THE BEST TIME TO KILL A DOE

Photo Courtesy Dream Chasers Hunt.

When to shoot a few does? That’s a question many of us struggle with throughout the season. Then, next thing you know, those tags are burned. We’re not telling you what to do, just breaking down the pros and cons of shooting does throughout the season.

EARLY SEASON

This is bow season, unless you live in the Lowcountry of South Carolina where rifle shots begin echoing through the swamps on August 15. Of course, their rut begins super early too. That’s a phenomenon worth exploring another day.

Pros

In the early season, you don’t run the risk of shooting a pregnant doe. Bucks are more worried about browse and forage than their female counterparts - they’re fattening up before running crazy. The woods are still void of human scent and deer are in their summer patterns. Shooting a doe at the early point of the season should be relatively easy. And if you’re holding out for a buck but still want to shoot a doe, at least your bow is quiet.

Cons

Depending on your latitudinal line on the United States map, you could be dealing with ticks, fleas and other parasites that live in the summer coats of whitetail deer (Many areas of the country don’t experience hard freezes, so these could be prevalent most of the season. Sorry, Florida.). It doesn’t effect the meat, so if you don’t mind the bugs, then you’re good to go. However, what does quickly ruin meat is the heat. Should you choose to shoot a doe early season, get it gutted, to the processor, on ice or in a freezer quickly.

While the bow is a lot more quiet than the rifle, a doe crashing through the woods into her death throes alerts the entire woods that something unusual is happening. Any big bucks that are close by likely won’t come out.

MID SEASON

The weather has cooled a bit. It’s getting into muzzleloader season and the booms! are picking up. Deer are starting to get somewhat wary.

Pros

Does are still likely not pregnant. The cooler weather means you won’t have to rush to get the meat to the processor or in a cooler. If you shoot a doe early in the hunt, it’s okay to let her lay for a little while longer as you wait for a buck.

Cons

The buck activity is picking up. The pre rut is on the cusp of dumping into the rut and sending testosterone levels through the roof. Bucks are sparring in greenfields in the late evening and if you shoot a doe, they likely won’t show up at all due to the loud noise.

LATE SEASON

Now, it’s cold. You can keep a doe on the skinning rack for several days without worry of it spoiling. The chase is in full swing and you never know when the next doe to show up has a monster buck on her trail.

Pros

Aged meat is always better. If you have a tender doe hanging outside in the cold air, you can cut the select pieces as you wish, to eat at your leisure. Never worry about spoilage in the late season where the winter weather behaves as it should.

Cons

A lot of does have been bred at this point. Sure, there are still the old maids that remain single and childless. But you never know.

If you use a processor, the backup is going to be immense. An early season doe would probably already be air-sealed in your freezer. At the same time, like most of us, you likely already have meat left over from seasons past.

Figure out what’s important to you during the deer season. Is it the meat? Would you rather kill a good buck and forego the deliciousness of a tender doe? Once you’re able to assess, you’ll know when then have a better understanding, personally, of the best time to kill a doe.