# Let's See Your Mature DOES!!!



## Firefighter

Honestly, shooting a mature doe gets me fired up. I can't figure it out, I'm stone-cold solid when bucks come in, but I sweat like a fat-man at a doughnut shop when I get an opportunity at a mature doe. 

To me, a mature doe screams wisdom. They have raised young. They know how to avoid predators. They look up into trees. They are the smartest deer in the woods.

I'm more impressed when someone tells me they shot a 5.5 year old doe than a 125" 3.5 year old buck acting a fool and searching for tail. 

Mature does don't lose their cool. They are on alert 24/7.

To go along with the awesome "Largest Buck" thread, and to honor their better halves, lets see your most memorable MATURE DOES!!!

I'll start:

My largest doe ever was 136 lbs dressed, putting her right at 170 lbs live weight. I've killed a good number of does, and always grin when I hear "Yeah, the last doe I shot was 150 dressed"... That means that deer was near 200 on the hoof, and IMO about as rare as a unicorn. We're all bass fishermen at heart. 

I'm going to try to get an actual picture of the largest doe I've ever seen, taken by our own Fire Medic's father. You will be amazed at the size of this thing. It looks like a cow elk.

Here's my biggest (and biggest doesn't mean oldest!):










And my oldest:












Big, old, as long as they are mature does, LET'S SEE 'EM!!!


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## Pez Gallo

After many younger ones pictured below.....



























...I finally made the jump and took this cow! Although a little different than your experience my oldest was the biggest, but I wouldn't say the smartest!










Have a good day, Pez


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## Headacres

This is my biggest thus far. Never put a scale to her so I'm not sure on weight. 









_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## bersh

My oldest was 7.5 - she ate like leather. Lots of sausage out of that old gal. I don't have pictures, but she had the longest nose of any doe I've ever seen. She only weighed about 115 lbs. dressed and didn't have more than a couple ounces of fat on her when I butchered her up.

My heaviest was a 3.5 yr. old (possibly 4.5 - DNR biologist that I trusted at the time was on the fence). She dressed at an honest 140 lbs. I have a picture of her somewhere that I'd have to find and scan, but it doesn't do her justice.

I shot this 3.5 yr. old last year during late archery. She was 130 lbs.


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## flockshot

this is a terrible pic with no reference..but this my biggest doe.... super smart..would walk a large circle everytime i saw her. she slipped up once :evil:

something firefighter missed as well...Does , I think, have stronger will to live..this doe was shot thru the liver, both lungs and top of her heart..she ran 100 yards..amazing.

2009 last week 3rd week of october. 112 lbs dressed. 3-4 yo.









ps...if i wasnt concerned with killing firefighter, i would have had an absolute donkey today.. but she ran the slip right between us on a drive...


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## Firefighter

flockshot said:


> this is a terrible pic with no reference..but this my biggest doe...dressed at around 112. super smart..would walk a large circle everytime i saw her. she slipped up once :evil:
> 
> something firefighter missed as well...Does , I think, have stronger will to live..this doe was shot thru the liver, both longs and top of her heart..she ran 100 yards..amazing.
> 
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> ps...if i wasnt concerned with killing firefighter, i would have had an absolute donkey today.. but she ran the slip right between us on a drive...


 
It's amazing how far a doe can run when shot through the longs...:lol:


And Chad, I'm guessing you're going to get in trouble for that last pic and caption! My doe would chop my head off.


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## bucknasty11208

This is one my brother killed a few years ago. She's not a monster, but keep in mind my brother is 200+lbs. This was killed in Alcona county and if I remember right, this is the one was aged at 7 1/2 y.o. according to the card he got back from the DNR.


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## flockshot

Firefighter said:


> It's amazing how far a doe can run when shot through the longs...:lol:
> 
> .


 
DANG IT! fixed. lol.

oh! and a lil bit of her stomach (quartering shots..i just cant stop myself. lol)


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## Munsterlndr

Largest doe I've harvested, 142 lbs. dressed weight, aged 4.5 years old by the DNR. Harvested in 2006










Oldest Doe that I've taken was aged by the DNR at 6.5 years old, taken in 2004.










5.5 year old doe taken in 2007


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## Bigchev

Shot her last wed. at 108 yards with my .45 cal. Muzzleloader. Figure her to be close to 140 dressed. I got a lot of meat off her! Hard to tell in a pic, but her head was huge.
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## RackSmacker

Believe it or not, but this doe was way over 150# dressed, 175+ is more like it. I've shot a lot of nice bucks and only 2 of them were bigger than she was. I know its a crappy pic (Actually a cell phone pic of a pic) but look at the size of the head. I'm 180# for comparison!!!


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## Outdoor2daCore

I've been strictly bow hunting for the last five years since I took up hunting period. I've only killed two does so far but damn it. I'm very proud of both of them and although I never got them aged they were mature definitely not 1.5 yr old does. 

My first was Christmas day 2008 and I couldn't be happier, best present I've ever got!!!









The next I took this fall while taking my roommate out for his first time, yet again another awesome experience.










Thanks for the good idea on the thread and way to go fellas some damn fine ladies ya put down there. The rush you get from shooting and finding your kill is something I don't think I will ever lose.


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## Firefighter

RackSmacker said:


> Believe it or not, but this doe was way over 150# dressed, 175+ is more like it. I've shot a lot of nice bucks and only 2 of them were bigger than she was. I know its a crappy pic (Actually a cell phone pic of a pic) but look at the size of the head. I'm 180# for comparison!!!


 
You know, it's illegal to shoot cow moose in MI...:yikes:

What a monster DOE! What county???


