I shot my first doe today filling my muzzleloader tag. But for the first time, I felt pretty bad about it.

I hadnt seen many deer this year, I have hunted about 8 days since the late season started and havent seen to much, been hunting near my house. I have never had to shoot a doe yet but I did today becasue because I am not going to get but a couple more days to hunt.

Anyways about 10:00 I walked into a little clear cut where you can look down off a hill to the edge of some timber. Right away I see a big doe beded down on the other side at about 160 yards. She sees me but she dosent think I see her. I sit on a stump for about a 10 min waiting to see if a buck pops out or up but I dont see anything. I give a couple gunts on the tube and wait about 20 more minutes nothing happens, the doe is still beded down. At that point I wasnt going to shoot her, but I start thinking that I dont have alot of more days to hunt and I need to fill my tag. I was kinda worried that she might have this years fawn still with her but I had glassed the whole area and hadnt seen anything, So I was confident there wasnt one around. I know that even if she did still have this years fawn and I killed her it would most likely be alright without her but I still wouldnt shoot her becasue I would feel bad about it.

I decided to see If I could gain some ground on her for a closer shot, 160 is to far for me with open sights. I get about 20 yards closer and she stands up broadside. She stands still at about 140 yards so I take a rest on a stump aiming for the front shoulder because she is very slightly quartered towards me, even though its along ways i feel good about the shot I have done some practice up to 200 yards from a rest. I shoot and after the smoke she is gone but her yearling fawn gets up just infront of where she was and takes off into the timber. Right away I hear some thrashing so I know I hit her.

Im already feeling pretty bad because of the fawn. I wait about 20 min and start a track and right away Im seeing alot of blood. I follow about 30 yards and then it circles around back towards where I shot her. Another 15 yards and I jump both her and the fawn. I can see that she isnt yousing her left front leg. She beds down about twent yards away with her fawn standing next to her. I shoot her in the neck and end it.

Well to make a long story short her fawn watched me gut her from 20 yards away and left when I started dragging her out. Im sure the fawn will be fine, It was about half the size of the doe and definately feeding on its own, but that was about the worst feeling I have ever had.

I can tell you somthing else, I am not going to take a 140 yard shot with open sights at a deer again even from a rest . I ended up hitting her low and shatered her left leg just below the shoulder, definately not a kill shot, I hit no vitals but I did cripple her.

Sorry about that Rich. Unfortunately that is part of hunting, but you finished the hunt that you started and that was the right thing to do. We'll keep that in mind tomorrow when we take Ryan out for a try at deer.

well at least you finished what YOU started. That is a long shot for a ML.
Doe meat tastes the same as bucks ( or better) so I'm told.

this is just one of several reasons why I choose to just focus on bucks & bulls. Sometimes I have to settle for un-notched tag soup (but luckily not too often).

To each their own...
but for sure you will think about this choice for a long, long time.

Way to finish the job. Good story too.

That would definitely be a gut-check situation, but I'm sure you understand it is part of the game. It is what separates you/us from people who have only had their meat come in a package , or in a burger, and have only a vague idea that it was once an animal with a mommy, daddy and big cute brown eyes.

it happens to the best of us. glad you for the deer and look at it like this. maybe you didnt want to shoot a doe...well you filled your tag. and once you get that thing cut up you wont know the difference

good job

Never wanted to fill my tag bad enough to shoot a doe when I lived in Oregon and could shoot a doe to fill my tag if I wanted to, but I have shot a buck on private property that was much like shooting the neighbors dog. Unsuspecting and innocently standing there, close range, shooting fish in the barrel style. Taking shots that you end up regretting after the kill teach you a lot about yourself and the sport.

Sometimes, getting the meat isn't always worth it. At the same time, I hate eating my tags as well. Can't season that paper enough to make it taste good.

Hey you may of helped educate a fawn that might live a year or 4 longer. Heck it may even have a nice rack someday thanks to you. The important part of your story is that you finished the job and you wanted the meat. I felt it was more important to fill a first time hunters tag with a doe this year than spend the little time I had to hunt filling my buck only tag. If I could of taken a doe this year I would have for the meat.
Throw a steak on super hot grill and cook it rare for me. I was looking forward to that this winter and will be garding what little I have in the way of venison for the next couple of months. Just apply what you didn't like about this year to make next year better...

Live and learn. You've got venison for the year. It's nice to see a post from Rich G again.

Nothing wrong with shooting a doe once in a while. I think I've shot 4 does out of 16 deer taken.

Hey RIch---saw your post and made me think of a part in a book I am reading. Name of the book is Alone in the Wilderness_Written by Hap Gilliland_Cheyenne Indian. During his High School years spent 3 months in the wilderness of Montana. I know you said you looked for a fawn, and that was good thinking--but you did not have "Grandpa" with you like the author did-when he talks about the experience in his younger years.

"The first deer I saw when I hunted with Grandfather was a big buck with huge antlers. I didnt consider shooting it because Grandfather told me their meat was tough and strong, especially in the fall. That buck would be good for the "great white hunters" who come out West looking for trophy antlers to take home to prove their prowness. We are after meat for the winter. THe second one was a large one without antlers. I had raised my rifle to shoot but Grandfather quickly said NO! I lowered my rifle and he said "Look closely." A moment later a fawn stepped out of the brush, and Grandfather said, "Be careful that you never shoot a doe with a fawn, you may be killing two deer instead of one, and some future deer besides. I had finally gotten a big dry doe. After I had shot the deer, Grandfather had run to it, but instead of starting to dress it out immediately, he sat down and stroked it tenderly. He took off his beaded bolo tie and draped it across the mule deer's big ears. He closed his eyes and began talking softly, thanking the Creator for leading it to us, and the spirit of the deer for sacrificing herself so that we might eat. He looked up at me and handed me his knife. "You can dress it now, but be sure you show your appreciation by not wasting a particle of it". Whenever you catch a deer honor its spirit and thank the Great Father for it. If you dont you, and you never find deer again when you need one, blame only yourself. Do you expect your friends to repeat favors for you if you dont show appreciation?"

So, that said--if you have a son and may be a Grandfather someday--your experience can help them when the time comes.

That's why I've made a personal choice to not set up for any shot longer than 100yds...preferably 75 or less. I have good eyesight but with open sights and the slower trajectory of Muzzleloader slugs the odds of a poorly placed shot go up quite a bit beyond 100yds.

I have taken a couple deer from poorly placed/thought out shots in the past and it is a horrible feeling. All we can do is used the best judgement we can and not let the heat of the moment blur our decision making.

You've experienced the events and consequences, felt bad for and respected the animal and, most importantly, finished what you started.

That makes you alright in my book.

Here's hoping for a smoother hunt next time!