Will you shoot Roe Doe's through March ?

[Blot]

The season was extended for a month last year to "give deer managers a chance to achieve their cull figures". Whilst I never agreed with the concept in the first place, on the basis that deer managers should get up earlier and work longer to achieve their cull figures, why is it that recreational stalkers take this "extended season" to go out and just shoot pregnant females?

The season is long enough and should have been left alone - I for one will not be shooting after the end of February because gralloching a Roe Doe with a fairly well formed foetus doesn't turn me on at all. Also, as I am not under any pressure from the land owner, why should I?

I'd be interested to hear what other SD members think.

 

[sikamalc]

I am finished on my Roe doe cull on both areas I have in Sussex and in Dorset.

I have no intention of taking doe's after the end of this month, I see little point in extending the season. If you have land that you manage you should be able to achieve your cull within the season, if you have consistantly not managed to achieve the cull, you either need help or you have too much ground to manage.

Shooting heavily pregnant deer is morally and ethically wrong in my book. And I have no doubt some bright spark will now say "well better to shoot the hind/doe now than leave a motherless fawn/calf". True but then if you had carried out the cull properly in the first place you would not need to extend your cull into March.

 

[howa243]

My choice is not to do so.

 

[The Mole]

Shooting pregnant does is distasteful, but the size of the foetus is almost irrrelevant. Dead is dead. I have no problems with the morals of it, but still don't like doing it.

Our doe cull was complete three weeks ago anyway, and we always try to get it done by the end of January if possible . Ok, that doesn't work all the time but we've never failed to complete before the end of Feb. It helps that our shoot is cooperative and happy that stalking goes on outside shoot days.

I worry that the March extension will simply give people an excuse to be lazy and take longer over it.

 

[willie_gunn]

Shooting heavily pregnant deer is morally and ethically wrong in my book

Whilst I respect this attitude, when it comes to muntjac we are advised to shoot exactly that, heavily pregnant does. Will someone please explain the ethical/moral argument as to why is it wrong for roe but fine for muntjac?

willie_gunn

 

[bambislayer]

In Scotland the doe season has always been up untill the end of March.
I have always tried to get finnished by end of Feb, just so I can get some time off!
I have however shot females to the end of March, it's a personal thing as to whether you do it or not, personally it doesn't bother me.
It's not the case of "not getting on with it", take this Feb, you lost 3wks stalking to snow, in the past I've had 6wks of not getting on the hill or wood due to snow, it ain't always as simple aas not getting of your a****.
It's also down to economics, if your income is derived from venison then the longer you can shoot the better, I know for many this will be seen as an abhorrent statement , but it is true.
In Scotland March is the most effective time to kill does and if need be Sika and Red also, a lot of the time effectiveness is the main driver not sport.

 

[apollo]

We have been shooting pregnent does for nearly a month now, so was the old season to long aswell and if we have to shoot for another few weeks does that make us lazy or less of a stalker than you people who have finnished three weeks ago???

Everyone has different plans and time to stalk, aswell as experiance so for some of us it does help, as far as muntjac we shoot them pregnent aswell, killing deer when they are in the womb or in the fields is an emotive subject because of their cute looks but it does have to be done...eddie

 

[paul k]

Shooting heavily pregnant deer is morally and ethically wrong in my book

Whilst I respect this attitude, when it comes to muntjac we are advised to shoot exactly that, heavily pregnant does. Will someone please explain the ethical/moral argument as to why is it wrong for roe but fine for muntjac?

willie_gunn

Willie,

I don't think that shooting a pregnant muntjac is any more ethical on the face of it. However because of the erratic breeding season it is almost impossible to predict the state of the does and it is probably preferable to shoot a pregnant doe than leave a young fawn without a mother.

 

[Nix Niveus]

No, but we don't have huge deer numbers. If there was a serious population problem I would. I view Does as carrying next years shooting.

 

[Nix Niveus]

No, but we don't have huge deer numbers. If there was a serious population problem I would. I view Does as carrying next years shooting.

 

[scotsgun]

I won't consider it .

 

[devilishdave]

Deer

I will shoot until mid march because I am going over seas for a few months and still have to get approx 10 beasts to finish the cull. The animals seamed to disapear in Nov and early Dec.