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## soggybtmboys

6.5 yr old doe from Washtenaw County, this thing was a pain in the ****. loved blowing up stands. Finally got on the muscle and took it to her, dropped back 130 yards from where she would come out and check a treestand, and let her have it and took her clean with my TC Omega.










Another 6.5 yr old, Alcona County. Believe it was 2008, I targeted her specifically....another stand ruiner lol.



















I took one last year, Tawas Deer check put her at least 5.5 yrs old and the report I got back said she was 6.5 yrs. I cannot find the pic here right now. Took her last opening day in the evening, didn't want to do it on the opener, but she came around the side of a pine tree and was lip curling and would not venture out. She was about to make my stand and she just offered me enough of her neck and I let her have it before she made the stand. If I find it, will post that pic up too.

Seems I have no problems killing old does, the bucks have been giving me some fits and haven't taken a mature on since 2006...but thats ok...its coming.

Ohh heck I forgot weights. Top doe was 163 lbs, next doe down was 135 lbs, and the one I took last year was nearly 140 lbs.


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## William H Bonney

RackSmacker said:


> Believe it or not, but this doe was way over 150# dressed, 175+ is more like it. I've shot a lot of nice bucks and only 2 of them were bigger than she was. I know its a crappy pic (Actually a cell phone pic of a pic) but look at the size of the head. I'm 180# for comparison!!!


I believe it. That's a friggin' horse.


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## BigJohn87

Awesome thread! I will be trying for a doe this weekend. I get excited over any deer: mature bucks, button bucks (watching them, not shooting), and does. 

Congrats to everybody who has been successful this year!


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## RackSmacker

Firefighter said:


> You know, it's illegal to shoot cow moose in MI...:yikes:
> 
> What a monster DOE! What county???


Oakland County! My dad kept telling me about this giant doe he was seeing and I never believed him until I got to the end of the blood trail on this one.


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## MIpikeGuy

Well, got this gal tonight. Only one I have photo's of on digital cam.

Also I've only gun hunted 3 years, last time was 3 years ago. This is my first Muzzle loader kill, and also the first gun doe I've taken off my own property in 12 years. Usually all bow.
Not sure her age, or weight, she looked like a bigger one in the group she was running through with at the time. For reference, I'm 6'2'' and 200lbs. 

I don't sit out during gun season much, but noticed some cool stuff, last few days. 
Normal doe groups around here are 8-14. Saw 22 this morning doe/fawns, and tonight I saw at least 40-50+

Total deer sightings sense Sunday had to be 100+.... new record for me. 

I shot this one, reloaded, encase I needed a follow up, but she dropped. To my surprise... everyone was sticking around, I started searching for a target with my bino's. Found one, checked the watch and it was 5:35 by then. I'm pretty sure legal shooting was over at 5:36, so I decided not to take another. I glass'd for a while after wards and you could see deer clearly until 6:19.

Is it common for doe groups to get larger during gun season? Wondering if its just because they want to head to the thick stuff?

Also 2 pics from the winter wonderland this morning.


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## fairfax1

Wow! There are some great animals displayed here.

I think I know does. And I can admire many---most---- of these shown. Any doe that hits or exceeds 110lbs is a really great animal. 

And RackSmaker......that is, indeed, a mule. But, because I have never ever seen a doe reach even 150lbs....and I've weighed a gazillion of 'em........I will not buy that she is over 149lbs. Pity you didn't get her up on a scale.

Maybe she is 150. Maybe she ain't. She looks huge. Huge. 

But I learned long agoto distrust pics of dead deer. Or fish. Not saying whatsoever that it is photo-shopped or staged.....but sometimes, due to scale or distance or optics, pics can be deceptive (e.g., the old trick of holding the fish at arms length towards the camera).

I'd be absolutely tickled pink if you would've had her reliably weighed....and she did, indeed, exceed 150lbs. But, for now, paint me skeptical. 

Oh, by the way, congratulations on a wonderful animal....whatever she weighed. 

I love threads on big does. Old does. Antlers are so yesterday.


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## MIpikeGuy

Firefighter said:


> Honestly, shooting a mature doe gets me fired up. I can't figure it out, I'm stone-cold solid when bucks come in, but I sweat like a fat-man at a doughnut shop when I get an opportunity at a mature doe.
> 
> To me, a mature doe screams wisdom. They have raised young. They know how to avoid predators. They look up into trees. They are the smartest deer in the woods.
> 
> I'm more impressed when someone tells me they shot a 5.5 year old doe than a 125" 3.5 year old buck acting a fool and searching for tail.
> 
> Mature does don't lose their cool. They are on alert 24/7.


I have to agree, think of how many deer an old doe has seen shot in front of her. Especially if she's 4-5+ she's seen way more shot's then most mature bucks I bet.:chillin:


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## PsEbUcKmAsTeR17

Here is a doe I shot in Alpena on Nov. 19th guessing 5 or 6 teeth were almost gone very big deer... I'm 225 to make comparison not even sure on weight but heavy is close....

-Psebuckmaster17-

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## jimmyo17

This my dads doe killed last bow season im not sure on weight but atleast 200 on the hoof. For reference at the time he weighed 280. Dont have a clue on age never had a deer aged in my life.


