I have a doe question.

[Bodey]

We can't get too picky with the numbers we have to take. I really just try to not shoot the yearlings and after that they are just mouths to feed.

[Bear82]

Usually the older ones seem to have rounder butts and have more meat

[BrianL]

Why do they want to shoot old doe? If you are trying to reduce doe #s, many of the older does will not make the winter(year) anyway, so you haven't really reduced the herd any more than by natural means.

[thedosranchhand]

Why do they want to shoot old doe? If you are trying to reduce doe #s, many of the older does will not make the winter(year) anyway, so you haven't really reduced the herd any more than by natural means.

That's just what the land owners have in there head. I have suggested other options but that's what they want. And by no means do I want to upset them because the ranch is awesome and a blast to hunt at. Thanks for the input.

[BrianL]

Then like the others said, look for long block headed and pot belly. Better to go with the flow than cause waves. I guess I look at it a life different than most anyway. They all taste the same.

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[gar6]

their breast is how you tell

[bulletpusher]

They all taste the same.

Yeah, but if you want a real treat, shoot the 1 1/2 year old and it will be the most tender you've ever had. Unless you've eaten one with spots. I have recently been converted to the "The younger the better" club, for does.

[MedicBowChick]

I wouldnt be so concerned about ageing a doe. If your doing it for mangement purpose then ground check everyone you see.If you have a big heart let the ones that have nursing fawns walk.

[JSAPP]

Same as a buck.

[qzilla]

Why do they want to shoot old doe?

Because your older does are the results of your herd 5-6 or 7 years ago. Your younger does are the results of your last few years. If you have done your job your younger does will have better genetics.

Also really young does have buck fawn more frequently than the older does. This seems to flatten out at 2.5yrs old. No one really knows why but, all the fetus studies we have done show this to be correct in most all cases. If you have a place that has current year fawns breeding they have something like 80% buck fawns.

Don't get it but, held a million fetus' and seen the numbers play out.

So a combination of the above is why they want to shoot the older does. Also for the "better mother" crowd which I don't think has been present here yet, that is not true and they are not going to kill ALL of the older deer I am certain.

[aironeout]

Just a few things that I have noticed over the years is that early in the season the really old ones tend to be much "poorer" than their younger counter parts if they have a fawn. Not always true but I do use it as a tool. Another tool I use is callouses on the front knees, older deer tend to have these. The other thing is that I have noticed that the older does tend to hang on to their orange looking "summer fur" a lot longer than younger does. As the season progresses they might still have patches of this fur as well. I also look at the distance from the top of the head to the eyes compared to the distance from the eyes to the nose as they have their head down eating towards me. In the older does the distance from eyes to nose is some times double the distance from top of head to eyes. Here is one that fit all of these characteristics. She had a fawn but I have no idea how she raised it, when she would eat corn she couldn't hardly chew it and would have to throw her head back like a human taking a pill just to swallow. I have used this regularly and my brother is always amazed at the cleaning station and always says "Dang that sob killed another old one, I don't know how he does it." Like Quad says cut the jaw immediately and remember the details/characteristics that she showed before you killed her.

>E

[LoneWolf 333]

Adams Apple...too funny!!!

[05 gray ghost]

A lot of good ideas