For those that would like to go by research or experience, I might suggest a few books by Leonard Lee Rue: "The Deer Hunter's Encyclopedia", and "The Way of the Whitetail". Both are loaded with info from deer research and eyewitness observation, and together provide a great education on deer behavior, anatomy, breeding, physiology, etc. A few facts from the books that pertain to this discussion:
1. Doe fawns are fully weaned before their spots fade away, and are often bred successfully in their first fall season.
2. Does can breed for many years, and have been documented to breed into their mid-twenties (33 fawns total for that particular animal).
3. After two months or so, a fawn's survival rate is the same whether its mother is still around or not.
4. The amount and quality of available food determines the size of deer broods, and in years where the food is scarce, many does will be bred but not conceive as a result.
My two cents' worth: I would take as many as you like, in whatever order you like, but I agree that my personal preference is to make sure to leave button bucks alone, if possible, to better the buck-to-doe ratio. I have been faced with a doe and two fawns in bow range, and let's just say they all went to heaven in the same freezer.
But I checked for nubs on the little ones' heads first.
I would also caution against falling for the "Animal Planet" version of hunting ethics. I know, the influence is insidious and more pervasive than ever, but like global warming, it's an unscientific, emotion-based phenomenon that is actually not only inaccurate, but harmful over the long term for the wildlife it supposedly protects. There is an ever-intensifying battle among so called "conservationists" -- hunters on one end, bunny- and tree-huggers on the other -- to characterize the Earth as either an ecosystem in which people are just another of the vast variety of animals, or as an outdoor playground for a unique, above-the-rest creature that is somehow better or more divinely entitled than every other living thing. I happen to be a fan of the former position, and I like to believe that most, if not all, hunters count themselves at least closer to that end of the spectrum. I really don't have much use for those who want to use the outdoors as their playground and picnic area even while knowing next to nothing factual about it.
There are many other books by deer researchers, hunters, photographers, and others who have advanced the body of knowledge about deer by hands-on observation and experience. Charles Alsheimer, Grant Wood, pick your favorite TV hunter (Greg Miller is probably my favorite), etc, all of which have written books on the subject that are gold mines of information. If I could get the Disney-saturated, bunny hugging populace to read just one of them, I'd feel like I'd made a difference. Unfortunately, the battle is more about emotion and having one's way over others than it is about advancing our knowledge. I'm going to do my thing and let them continue to hope that beef grows on trees. Personally, I don't think it's cow farts that are putting all that methane into the atmosphere. I'm pointing my finger at the eco-terrorist crowd...
Specialized