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## RackSmacker

fairfax1 said:


> Wow! There are some great animals displayed here.
> 
> I think I know does. And I can admire many---most---- of these shown. Any doe that hits or exceeds 110lbs is a really great animal.
> 
> And RackSmaker......that is, indeed, a mule. But, because I have never ever seen a doe reach even 150lbs....and I've weighed a gazillion of 'em........I will not buy that she is over 149lbs. Pity you didn't get her up on a scale.
> 
> Maybe she is 150. Maybe she ain't. She looks huge. Huge.
> 
> But I learned long agoto distrust pics of dead deer. Or fish. Not saying whatsoever that it is photo-shopped or staged.....but sometimes, due to scale or distance or optics, pics can be deceptive (e.g., the old trick of holding the fish at arms length towards the camera).
> 
> I'd be absolutely tickled pink if you would've had her reliably weighed....and she did, indeed, exceed 150lbs. But, for now, paint me skeptical.
> 
> Oh, by the way, congratulations on a wonderful animal....whatever she weighed.
> 
> I love threads on big does. Old does. Antlers are so yesterday.


One of my biggest regrets of my hunting career was not getting her weighed, but I assure you, no photo shop or camera tricks here! I used to weigh deer for contests and never saw a doe that was even close to as big as she was!


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## cwielock

Here are my 3 biggest. The first and the last weigh more then me. (when my dad i tried to pull them up on my poll we would get them off the ground then my dad would let go he thought he was funny, but they would pull me up) i weigh 130.


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## Fred Bear

I gotta get a scale. everyone always asks me "what did it weigh?"


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## MIpikeGuy

Fred Bear said:


> I gotta get a scale. everyone always asks me "what did it weigh?"


I agree, tired of guessing. 

Got my first bow buck when I was 16, I said it weighed 170 dressed, and had to be at least 3 years old.:lol:

He was probably more like 140 and 1.5:lol:


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## Ack

Midland County public land swamp doe.......130 lbs dressed, aged at 4.5 at a check station. Not sure how she ever survived that long on such heavily pressured land!


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## protectionisamust

here is the one i shot on 11/27/2011.

I am 245 lbs for reference.


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## 00Buckshot69

This years x-gun kill. She was on 3 legs and had not used her fourth for 6-8 months. He toe nails on that hoof were 3 times longer than normal. Dressed @ 110 and got 0 meat from her front 1/4.
Bucky


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## mechanical head

Sunday evening my one and only day of hunting the 2011 firearm season.. Always special to get out with my farther in laws handed down 30.06, yeah I have many rifles that shoot better and are fancier, but just a slow stalk on a wet and windy night with this gun is always decompressing.


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## soggybtmboys

Fred Bear said:


> I gotta get a scale. everyone always asks me "what did it weigh?"


I bought one this year, got it on sale at Gander. The three deer I posted were weighed either at processor's or at the buck pole at Mill Creek. 


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## BwHunter85

Dropped this big down on 11/16/11.


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## buck37

Unfortunately I don't have any pictures. I shot a doe last year with a bow that the scale read just under 150#, she was huge. I shot one the year before that tipped the scale at 145#, no one would believe me, everyone who saw the deer said it had to weigh 180# and said my scale was wrong. I weigh just about every deer I shoot, and most of the time when we guess, everyone guesses a higher weight than it actually is.


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## Wareagle1

119 the night of the kill, 115 the next afternoon.


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## old graybeard

Here's a couple


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## bucksrus

Great thread! I thought I would include a few of my own. I never had a scale, but for photo reference I go 220 pounds.

My largest with a gun (1st thumbnail below)

My oldest. DNR said 5.5 years old (2nd thumbnail below)

My largest with a bow (3rd thumbnail below)

The smartest. This doe was paranoid most of the entire season until this day when she let her guard down!
(4th thumbnail below)


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## bucksrus

bucksrus said:


> Great thread! I thought I would include a few of my own. I never had a scale, but for photo reference I go 220 pounds.
> 
> My largest with a gun
> 
> My oldest. DNR said 5.5 years old
> 
> My largest with a bow
> 
> The smartest. This doe was paranoid the entire season until this day!
> 
> 
> 
> Sent from my ADR6350 using Tapatalk


Does anyone know how to make these thumbnails go into the actual note? I sent from my phone so maybe that's why? Thanks in advance!

Sent from my ADR6350 using Tapatalk


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## mikeznewaygo

My biggest doe shot in 2009, dont know weight either, necks all messed up from my ******* hang job:lol:

Any guesstimates on weight? im about 165 pounds, if that helps


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## deerehunter

Three from this season.


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## brushbuster

I need to start taking pictures. Im not sure why i hardly ever take any.:sad:


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## flockshot

brushbuster said:


> I need to start taking pictures. Im not sure why i hardly ever take any.:sad:


 indeed you do! im guilty of almost taking too many!


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## Chips

Shot her last night...

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## LoBrass

Took out this gal I'd named "Gimp"(she had a busted rt front). I put her at 4.5.

This year. Didn't weigh her but I'd guess 120 dressed. Never saw her with a fawn and she was dry this year. Good deer to remove, IMO.

I just always kill mine with a gun(drink a little Kool-Aid). :evilsmile


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## RMH

LoBrass said:


> Took out this gal I'd named "Gimp"(she had a busted rt front). I put her at 4.5.
> 
> This year. Didn't weigh her but I'd guess 120 dressed. Never saw her with a fawn and she was dry this year. Good deer to remove, IMO.
> 
> I just always kill mine with a gun(drink a little Kool-Aid). :evilsmile


That does "looks" old.....big too!!!


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## Joe Archer

Here is a doe that I took in 2009. She was a pretty nice one. 









Here is my dad with another archery doe of mine. DNR aged this one at 3.5








<----<<<


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## Firemedic

Firefighter said:


> I'm going to try to get an actual picture of the largest doe I've ever seen, taken by our own Fire Medic's father. You will be amazed at the size of this thing. It looks like a cow elk.


