If you know the spot you are hunting will be yours for a few years then let them walk and put them on a year-round feeder. They generally will stick nearby and then when they come in heat its on for the big deer. Be careful with your stand placement. I have killed several big deer doing this and got to the point where I recognized each individual doe.
If all you are seeing is these three deer I would let them walk. There evidently isn't many deer there and these three will help spread the population. One of the young ones is probably a little button buck. I wouldn't shoot the Mom with her young ones but that's just me. Certainly nothing really wrong with it as long as the meat doesn't go to waste.
Let them walk
There are tons of deer here.... these just so happen to be the ones that I always get a chance at. I don't know if I could bring myself to shoot the yearlings. We will see, I guess. Hopefully Ill get a shot at a buck or a single doe and I wont be so darn anxious anymore.
Shoot one of the young tender deer and let the other two go.
I would shoot the mature doe, the two yearlings will survive just fine at this age. Besides if you kill one of the yearlings you very possibly will kill a "button buck".
Knock one of the smaller ones down. Agreed, the smaller ones are tender.
I'd kill!! I won't starve
If you're relying on venison to avoid starving, you're in a world of trouble, buddy.
Chris-I'm not a hunter (honestly...don't have anything against it, just not for me), but if you're feeling potential guilt about shooting any of these three, then let 'em go. This seems like opportunistic hunting to me, as opposed to tracking down a nice buck, which is what it seems you'd rather have. Wait for what you want, don't settle.
I'd kill!! I won't starve
If you're relying on venison to avoid starving, you're in a world of trouble, buddy.
Chris-I'm not a hunter (honestly...don't have anything against it, just not for me), but if you're feeling potential guilt about shooting any of these three, then let 'em go. This seems like opportunistic hunting to me, as opposed to tracking down a nice buck, which is what it seems you'd rather have. Wait for what you want, don't settle.
Has nothing to do with whether its a buck or a doe. I just want to do whats right for the longevity and procreation of the deer in my area. As far as the guilt ... yeah I would feel a little guilty taking the mom right in front of her babies or vice-versa but the reality of it is, it's hunting. None of its fun for the animals.
Doubt there's a shortage of deer anywhere in NC. Bhi is about to have a controlled hunt to thin them out even over there.
I would shoot the mature doe, the two yearlings will survive just fine at this age. Besides if you kill one of the yearlings you very possibly will kill a "button buck".
Fairly easy to,see if deer are in the open with a scope. I have shot plenty of button bucks, but would prefer to shoot the smaller doe now. I would have a little guilt shooting the mom with fawns, but as Chris said, it's hunting.. None of it is fun for them... Good thing were on the other end of the food chain.
Good luck
don't feel guilt! Thank the lord for providing you many many free meals and celebrate the deers life by using as much of it as possible
I'm in agreement that there's no shortage of deer around here. Wife saw three run through our backyard this morning. Regardless, do what you feel is right.
if it's brown it's down , or you missed it , or you chose not to shoot .... I have done all 3 ,,,,,,,,,,, sometimes I will let them walk around my stand and not shoot any cause I love to watch them ,,,,,,, Other times it is in trouble myself I had rather shoot a nice doe that a 6 pointer ...... I have like 6 on the wall from a 8point to a 13 point so I dont really care about horns anymore
It's on tomorrow. My buddy is going to stalk from the other side of the game lands and push them towards me in my stand. One or hopefully both of us WILL leave with meat.