GregG
Happy to share my thoughts on this
Wednesday, December 30, 2020, 04:46

First, I don't consider your hesitation a sign of weakness. I suspect it is a healthy blend of ethics and pragmatism. You're flashing back to the old nursery rhyme - "Should I kill the goose that lays the golden eggs?" Sounds like deer are a bit sparse in the area. Deer don't wander far from their birthplace so if you shoot the big doe, that takes a reproductive engine out of the area - the probability of more deer in the future, at least from her is diminished. You're concerned that if you shoot the big doe you're really killing 3 deer, as the small ones may not be ready to breed or last long without supervision. I think if you shoot the big doe, your ethics will haunt you as you start to take that first bite at the dinner table. You'll be thinking about those two little ones and your meal will be unsatisfying. I think the better story for your grandkids is how you could have harvested the big doe but allowed it to live and continue to pro-create - for you and for them. The does will all be around next season - likely with some friends. Then you can shoot with a clear conscience.