Ya Know, when I saw that text this morning you sent, I was going to bring that pic to work and scan it in. I won't say how much it weighed until you all see the pics. My uncle shot a 6pt the same day, that dressed out about 130ish. That 6pt would fit inside the cavity of that doe. It was in the late 70's, and I still have never seen a deer that big. Ever.


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## MIpikeGuy

Joe Archer said:


> Here is a doe that I took in 2009. She was a pretty nice one.
> 
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> Here is my dad with another archery doe of mine. DNR aged this one at 3.5
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> <----<<<


CRAP JOE!

You just reminded me, I'm going to get a good ass chewing by my hunting buddy. He's an ex meat cutter, and his dad a retired one... I forgot to pull the legs back behind the head.:banghead3:tsk:


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## Joe Archer

Pez Gallo said:


> ...I finally made the jump and took this cow! Although a little different than your experience my oldest was the biggest, but I wouldn't say the smartest!
> 
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> Have a good day, Pez


Definitely a mounter! 

<----<<<


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## Baybum

Crappy cell pics of a cell pic but my bud got this horse a few years back. Funny story with it he came and got me from my stand a little early because he wanted to get over to it. The shot was eye level as he was in a stand on the bottom of the ridge and the deer was only 15 yards. The deer made home and he had to shoot southpaw to not spook her. He was worried it might be small and while we walked back to get he's like the nose wasn't too long and the ears weren't very big. She looked pretty big tho I don't know? I saw she had kind of a limp and then she busted me so I swung the gun to lefty and nailed her and she tipped right over the ridge but I know she's done. The stand was on the opposite side of a peninsula of the ridge so he couldn't see it when it dropped. So we come around the peninsula of the ridge and im expecting a fawn and I see the thing laying about 40 yards away and I was like dude that is not a small deer. As we're walking up it just kept getting bigger....we were just holy sh***img until we got to it then we were like OMG!!! I am very glad he shot this monster only 100 yards from the parking lot. Turns out it was really old so its ears had been frostbitten down. Nose was short on a huge head? Maybe an old age thing too? When he got the data back from the head report was at least 8.5 years old. Oh and both it s front knees were arthritic lol which explains the limp. Id say it was pretty close...really I think it was over that 200# mark. He is not tony lapratting the head in that first pic its pretty much in his lap.

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## SuperHunter18

MIpikeGuy said:


> CRAP JOE!
> 
> You just reminded me, I'm going to get a good ass chewing by my hunting buddy. He's an ex meat cutter, and his dad a retired one... I forgot to pull the legs back behind the head.:banghead3:tsk:


Okay gotta know, what purpose does putting the legs behind the head serve for butchering?

We process our own and love picking up on different tricks of the trade.


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## SPITFIRE

Heres a good one for ya FF,named her Doezilla!


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## CarnageProductions13

Here's one I shot on the 18th I Guesstimated here age at 3 1/2 Approx. 125 lbs



















Here's a crappy pic of my Dad's big doe he took in 2008 the doe is around 5 1/2 years old and approx. 150lbs you can see how big the head is.

BTW, the fawn laying next to it was my first deer ever


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## jediknight

My oldest deer. The DNR aged her at 10.5 years old. Her teeth were really wore down. She had about 1/8" of teeth showing above her gums.











Her face even looks old


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## CarnageProductions13

woow, the things that deer has probably seen and escaped from, thats just amazing.


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## augustus0603

My cousin and I took these two beauties this firearms season. Mine (right) weighed 125 dressed, his (L) weighed 112.


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## augustus0603

Here is a picture of mine right after I shot her. She was a beast and it wasn't a fun drag. 125# dressed.


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## Firefighter

Keep 'em coming guys! I love seeing these does.

This thread is loaded with trophies!

A 10.5 year old wild MI deer? WOW!

And Vic, that deer surely was named accordingly!


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## deathfromabove

2008 swamp donkey.... slicktricked....


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## Jimbos

Well I'm almost ashamed to post this one, but it turned to be a decent sized doe and very good eating.


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## River Keeper

jediknight said:


> My oldest deer. The DNR aged her at 10.5 years old. Her teeth were really wore down. She had about 1/8" of teeth showing above her gums.
> 
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> Her face even looks old


 What a grin.We had a deer just like that up north.We named her Moose Face :lol:.And boy where her ears HUGE.And boy was she UGLY,River Keeper


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## fairfax1

Some wonderful looking animals in this very interesting thread. It's gratifying to see that there are serious hunters in Michigan who take trophy-does seriously. 

A poster above observed: _"Had no idea just how rare the size of my doe was until reading this post. ..... She was 3.5 years old and weighed by the DNR two days after at *163 pounds*."_

Oh indeed, she is rare. Very rare. 

I'll make a prediction: You will bag a 163-inch buck in Michigan before you shoot another 163lb doe. Just a guess though.

Congratulations!


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## Horseshoe

I've shot a lot of does in my day, but these two are the oldest since I've been looking at that sort of thing. 

Got this one on a refuge hunt at the Todd Farm at Allegan a several years back. She was on the down slope and only weighed 115 lbs dressed. The biologists best guess was 12.5 yrs +. Teeth were wore to the gums and three were completely missing.










This one was shot this year in Van Buren county. Looking at her tooth wear she looks to be 7.5 yrs old. Had some teeth above the gum, but still had one upper missing. Didn't weigh her, but I don't think she was over 130 dressed.


