I have private property to hunt, so, no competition on shooting until I'm ready. My question is. Do you shoot a doe or does and then wait on the big boy(I only harvest one nice buck a year off this property)
Last couple of years. I have waited and passed on many does in order to take the big boy first. My theory has been. More live bait for the rut the better. Also, the does that are shot early just might have been the ones to come into estrous first.
I have a nice food plot planted with oats, wheat and corn, so, the does will be there all season.
We have a long season(3.5 months) and can legally take 11 deer. But this particular property, I only harvest 1 buck and 2 does a year. Other properties are brown it's down.
What are your opinions?
Thanks, Sarge

To each their own. I don't shoot does at all. The more there are the more reason a buck has to stick around. More fawns also equals more future does and bucks, and I just like to see them. If the next person wants to fill their freezer then go for it.

I'm of the mind fill the freezer first then worry about the rest. I also think the fewer does the more he has to look for one.

Depends on how much and how important it is to eat venison, Many years I have waited for the big buck to show as I passed up doe after doe early. Ended up with tag soup. Now I shoot the first quality deer that provides a shot. Whatever you decide have a good time and good luck!

Chris

We have a ton of deer around here and the ratio is 4:1 doe to buck or worse. The doe need managing, but I wait until after I get my buck. I hate to make a mature buck uncomfortable with an area because I shot and drug a doe out. To each his own but that’s how I do it.

I have two other spots for the freezer fill. This spot is being managed. There is a 10 point the landowner wants me to harvest. He used to hunt it for years, so, his recommendation was to me. Be patient. His advice has worked two years in a row now. I have to admit, it's hard to pass a nice fat doe when it's standing 15-20 yards from ya like last year at the beginning of the season. I did harvest her 5 weeks later.

I have very limited time in gun deer season , any legal deer worth my time processing gets shot.

you would have to have a terrific amount of land to have a deer that stayed on your place especially a rutting buck that might make a several mile loop

sounds like you should do whatever keeps the land owner happy

I hunt deer for meat. Once in a while they have bones on their head, and I have killed some extremely nice bucks. I tend to try to fill the freezer first and usually have plenty of antlerless tags for does, but some years even they are scarce. This year, as in many years, brown will be down.

Meat's meat!

Moosetrot

... kill 11 deer ..... is this a trick question or something? Lol

I'll say it like my Grandad always did, "Kill em all!" Just like climate change, it really doesn't matter in the grand scheme of things. IMO

It's true, SC has very liberal bag limits. Used to be more. Gun season has started (8/15/2021) in the lower part of the state. I have to wait until Oct. 11 to rifle hunt.

We have a lot of does here.
Fewer does cause the big bucks to travel more to breed, otherwise
The bucks stay in the pine plantations and the does go to them and you never see the bucks.
Seen it time and time again.
Thin out the does and you will see the bucks

... I understand Mr. SGT.C .. but that was my answer... kill the first 11 no questions asked... some might end up having big antlers

11. to me that's too many. I have killed 9 in one season and gave it to folks who needed it. My goal is 4-5 this season. The new upright in the workshop is empty. Plus have to have room for the bluecat fillets coming in November and the hog coming in February.

Nosey does don't get second chances

I have stands set for does and stands for bucks. I shoot the does in the open areas and watch them at my buck stands.
We’ll shoot does during archery season and the first 2 weeks of gun season. We attempt to take 50 off one property and about 90 or so off another property. The last two weeks of the season, the guns are taken out and we go riding and fill the truck. Still had folks wanting deer after the season was over, lol. We come close to meeting the quota every year, and every year we have an over abundance of deer. It’s not a brown and down around either of the properties, folks know what kind of bucks our county can produce and everyone wants a chance at one.

I don't hunt deer much anymore. Drifter prefers beef to venison. I went to buy a beef roast to cut into stew meat today. Came home and took out a pack of deer steaks. I won't pay $9 a pound for cheap beef. If Pete wants beef instead of deer he needs to come out of retirement, LOL. If it's brown it's down this year.

I have fed my family on venison totally for over 30 years. Deer die and I keep 4 freezers occupied with meat.
I’ll kill anything but small young deer be it bucks or does.

Just all depends on your objective…if you are hunting for a big buck, keep all the does you can around until after the rut. Then meat hunt late season. Meat is easy to get no matter when you decide to take it. Trophy bucks are a different story…you need to keep all the odds in your favor for as long as possible.

I see two types of deer, I like one of each, yearly. A young tender skillet deer. The second is a larger sausage, back strap and burger deer. Antlers...Meh..