re: How long do you wait before shooting a doe with yearlings?

Generally, will let a yearling pass if they are with their mother. If they are alone, I will shoot them, no spots of course. The MO Department of Conservation wants people to kill does so I am doing my civic duty and have taken 3 so far this year. One was a yearling but completely alone.

I have four mature does coming to my main food plot stand pretty much daily, but they all have this years fawns with them. Two of them with twins.

I’ve passed on shooting one of the big does multiple times now but my trigger finger is starting to get really itchy

I have always and will continue to call them yearlings once they lose the spots, but for the sake of this conversation, I will use the correct verbiage.

I never shoot does with spotted fawns, it's extremely rare to see spotted fawns by the time I make it in the stand these days, but if they are there, momma gets a pass. I rarely see solo does, they are either with a group or their fawns. I usually hold off until early/mid December, to shoot solo does with fawns, if the little ones are eating on their own, and not bumping the doe trying to get milk, I might go ahead around Thanksgiving.

If a group with 2 mature does, 2 yearlings, and 3 fawns step out, and I am in a doe shooting mood, I will pick out the biggest doe regardless of whether there are fawns with her.

Everything is off the table (except if she has spotted fawns) if she starts blowing like a train whistle. I don't love loading up momma with an audience, but if momma is was being a bitch, kids need to learn behavior like that will not be tolerated.

ETA:
December 2, 2023

I either see a decent sized doe with her "fawns" typically 2-3 deer in total, or a pack of 8-12.

When the 8-12 show up, there are very few scenarios that will prevent me from shooting maw maw with the giraffe neck and most of the time its my own laziness.

Found the original post from the December spotted fawn pic IST 12-2-23 Pg 2