jerseyhunter

Where I hunt its called earn a buck, you have to shoot a doe before you can take a buck so yes I would shoot. Besides the fawns are old enough by then to survive.

skeeter 7MM

I got a question, are the does sizes really that different? What is a big doe? I hear it all the time I took a nice big doe, everybody says that when they shoot a doe. My theory is unless a yearling or 1 1/2 doe they are all about the same size. To prove this theory 2 weeks ago we were elk hunting and harvested 5 does. While some looked bigger in appearance the scale showed very incremental differences - 5lbs was the difference from biggest to smallest (this is hide off).

I will admit some look larger but when you get to the meat a doe is doe if semi-mature and no real big difference, at least in this parts. I think many judge the size of the does to their fawns, which of course make them appear BIG.

Maybe in your areas does range in size quite a bit, just curious. Up here they are all pretty standard 150lbs girls on the hoof.

Split-Hoof

Well I know in my area there is a definite size difference among does. Some would even go over 200 pounds dressed, especially since they did away with doe permits in this area. I have seen does that I swore were bucks until I saw the head, because of the huge body size. The majority of them are younger, smaller animals though.

I don' t shoot does, even when it was legal and I had a tag I chose not to. However, if I were to hunt them, I wouldn' t hesitate to shoot a doe with a yearling tagging along.

skeeter 7MM

200 pound does dressed??? Not doubting you but that seems a little big. I shot a WT buck last fall that was well over average in the weight dept. and would guess may have dressed 250lbs. However we don' t weigh our deer like you all, we don' t have check stations, so it is just an estimate and I may be a bit off. I know I can handle does with the guts dropped myself loading in the back of my truck, bucks are a struggle though...hey maybe I am stronger than I thought and under estimating

Split-Hoof

Yeah it is definitely big for a doe, and not common, but not unheard of. I remember quite a few years ago someone shot a big doe and threw it on the scales just to see what it weighed. I don' t remember the exact weight but it was between 220 and 230 pounds (dressed). That is very rare though.

There are also a few cases every year of people shooting antlered does in Maine. Some of them weighed in over the 200 lb. mark.

I would think there would be some 200+ pound does running around in your neck of the woods. I know those bucks can be some real heavyweights just like here.

vtbuckrulrss

i don' t care what she has tagging along, which ever one gives me the first shot gets dropped. venison all tastes the same.would prefer the doe first, though. split is right, we too get some large doe, though not quite that big. dressed doe here can go up to 160, maybe 170 mark. but most come in between 110-140. if it' s brown, drop it.

Split-Hoof

Well I did some checking and it seems the Maine state record doe is officially 180 pounds dressed. Of course this is only the biggest of does that were weighed and officially documented, and most hunters around here don' t bother weighing does. This also does not include the antlered ones, which are genetic freaks.

As far as the 220 + pounder, I am wondering if that was an exaggeration. There are some big ones out there that would top 200 though, I am sure of that.

Dave590

I tend to shoot the smallest thing around. I would most likely leave the " doe" and take the smaller one.

The small one' s taste better.

LeeinVa1

Not only do they taste better, they drag easier.

Dave590

Ben...Not only do they drag better, If they are small enough, you can put a vest on em' , tie the legs up, and carry them like an orange briefcase.