If you’ve been observing this year’s crop of fawns following Mama around the pastures and field edges lately, you’re probably excited to see two or even three young ones in tow.
It’s a good news/bad news story as it means plenty of opportunities for hunters this fall but potential disaster for motorists; and it’s a reflection that we still haven’t done a great job controlling herd growth to match carrying capacity.
The weekly reports of car-deer accidents in the local newspapers are tapering off after the June spring peak when does typically birth their young. Most of us know that November is the worst month of all for vehicle-deer crashes as the bucks enter the rut and farmers harvest their corn and soybeans. A big doe took out my beloved 2010 Honda Odyssey last July, and I’ve had a vendetta against does ever since.
It will soon be time to do our duty as hunter-conservationists and trim the herd with bow, crossbow, rifle, shotgun and muzzleloader. That has to include shooting does or “antlerless deer,” which occasionally includes button bucks. As much as I hated the Earn-a-Buck years (when you had to shoot an antlerless deer before you could shoot a buck), I got the very real biological goal of herd control. Some hunters don’t think we should ever shoot does because “the does draw the bucks to my land,” and that selfish thinking is a big part of the problem.
Officially, Quality Deer Management embraces the harvest of does, but we all know trophy hunters who just won’t do it. You’d think after decades of reading about deer biology in the magazines (Deer and Deer Hunting published in Waupaca is one of the best), we’d all have this figured out. The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources has done its best to manage the herd for a healthy population (our state still boasts the most record bucks in America), but we hunters have to shoulder the responsibility of making these goals happen as stewards of the land and its wildlife.
Once again, hunters in Shawano County and surrounding counties will have plenty of opportunities this fall to shoot antlerless deer, with three free permits per bow and gun buck permit. Shawano, Oconto (Central Farmland portion), Waupaca and Portage county hunters get three each, while Langlade County (Central Farmland portion) gets two.
If you want more antlerless permits, you are in luck. Earlier this week, bonus antlerless permits went on sale for $12 each ($20 for non-residents). You may purchase one per day per person until sold out. (It is rare for a sellout in any county.) You must designate which county you will hunt in and whether it is on private or public land. (Antlerless tags are not weapon-specific.)
Shawano County’s bonus antlerless permit quota is 1,000 for public land and 5,500 for private land. Oconto County’s quota in the Central Farmland portion is 500 for public and 1,300 for private land.
For a list of county quotas and more information on antlerless permits, go to https://dnr.wisconsin.gov/permits/bonusavailability.html
Does don’t have flashy antlers to impress your hunting buddies or adorn your walls, but they do taste amazing. A grilled rare doe tenderloin or steak can impress anyone. Antlerless deer offer hunting chances for young or new hunters that the wise, old bucks may not — especially during the bow/crossbow season. (Anyone can get lucky during the gun season, right?) Fawns are especially tender and certainly compare to veal in tenderness. This is why my wife likes to tell me to “Shoot a small one” as I walk out the door.
I don’t know if it’s the testosterone in a buck, but I feel does almost always taste better than bucks. According to the National Deer Association (new to me also), does do taste better. Age, diet and how the meat was handled after the kill are other factors affecting venison flavor. Read about different species of deer and how the stronger scent of buck meat also can affect taste at https://deerassociation.com/which-venison-tastes-better-bucks-or-does/
One of the best reasons to hunt does is that it helps prevent starvation and disease caused by overpopulation. Overgrazing also destroys habitat for ground-nesting songbirds and other wildlife.
Sept. 12 is opening day for the bow and crossbow season. It’s your first chance to look at whitetail hunting in a whole new way and put the emphasis on helping the ecosystem while putting some tasty venison in the freezer in the form of does.
Ross Bielema is a freelance writer from New London and owner of Wolf River Concealed Carry LLC. Readers can contact him at ross@wolfriverccw.com
