ost hunters, when they head to the woods, have some sort of expectation or goal in mind regarding that deer hunt. Some may have a need to fill their freezer and any legal deer they see will be at risk, or they might be selecting a hunting location specifically to harvest a doe. Other hunters may be laser focused on a mature buck they’ve been following on their trail cameras for the past six months. They then decide to set up on the main trail between the two camera locations where they regularly see him. In addition to hunting goals and expectations, most landowners today have management goals that drive many of the decisions they make throughout the hunting season. Usually, these management goals involve protecting young bucks and ensuring an adequate harvest of antlerless deer, the two foundational concepts associated with quality deer management. A plethora of articles and opinion-based columns have been published on the subject of protecting young bucks, and the concept “let him go so he can grow” is generally imprinted in most deer hunters today. The antlerless portion of the management strategy is usually numerical in nature and generally focused on how to successfully harvest enough antlerless deer during a season. However, there are several nuanced aspects to antlerless harvest that are commonly discussed at camp, around the campfire, on podcasts, etc. These include when to harvest does, and which ones to
