When to take Does?

[AG-Bar]

In your opinion when is the best time to take a doe? I have heard multiple view points such as; keep the does around to draw in bucks during the rut, take a doe during the rut and use her as attractant, and take does early so that later on bucks aren't having to leave and search/compete for food someone else.
Different states also manage things differently. I know here in Oklahoma they run the holiday antlerless season which happens after rut and even after rifle season. I have not done research or asked if they decided on that time frame for a reason other than people have time off around the holidays. I also know some other states use the Earn-A-Buck system in which you have to take a doe before taking a buck, which to me would make people want to take a doe early.

I am curious let me know what you think!
Not sure if this has ever been talked about on here before but I wanted to pick yall's brains and get your view point.

 

[PiedmontGuy]

I think you take the first doe that figures out where you are in your stand/blind. You can't ever use that spot again while she's around and she is teaching the others how to look for you. If she blows, then she needs to go.

 

[retrieverman]

If I believed that every place had a doe over population problem, I’d support an “earn a buck” program, but I don’t and don’t. If I’m going to take a doe, it’s going to be at a time that is convenient for ME. Since I do most of my hunting with a crossbow in October, that’s generally when I‘ll kill one UNLESS like mention above…if she blows, she goes.

 

[OKRuss]

Will be following this one as I'd like to hear other opinions. On our property(320 ac), it seems from cameras to be an over abundance of does. We started last year with a '5 doe minimum' harvest BUT don't take any until it seems the rut is winding down. Logic is like posted - thoughts are to keep bucks around if does are in estrus. However, the Devils advocate says too may does and the bucks will pull one off early and lock down leaving fewer big bucks during peak rut. Damned if you do, damned if you don't!

 

[hunter966]

My place is just a travel corridor more or less, and I’ve got 9-13 does/fawns that are pretty regular about coming.

After gun season is when I’ll personally take a doe or two, but if I had more acreage to hunt, I would do like retrieverman and do it at my convenience.

 

[Jared]

In theory, harvesting does early/pre-rut would make for a more exciting rut due to the competition.

 

[CanadianRiverRat]

In my experience, it's best to shoot 'em as soon as they get inside the garden fence. No need to waste a last meal on the thievin' bastages!

 

[Hirschkopf]

This will be only my 2nd year hunting OK Whitetail Deer, and lately the activity at my only feeder with a working camera has fallen off a cliff. I live 1000+ miles from my east-central hunting ground, so I'd much rather get some venison and excitement than potentially getting skunked. Thus, I hope to harvest two decent sized does ASAP, and maybe a basket 8+ buck, rather than devise an allegedly optimized plan involving a "shooter" buck and the right order to get does.

I'm not quite in the "If it's brown it's down" club, but I might be close

As my place evolves - with a mix of feeders, box blinds, ladder stands, plots, etc, I might get more picky as I get more confident about harvesting at least a couple of deer, yearly, off of my property.

 

[Shinneryfarmer]

If its convenient or I just want some venison I shoot. But this year may be a different story, several does have already been killed in the last few weeks coming off my place by automobiles. Know of four that have been killed in the last two weeks. Two by different vehicles less than 5 minutes apart. They keep this up and I want have any to shoot.

 

[CHenry]

I take the first fat doe I see no matter when it is.