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## cwielock

HoytAlphaMax32 said:


> Nice hat!! (cwielock)
> 
> 
> Outdoor Hub mobile, the outdoor information engine


Thanks. My lucky hunting hat i have shot 2 out of 5 of my deer with it. and it keeps me nice and warm!!!


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## KPC

This old girl was my daughters first deer in 2009.










KPC


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## aslongasitpullsback

took a big old Doe tonight... I'll ad a pic in the morning..... 1st one of the year for me... but I have not been hunting hard so far... I'm guessing her at 170-180-dressed weight... pics to come

good luck all


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## flockshot

aslongasitpullsback said:


> took a big old Doe tonight... I'll ad a pic in the morning..... 1st one of the year for me... but I have not been hunting hard so far... I'm guessing her at 170-180-dressed weight... pics to come
> 
> good luck all


 170-180 dressed? oh we've got to see this beast! post it!!!!!!


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## hunt city bucks

Shot this gal during muzzleloader last year. Didn't put her on the scales but she was bigger than one my dad shot that weighed 124. I regret not putting her on the scale and she was a near heart attack dragging her out.







pics didn't work. Hopefully later ill get em up.


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## gunsnrods

I LOVE THIS THREAD! seeing people this excited about harvesting flat tops is great. really enjoyed reading this


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## Jimbos

I posted mine back a ways, I wasn't sure how much she weighed dressed, but I got back 78 lbs of meat. Any guess how much she weighed going by that?


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## Firefighter

Jimbos said:


> I posted mine back a ways, I wasn't sure how much she weighed dressed, but I got back 78 lbs of meat. Any guess how much she weighed going by that?


Pure meat makes up about 40% of a deer's live weight.

If you didn't have anything made into burger or sausage (which obviously adds fat) and there was zero bone in the cuts of your meat, the live weight was flirting with 190's. 

Honestly though, every deer hunter shoud invest in a 400 lb game scale. They're around 30 bucks and IMO are invaluable.

I'm in the same boat as fairfax when I say I've weighed A TON of does (from farm country no less) and I've never seen one even flirt with the 150 dressed mark...


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## Jimbos

Duh, that's right, I did have about about 35 lbs of burger made up. Excuse my ignorance, no way did that deer weight 190 lbs. 

I did have a very hard time getting it on my ATV even after gutting, so I was thinking 120 or so dressed.


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## jsmith2232

My buddy took these 2 this morning, not sure on exact weight but the one on the right is a pig 

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## jsmith2232

I don't think the pic took so I'll try again


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## jsmith2232

A double my wife took with her bow this october


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## jsmith2232

My first kill with an xbow during EAS 2011, 


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## Mike4282

Shot this one late last year, can't. Wait for snow this year, I love late season.

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## Fred Bear

anything over about 140 - 150 lb doe is a pig. I'm gunna have to get a scale. Everyone always asks me what did it weigh?.


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## ryan-b

i love the weights guys put up with their does. a 100 pound dress weight doe is very large. A 150 pound dressed weight doe threw out the country is very rare! not saying they arent there but 150 live weight for a doe is big
hey fred bear you hunting late season or are you tagged out.

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## aslongasitpullsback

flockshot said:


> 170-180 dressed? oh we've got to see this beast! post it!!!!!!


Ok I may have misrepresented my self here... more like a live weight than dress weight... Dressed I'll call her 145lb...








not the most faltering pic but the size of the tailgate of my F150 gives it a size reference...


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## det07

Here's mine. Shot two years ago w/ my muzzleloader. Her one shoulder was injured (car accident?) and she was walking with a bad limp. I didn't weigh her but she was a mature animal.


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## aslongasitpullsback

det07 said:


> Here's mine. Shot two years ago w/ my muzzleloader. Her one shoulder was injured (car accident?) and she was walking with a bad limp. I didn't weigh her but she was a mature animal.


nice looking animal there, diffidently a mature doe...


----------



## ryan-b

aslongasitpullsback said:


> Ok I may have misrepresented my self here... more like a live weight than dress weight... Dressed I'll call her 145lb...
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> not the most faltering pic but the size of the tailgate of my F150 gives it a size reference...


using the tail gate has a size reference id put her at 100# dressed. being in the deer hide buisness and getting to walk into alot of meat lockers and seeing does waiting yo be skinned. im always amazed when i say man that doe is freaking huge and then get told it only weights 100 pounds or a little over.


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----------



## fairfax1

_"im always amazed when i say man that doe is freaking huge and then get told it only weights 100 pounds or a little over."_

That's why we bet on 'em. 
There is something about having one's dollar riding on one's judgment that makes for a wonderful tutorial. Losing a few dollars on an over-optimistic weight guess (it is almost always 'over-optimistic').....is a great lesson on what those darn things really weigh.

Weighed a doe for a neighbor in October that he swore would go 125 dressed (and the awkward part was was that he insisted on 125 in front of his wife who he brought along).

But.... a dollar is a dollar. 
So we bet. 
I said 98lbs. He said "_125.....no less than 120_".

It was 100lbs. 

Ka-ching!


----------



## flockshot

fairfax1 said:


> _"im always amazed when i say man that doe is freaking huge and then get told it only weights 100 pounds or a little over."_
> 
> That's why we bet on 'em.
> There is something about having one's dollar riding on one's judgment that makes for a wonderful tutorial. Losing a few dollars on an over-optimistic weight guess (it is almost always 'over-optimistic').....is a great lesson on what those darn things really weigh.
> 
> Weighed a doe for a neighbor in October that he swore would go 125 dressed (and the awkward part was was that he insisted on 125 in front of his wife who he brought along).
> 
> But.... a dollar is a dollar.
> So we bet.
> I said 98lbs. He said "_125.....no less than 120_".
> 
> It was 100lbs.
> 
> Ka-ching!


the one i posted on the front page i was convinced was gonna be 130...processor says "112#...awesome doe!" . oops. lol.


