For you guys that enjoy hunting over a deer feeder, what is one problem you often encounter at the corn pile? I hunt over deer feeders through out the season, I especially focus on hunting bait stations during early archery season. There is one thing I have noticed over the years while in a tree observing deer. There always seems to be one doe that dominates the feed station. She always seems to control the corn pile. Her fawns often get to eat more then other fawns, and you can forget about a buck eating while she is on the corn. Not only will she dominate the corn pile, she often is the doe that will bust you!
Guys, you might not realize this but, she needs to GO! She is a problem that should be dealt with ASAP. The sooner you can remove her from the heard the better the rest of your season will be. If you are still not sure what I am getting at then just hear me out. Lets talk about why she needs to be removed.
Age and Experience
I know this might sound stupid but, a old doe grows to become old because of experience. Just like a mature buck, a mature doe is constantly learning how to survive in her environment. This trait is great for reproduction of fawns in areas where the deer population is low. However in the states I hunt, the population is no where near what most experts consider being low. So, lets forget about the one positive of letting old does walk if we have a great population of deer.
An experienced doe most likely has figured out deer feed stations equal food and hunters. I hunted areas before where the old boss doe approaches the corn pile looking up at the trees. I bet some of you have too if you hunt in the south. She knows there is easy food on the ground but also through experience, she knows that easy food equals danger. Therefore, her fawns will pick up on this and at times begin looking for the danger as well. Other deer in sight of her will also pay attention and just hang back to observe why she is on high alert. She educates every deer in sight of her. This can bow hunting extremely difficult.
She is loud!
In my experience, there is nothing more infuriating then having an old doe blow at me. You guys with experience know exactly what I am talking about. Its frustrating and can be discouraging during a hunt. Having a deer blow at you does not mean the hunt is over but, it can certainly be discouraging. Often times, she will move just out of range and continue to blow for extended periods of time. It can be unnerving for a young hunter and very annoying to a seasoned veteran.
An Old Mature doe will fight off the bucks
Early in the season a mature doe will defend a food source for one simple reason. She wants her fawns to eat as much as possible before winter sets in. Like stated earlier, this is great for areas with low deer populations. However, if you hunt in areas containing a high density of deer, then you need feed stations to attract many deer into range of your weapon.
I have seen this issue countless times. There are bucks in the area however, they never come into range during the daylight because there is a pack of females controlling the feed station. That pack of does I am referring to, are always lead by one boss doe. She sets the tone and will not allow bucks near her fawns while they eat. If you remove her from the equation, you will find the bucks in the area will frequent the bait station more often during all times of the day.
Summary
I know we can over think deer hunting. I want to be clear, you should not spend all you time or focus on removing the old doe in your area. However, if you are presented an opportunity to take her out, then do IT! Mature female deer are beneficial in some areas we hunt. The older does can also be a problem and should be removed if possible. The sooner you can do this in the season, the better off you will be hunting over bait.
If you guys liked this article then let us know about it. I am sure some of you have negative results due to the boss doe ruining your hunt. Some of you might not agree with the content in this post. I am simply sharing my personal experiences and hope to help others that encounters similar situations.
If nothing else, talk to your buddies about this subject around the campfire. Just see if they agree or disagree about the problems a wise old doe can create at a bait station.
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Thanks for Reading!