When filling doe tags, it’s really just about preference.
QUESTION: My state allows us to harvest two does in addition to a buck. I’m wondering if it’s better to shot one early or wait until later in the season. Will it reduce my chances for taking a buck if I do that?
ANSWER: There are several factors involved when considering the best time to harvest a doe. The biggest might be personal preference.
I lean toward early season for several reasons. One is it takes the pressure off. With venison in the freezer, you can take your time and be a bit more selective about which buck you shoot. If there’s a healthy population, there should be plenty of other does still around, and a few less might even increase competition among bucks during the rut, making for more concentrated and intense rutting activity.
If you wait until after the rut, you’re taking a doe that at least one buck has invested some energy into during the breeding process, so his efforts and energy are wasted. Hunting pressure and mortality also make does harder to come by later in the season.
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