----------



## Spike Country

This is probably one of my biggest does and normally I weight them but this one was donated and i never did get to put her on the scale. As for size reference I am 6'6 and 250lbs, if that really helps or not I am not sure. All I remember is she gained about 100 pounds by the time I got her to the truck!:lol:


----------



## bersh

aslongasitpullsback said:


> Ok I may have misrepresented my self here... more like a live weight than dress weight... Dressed I'll call her 145lb...
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> not the most faltering pic but the size of the tailgate of my F150 gives it a size reference...


No offense but that doe is 110 lbs. tops. If she were 145 she would fill the tailgait and her head/neck would be hanging over. My 140 lb. doe wouldn't fit sideways into the back of the truck, whereas the one pictured would fit quite easily. She's a nice doe regardless.

I think that unless folks have actually weighed their deer, you should probably refrain from throwing weights out there to get picked apart.


----------



## Firefighter

Spike Country said:


> This is probably one of my biggest does and normally I weight them but this one was donated and i never did get to put her on the scale. As for size reference I am 6'6 and 250lbs, if that really helps or not I am not sure. All I remember is she gained about 100 pounds by the time I got her to the truck!:lol:


 
Now that queen looks HUGE!

Please guys, don't question others weights. I honestly thought every deer I shot before I got a scale was 25 to 35 lbs heavier. The scale took the bass fisherman right out of me.

They're all NICE!


----------



## U of M Fan

I shot a 10.5 year old doe a 7.5 year old doe before. Both weighed around 100lbs. The 10 year old was really gray throughout her coat. If I can dig up the pic I will post it.


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----------



## KalamazooKid

ryan-b said:


> i love the weights guys put up with their does. a 100 pound dress weight doe is very large. A 150 pound dressed weight doe threw out the country is very rare! not saying they arent there but 150 live weight for a doe is big


Damn that's cool that I shot a very rare doe ...... or were you calling me a liar?

Couple observations .....

If you didn't weigh your deer, don't estimate the weight in a thread like this. Just post a pic and leave it there.

If you did weigh your deer, be prepared for the "internet experts" to call you out.

Comments that you see on threads like this are the reason that most of the BEST HUNTERS on this site won't ever post pics.

Too bad for the OP because he had good honest intentions for some really awesome "show n tell".

One finger at a time .....


----------



## aslongasitpullsback

well I think that some of you that have criticized the weights of some mighty fine deer in this thread should stick to a thread such as this one.. here!!!!
http://www.stripersonline.com/t/826941/rank-your-poop


----------



## ryan-b

KalamazooKid said:


> Damn that's cool that I shot a very rare doe ...... or were you calling me a liar?
> 
> Couple observations .....
> 
> If you didn't weigh your deer, don't estimate the weight in a thread like this. Just post a pic and leave it there.
> 
> If you did weigh your deer, be prepared for the "internet experts" to call you out.
> 
> Comments that you see on threads like this are the reason that most of the BEST HUNTERS on this site won't ever post pics.
> 
> Too bad for the OP because he had good honest intentions for some really awesome "show n tell".
> 
> One finger at a time .....


im my post the word some was sposed to be in front pf the word guys. my bad for leavin it out. not claiming to be an expert but i am at different deer processors every few days picking up hides and watching alot of bucks and does getting weighed. So i like to think i have an ok eye for size. 


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----------



## Fred Bear

here is what will "fix" this. Next season or if you get one this season, take a pic of it while on the scale! so both the deer and the scale dial are visible. Then lets have this thread again next year. I have seen countless fish weighed that many people thought were heavier than they really were. I guess weight estimation is allot like yardage estimation. People can be way off.


----------



## dpweurding

These are the biggest does I have taken. The first two pics are the same deer, I think the size is more appreciated in the second. I don't remember the other deer in the last pic being as big, but she sure did look mature to me. These were taken around 2005 and 2006 if I remember right. Havent gotten anything bigger since. The first was a public land doe, the other private. As others have stated for reference, I am 6'5" 260 lbs. I have to say I gotta love these big doe pics, good thread! I dont shoot many bucks, so this is right up my alley!

Derek


----------



## dpweurding

I lied! Found another one shot in 2008. This one was a northern swamp doe, still tasted good though!

Derek


----------



## skulldugary

Not sure on the wieght but her teeth were worn over half way down..


----------



## KalamazooKid

ryan-b said:


> not claiming to be an expert


Then why do you pretend to be?


----------



## bersh

Firefighter said:


> Now that queen looks HUGE!
> 
> Please guys, don't question others weights. I honestly thought every deer I shot before I got a scale was 25 to 35 lbs heavier. The scale took the bass fisherman right out of me.
> 
> They're all NICE!


I agree to a point - they are all trophies regardless. This thread is about mature does, not about the how much they weigh. That being said, I just think that unless they have actually been weighed, or the poster is 99% sure of the weight, then don't bother posting a guesstimate of the weight.


----------



## bersh

ryan-b said:


> i love the weights guys put up with their does. a 100 pound dress weight doe is very large. A 150 pound dressed weight doe threw out the country is very rare! not saying they arent there but 150 live weight for a doe is big
> hey fred bear you hunting late season or are you tagged out.
> 
> Outdoor Hub mobile, the outdoor information engine


I realize that in the UP things may be a bit different, but I wouldn't call a 100 lb. doe "very large" at all, more like average for a 2.5 yr old. Between myself and buddies we've shot a lot of does, and other than fawns and yearlings, I don't think we've ever had a doe weigh less than 100 lbs.


