make better mothers thus ensuring the survival of the other young deer in the herd.
 
These are just my thoughts by no means the law.

[Mac]

We have many more doe on our lease than buck so we'll shoot them from day 1.

[MoDeer]

  I voted any time . but it really depends on where I am hunting . I hunt a couple of places that the only time the deer see a human is deer season . I am always afraid that if I go chasing a doe through there I will bump a mature buck out of the area . So I do not shoot doe in those areas until I have shot my buck .
  I will shoot a doe early or late season but in the early season I try to evaluate the age of her fawns . If the fawns were early in the year I will shoot . If they were born late I will just enjoy the sight . I am really looking for that 1 1/2 year old without fawns .

[paulie]

As soon as one offers me a clean shot!! Too many times I've eaten my tags because I wanted to "hold out for a buck"[:(]! Then I realized, tags dont taste good, no matter how ya cook em[:'(]! I hunt because I enjoy being out in nature,and obseving the wildlife, I kill deer because I like the way they taste! So, buck or doe, it's meat in the freezer.

[ranwin33]

Pretty much anytime, other than first week of gun season.

[Modeerhunter]

Most of ours are taken during our 11 day firearms season here in Mo. But anytime is a good time IMO.