When Should You Start Shooting Does During Hunting Season?

by Bill Winke • June 29, 2011 • 5 comments

I get this question often: when should you start shooting does during hunting season?

I try and shoot  whitetail does as early as possible while bowhunting – for a couple of reasons.  First, this reduces the number of does the whitetail bucks must breed during the rut, which in turn reduces overall stress on the buck herd so they enter the winter in better shape.

Second, this gets you a good jump-start so that if you are below your target number you have all season to catch up.

If you wait until the end, not only are you shooting does that the biggest buck in the area could have bred, but you have no opportunity to catch back up if weather or other factors limit hunting opportunities.

Shoot them early and you will be happy.

In Tactics, Whitetail • Tagged , ,
  • Ray

    We hunt Mulies in Wash. we can only get one deer a year here so if we shoot does, we try for the older does they aren't

    makin little ones anymore…just eating food and being on alert ALL THE TIME.

  • Mac McSweeney

    My family has the opinion that does taken early in the season are more tender for eating – one more reason to put them in the freezer early.

  • http://deerhuntinfool Chris Stoneham

    The first two weeks of bow season should be reserved for bucks only like wise for the first two weeks of november otherwise than that shoot at will

  • Ed

    We shoot them early too. The least does in the woods the esier it is to call the bucks in during the rut. Also, in Fairfield CT we have an over population problem so we need to shoot some does and as Mac said, better tasting.

  • jim

    Early oct ,lots of cover still on trees and on the ground.I watch for patterns,food to cover and if a big doe gives me a good shot. I dont have to worry about meat in the freezer latter.