----------



## jeepjohnson

Here is a large Doe, I shot on Nov. 20, at the last min of shooting time. I saw a nice buck and when I pulled the gun up and looked through the scope there were multiple deer and I couldn't see any racks ! Since I knew I was almost out of time, and had a doe permit, I eyed up what I thought was the biggest one and pulled the trigger. It wasn't the buck I shot! She ran about 80 yards. She weighed 120 lbs (live / undressed). I took it to the DNR check station in West Branch and they estimated her to be 5.5 yrs old. I didn't think she was that old so I'm not so sure... I had a hard time believing that a Buck was just hanging around feeding with a Doe / other deer (there were 4 that I could see) because I had never seen that before, but I guess it may have been his harem ! Anyway it worked out well as I got the Buck http://www.michigan-sportsman.com/forum/showthread.php?t=401865 2 days latter!


----------



## ryan-b

KalamazooKid said:


> Then why do you pretend to be?


Alright fine ya got me. I tried to beat around it. I guess im just claiming to know more then you on the subject.:xzicon_sm


----------



## swimnfish04

Got this one October 29th


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## MI_Buckhunter

Shot this one this year during gun, huge doe, looked like a buck coming in. My brother standing next to her is 5'5, and she dwarves him, lol.


----------



## caffeineforall

Nov 14th 

View attachment 50881


----------



## cast and tug

2012 ml season, dnr checked 5 1/2


----------



## Fred Bear

cast and tug said:


> 2012 ml season, dnr checked 5 1/2
> View attachment 50887
> View attachment 50888


Thats awesome, you had her mounted. Very few does get that respect. Those old does can be tough buggers to hunt.


----------



## skulldugary




----------



## Bushbow

WOW - some awesome nannies here. Great thread topic. My friends and I have been weighing all our deer for at least 20 years and have been after the elusive 150lb+ field dressed doe w/o getting one yet. My best is 147lbs and I have a couple over 140 but have yet to get the 150er. 

Based on personal experience and years of offering a dozen cedar arrows to the biggest doe taken on a traditional archery site with few ever reaching the 150 mark - that a field dressed doe over the magic 150 is more rare than a 150" buck!! Once you start hanging all your deer from a scale you discover that 115-120 is BIG and anything over 135 is rare. 

Again - great thread - keep the pics of the big swamp donkeys coming!!


----------



## caffeineforall

the one in my pic dressed at 152, never seen a deer so wide. Dwarfed my buddies buck. new personal best for does.

id been trying to ice this doe for over 4 years!


----------



## MillDoo

protectionisamust said:


> here is the one i shot on 11/27/2011.
> 
> I am 245 lbs for reference.


Man she is so big that she is still eating after she's dead:lol:


----------



## Shift7609

Im 6 2" that's where she died weighed 181lbs last year st Clair co bow im guessing 3.5yr old but she sure tasted good

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## Shift7609

Sorry year before last

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## WillHunt4Food

Shot this old girl this October with my bow. She dressed at 145 lbs. DNR checked her at 6.5. Gratiot county.


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## johnhunter

I could expound for hours on the subject of adult does, adult doe hunting, and adult doe body weights.

Cosign the comments herein about body weights being frequently exaggerated.

I've killed over three dozen does in my hunting career (first was in 1994), and at least 30 of 'em with archery tackle. One of my regrets is how few good pictures I have of them; invariably, my kills occur when there's no one around but me, and the hunting guest I have which is sometimes around is simply awful at taking pictures; he can't get the image in the frame, let alone utilize the auto-focus function.

One note about weighing your deer - I would strongly suggest calibrating your scale by weighing a known-weight object and using the mechainal adjustment screw. I've seen some scales that were wildly off, and I sometimes wonder if that may account for some of the ridiculous weights I see reported. 

I am familiar with credible accounts of does that weighed in the vicinity of 160 pounds, dressed, which is kind of like a Booner-class buck. My personal heaviest is a 142 pounder that I arrowed five years ago. I was on cloud nine when that mule hit the ground within sight of my stand.










One of my guests took an adult doe on 11/16. He gushed at what a whopper it was, and four of us put in our wagers just before hoisting her up on the scale. I won. The successful hunter guessed 140. The others, 130 and 123. I guessed 119, and would have guessed lower if not for fear of insulting the hunter. She weighed....114.


----------



## QFK

Here's a couple mature does from Mackinac County. We can't shoot them and don't really want to with the lack of fawns. These are huge deer regardless of sex.


----------



## Jimbo 09

Livingston County, 11-16-13 142lbs dressed 
Biggest doe I have ever taken, 2nd best is 118 last year. Trying to break that 150lb mark is quite the challenge.


----------



## BrikTan

Crappy pic but this was 2006 doe dressed out at 151 biggest deer I've ever seen to this date i was 6 foot and weighed about 270 at the time that drag sucked!


----------



## BrikTan

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## angry angler

aslongasitpullsback said:


> took a big old Doe tonight... I'll ad a pic in the morning..... 1st one of the year for me... but I have not been hunting hard so far... I'm guessing her at 170-180-dressed weight... pics to come
> 
> good luck all


Nice job on the deer Rob!

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## Cartermike41




----------



## Craves

I shot this big girl in Gladwin County. I took her into the DNR office in Gladwin...8.5 years old!

