Lower Michigan (thumb). Are the fawns ready to go it without mom? Are racks velvet free? Been watching a twin pair and single fawn situation on my property. No spots and getting a bit independent. Have not seen bucks. Thoughts?

if they are offering an early season , a two-fer on deer mortality is a win for them.

you shoot ma and fawn is coyote bait , that is a win in population control , and that is why there is an early doe season typically.

looks like yall have a youth season this weekend and a early antlerless next , I would take that as they don't care how many you kill it won't be enough

What I thought. I am on the fence on this hunt. Thinking of taking my daughter out Saturday. My property is rural on a paved road (100 acres). I live just over a mile from 2 state highways. Deer car incidents are often and a persons life was lost due to one a short time ago.

Thinking the numbers don't lie. Just looking for peoples thoughts.

Many times orfanned fawns will get taken in by another mature doe.

Fawns will make it otherwise the DNR probably wouldn't allow an early season is my opinion.

we can agree to disagree ,

I agree some will survive , some won't but in the end I don't think the DNR cares , they are under pressure to do something to reduce car deer collisions from citizens

if they are that frequent , then there are excess deer

so a dead deer is a dead deer on the spreadsheet at the end


but that is just my opinion

DNR has been issuing damage permits across southern part of state for weeks this summer. Piles of does and fawns have been killed. Not even putting a dent in them but since the overpopulation trend started decades ago with the increase in leases and trophy hunts a few less does simply doesn’t have much impact.

You may be right.

our archery season opens this weekend (Sept 13), Monday I saw a buck with velvet yet.

In the end the only way we try (but fail) to keep the herd under control in the southern 1/2 is hunting.

OP, take your Daughter out, don't worry about the herd.

deer reproduce very fast, even if they were over harvested (they won't be) a couple of years and the population can bounces right back.

BlackBirdsBirds has a point in that a few less does simply has very little impact.
Even if a bunch of fawns die as a result.

DNR doesn't care about a bunch of fawns, they can't, they are managing a herd not a bunch of fawns.

we have bucks that are rubbed, and some that are not, has for if the fawn will make it , dad and uncle's always said season open 5 of July, for 25-30 years they started meat hunting for the families, never ran out of deer always seen lot fawns in the fall hunt , just my 2 cents

Thanks for reassurance. Lila is looking forward to hunting with me tomorrow.

Fawns in the North can make it on their own. Most were born in May and now it is September. They don't need Mom anymore.

keep us posted on how you do,

Fawns can be weaned at 8 wks. They are ready. My device if you have a doe season the best time to shoot a doe is when she stands still and offers a good shot.

With 80-degree weather for the next week or so I don't think I'm going to sit in my stand. Don't find that deer till next morning and you have wasted a deer. I'm going to shoot fawns. They eat better and are easier to get out of the woods. And get into the truck.

I think once they are not nursing and eating feed they can get by with out mom at least here the deer are in herds so they have company

Fawns will make it.

Lila and I walked my stomping ground. All of it! I am going to be sore tomorrow. She brought her gun along but took no deer. There is one less groundhog in this world though. Great day spent with an amazing young lady! Proud of this girl!

Way to hot to shoot a doe. I think more meat will be wasted than consumed. Bad move by the dnr.

could i ask how so? It was 84 degrees yesterday. I took a veteran out that is an older gentleman. he got him a nice doe, within 30 min. had it gutted, quartered and put in my yeti freezer. within 2 hours had it hanging in the Ac Grarage and took us only another 3-4 hours and that old man had it broken down and taught me a few dang things, I honestly beleive he only had less than a handful of lbs of wasted meat from shot placement and i screwed up a cut when his dog bumped me