Hey guys, I know it’s kind of a controversial subject, but I’m wondering your thoughts on shooting yearling deer or a doe with yearlings. I don’t want to start a debate, but am genuinely wondering if the fawns are able to be fully independent of the does this time of year ( late summer/ early fall) . I know some people that would argue both ways. Some say if you kill the doe, the yearlings will be helpless or have a much lower chance of survival on their own. Others say they will be totally fine without them. What are your guys thoughts on this? Thanks

Fawns will be fine.

There's a reason for season dates. Most cases the deer will be fine if you shoot moma. Meat is meat. If it's legal, do what you want. Noone has business telling you you're wrong.

Most fawns will make it. Others will become Nature's Nachos.

Got a doe with a spotted dawn visiting our backyard quite often lately. Last night they were out there, it’s still sporting spots. But that little guy can run and jump like mamma. Watched it clear a fence I didn’t think it could.
Here is pic from about a week ago. In another month I bet it looks a lot different than it does now too.

I used to be shoot them. Guess I'm getting soft. I have nothing to back up my thoughts just my opinion. But a young inexperienced deer will mor easily walk into danger and has never been through a winter and learned where to find the best food sources. Naturally it has a better shot at survival with mom to look out for it. That said my boys lay a bunch of yearlings and doe with them down.

I have no problem either way they eat just fine.
Over 20 years ago I shot a large doe with my bow in early October. I was tracking it the next morning no projectiles wepol on me when I see a small deer ahead. I slowly approach and got to within arms reach several times but ever time I extended my arm to try and touch her she would take a step or two away and look at me. I always figured it was the fawn/yearling of the one I shot. Dose it sound like she had a good survival since without momma to you?

That said any minute I'm likely to hear a shot and that deer may have faded spots. Hunting public land tonight with the boys and if they see anything except a small buck it will get shot. And we'll their idea of a small buck and mine are different. They let 8 deer walk between the two of them this morning on our farm. I bet anything that's a deer will not live if it walks in front of them tonight. I don't see them holding back again especially on public land.

Unless it was born last Friday.....like this one...

I think orphaned fawns have a better survival rate in more moderate climates. Here in northern WI forest they need momma's guidance to break trail in heavy snows in the deer yards and to learn how to avoid wolves in harsh conditions. Farmland, not so much.

dad always said season open july 5 , he said fawn could make it on there own , never found any dead fawns in fall so he must have been right , we were raised on venison

I find does and fawns taste the same and we only get a couple tags so I shoot the does. We're in farm country, as long as the fawns stay off the road they are fine.

Meat's meat.

Moosetrot

I prefer to shoot the fawn later in the season. They are pretty decent size in late November and are a superior meat. An experienced doe will be more successful raising fawns than a first timer so it's best to leave the swamp donkeys alone.

I try not to shoot does with fawns. Just personal preference

Shoot em, clean em, cook em, eat em.

orphaned fawns around here join up with other groups of does and fawns. They'll be fine, if not bring em home for dinner

I have a doe on my small farm that is in her second year of successfully raising twins. She is a nice large doe. I won't shoot her or her twins if there are other deer to shoot (and there are). She is doing a good job and I prefer to leave her alone to continue doing it. She is developing a herd that has my farm as the center of their home range. That is in my favor, so again it is a personal preference due to my specific circumstances. When hunting in the national forest 20 miles away, no doe that comes by me is likely to receive such a favor.

Obviously, many don’t even know what they are seeing, much less shooting. A fawn is NOT a yearling. A yearling is an animal that is least one year old. DUH!!!!! So easy to Google things now days and appear a little smarter. I know there aren’t many farms left today where one can go to Grandpa’s and not entirely act like a city boy, but come on!

It's all about semantics. Here in deep south GA...a fawn has spots. A yearling has lost the spots but still following mom.

Duh!

I don’t shoot any doe if it has young with it. A yearling doe is the best to shoot cuz she hasn’t claimed her territory yet. An old doe isn’t going anywhere and will show the young how to survive

Almost all the hunters/ outdoorsmen I know up here refers to fawns as yearlings. Must be a northern thing.