I have shot Does in the last week of March in Scotland and to be honest it is not a particularly nice thing but they are no more pregnant than they were at the end of Jan the feotus is just bigger and more formed.

Dave

 

[thomas]

This Saturday should be it for the fallow season with me. I did shoot a a couple of does last March and the feotus was very well formed. I don't really want to do it again unless it is absolutely necessary.

 

[jingzy]

Having always had the ability to shoot till the end of March then I am used to it and it doesn't really phase me although I try not to. People are talking here about shooting pregnant does. If the area needs a poulation reduction then it is an excellent way of reducing your numbers. If however you dont need to reduce numbers, then just shoot the weak, the old does and last years kids if they fit your management plan.

It does not state that you have to shoot pregnant does in March!

J

 

[WAYNE DAVIES]

I would prefer not to BUT late Feb/March we traditionally have big numbers of Fallow show up on several farms which doesn't go down much with the farmers so not a lot of choice.
The woods they live in our not ours and by Feb there is no food left so they hit our ground.


As for Munties the more I do the more confused i get with them.
Last year on two occasions myself and once with a guest i done what i would have told anyone else not to do. I shot a doe being followed by a buck none of them were intentional the buck just appeared after shooting the doe. All three were pregnant already???? So all three perfect for culling would have been let walk if I had seen the buck??

As for shooting fat Muntjac does most of what I shoot are crossing a 4 ft ride in light so bad you can only just tell its a Muntjac you certainly don't have time to examine it with the binos first???
But I do love the little buggers

Wayne

 

[Davie]

I have got one more doe to go and my cull is finished i am taking a chap out this weekend from the site and hope that's it all by.Like others i have had the ability to shoot does through march but choose not to. Roe does if in fawn at this time are extremely hungry and will feed out not paying to much attention to the stalker so from march onward it is not a sport its a chore and i am not n this game to shoot big fat easy does i like the challenges that a good healthy deer provides.
I

 

[shootingduckdog]

fascinated

This whole debate fascinates me.

Grown men who are perfectly happy to shoot young deer (say 6 months) and adult deer, which are, lets face it, beautiful and does in November (which are already pregnant) balk at the idea of foetuses

I fully accept that deer that are obliged to feed hard due to pregnancy deserve protection and a sporting chance. However as previously stated you can select non pregnant does where possible.

Wether you shoot a doe in November or March the effect on the population is the same.

I havent shot a doe in March as I have had no cause to but I am sure I would if I had cause.

I can assure you that I am not without compassion I just struggle with this enigma, people who shoot muntjac without concern then leave roe does? or do they??

 

[WAYNE DAVIES]

Davie said

I have got one more doe to go and my cull is finished i am taking a chap out this weekend from the site and hope that's it all by.Like others i have had the ability to shoot does through march but choose not to. Roe does if in fawn at this time are extremely hungry and will feed out not paying to much attention to the stalker so from march onward it is not a sport its a chore and i am not n this game to shoot big fat easy does i like the challenges that a good healthy deer provides.
I

Hi Davie
Can't say i enjoy shooting "fat lazy does" not quite how i would describe hard pushed Fallow does with a sixth sense for survival
Most of my ground is FOC and if the landowner thinks there are too many I have to be seen doing something.
Around here there are plenty knocking on their doors offering to do a better job

Good luck the weekend I to have a chap off the site coming up this weekend to try his luck at shooting extremely hungry, heavily pregnant Muntjac does and hopefully a few bucks

Wayne

 

[bambislayer]

I have got one more doe to go and my cull is finished i am taking a chap out this weekend from the site and hope that's it all by.Like others i have had the ability to shoot does through march but choose not to. Roe does if in fawn at this time are extremely hungry and will feed out not paying to much attention to the stalker so from march onward it is not a sport its a chore and i am not n this game to shoot big fat easy does i like the challenges that a good healthy deer provides.
I

Quite the oposite, I'd rather stalk and shoot an old scrag of a deer and shoot it and leave the nice healthy ones to breed, is that not what deer management is all about.
Deer Management isn't nessessaruily about sport.

 

[scotspine]

I would consider culling whenever it is legal to do so....sometimes deer management is required outwith the "normal" seasons.It all depends on your objectives.

regards