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## Paperboy 1

One more of her...she didn't go far

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## druski

Gotta love that roman nose of the fallen queen.

Early bow....guess I caught her in the liver, she died 100 yds. later and her stomach was in tact. That pic is two hrs. later, just one plump gal. She came in leading the pack and was scanning, as if it was late gun, only it was the first time that woods was touched in a year.

Any tips on aging does? Nose, gut, teeth and notched back contributes to age, but as far as I know, teeth wear/dentin aged by a trained eye is the only way to narrow down the age, once getting beyond 3 years of age.

Great thread.


----------



## harrisonhunter

Shot this one Dec 21 with my bow.
I still love a double lung pass though with a 2 blade rage. 
Dressed out at 120lbs.


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## camp42

Got this one with the bow in central Michigan last night. Honest to god 145 pounds on the scale dressed out. No guessing here. My biggest before this one was 130 pounds. She was a beast.


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## dialed-in

Camp42 shot a doe with his bow last night that dressed at 145#!! If I could still post pics off my iPhone, I would have it up?! Maybe he'll put her on here. Congrats to him


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----------



## dialed-in

Haha guess you read my mind


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## Tim Huizenga

Hope these pictures work! These are 2 I got last year that were pretty good sized. Like a lot of other people I need to pick up a scale to get actual weights. Keep the pictures coming guys.


----------



## pilsbury38

Pic sucks but dnr aged at 5 1/2 and dressed weight was 144 on the butchers scale. Got her in oct this year in the great u.p.


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## SkullDoctorsLLC

Here's my doe from Saturday, first shotgun kill since 2009. Does anyone here know if there are still any doe contests going on still?


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## NovemberWhitetailz

Dec 31st self film. Also knocked one down on the 1st but no pictures



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## HUBBHUNTER

camp42 said:


> View attachment 53625
> View attachment 53626
> 
> Got this one with the bow in central Michigan last night. Honest to god 145 pounds on the scale dressed out. No guessing here. My biggest before this one was 130 pounds. She was a beast.


Either you're a midget or she's a monster! Nice doe for sure. Biggest doe from well over 100 does over the years in our hunting group is 146 lbs. It was the first deer for my cousin who has been hunting for 20+ years.:lol:


----------



## Sprytle

Heres a couple of big ones i found while sorting through a few pics..


Early October trail cam shot...With the old Non-Typical 35mm Deercam... How many of you still has one of these?? I still have mine...:lol: I always thought they took great pics!!


















Big Doe i got bowhunting in late Dec years ago


----------



## THE GAME WARDEN

I hunted my buddies 160 acres in Pickford this bow season. It's over in the eastern end of the UP which is hay country. There were no bucks but an infestation of huge does. Here are a couple we took bowhuning this year. The biggest one was 140+.


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## camp42

HUBBHUNTER said:


> Either you're a midget or she's a monster! Nice doe for sure. Biggest doe from well over 100 does over the years in our hunting group is 146 lbs. It was the first deer for my cousin who has been hunting for 20+ years.:lol:


I'm 5'8". So I'm not tall by any means. But she was a huge deer. I think she is the one I have been seeing for the last 3 years. I think this is her last December.


----------



## QDMAMAN

deathfromabove said:


> 2008 swamp donkey.... slicktricked....


An early TBT pic. One of my favorites posted over the years.
Those girls are probably lovely ladies now.


----------



## QuackerWacker99

http://cdn.imageserver.c-m-
g.us/michigan-sportsman_com/39/401711/84410-1415845463.jpg
This deer was 4.5 years old. I'm 5'10" and she towers over me 


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## QuackerWacker99

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## Firefighter

Firemedic's Dad and a MONSTER doe!


----------



## blittle913

Firefighter said:


> Firemedic's Dad and a MONSTER doe!


Wow!


----------



## fairfax1

Sonofabiscuit!! I sure miss hunting old does.

We got really really whacked by EHD in 2012. 
I...we.... must now abstain from killing females for a few more years.

But dammit!! I luved hunting big old matriarchal does with my Mathews Prestige. They are....yeah, I'll argue with you about it......they are far more challenging than those 3.5/4.5yr old antlered ones. The ONLY thing making them a challenge is their rarity.

The whitetail deer I've taken over the years (no, I will never reveal a number)....but the ones I MOST remember are the big does that were so very very wary, so very very alert, ....and I was so lucky to slip an arrow into. THOSE are the pictures I keep on the wall of my upstairs office.

I have been fortunate to take what most call 'nice bucks'......and I'm proud of them, and honor them.....but give me a 135lb doe over a 2.5/3.5yr old buck.....any day. 

That is 'deer-hunting' to me.

I've got too much deer-bone in the barn now to be too impressed with myself. But, I'll puff-up over a big doe all day long.

................................

OK, it's late and my 2014 hunting season ends tomorrow, the 13th....so let's tell a 'deer story':

Some years back on a parcel I had permission to hunt for several years....(but no longer do). A big doe with twins (one of which limped, so I could easily identify them as a group)......anyway, she saw me in a tree one evening. And even tho I moved that stand several times within that big woodlot....from that first encounter, henceforth, she always, I mean ALWAYS, spotted me. 

On the other hand, I had 6or7 bucks (I forget how many)..some of which were clearly 2.5's.....walk by me unaware and unalarmed time and time again. 

But she knew. She alway knew.

THAT, in a nutshell, is why I like hunting old does with my bow.
...........................................................................


*ps*....QDMAN, yeah, I second that.....I thought that pic of DFA's two gal-pals was one of the best ever.


----------



## Paperboy 1

Here's my mature doe next to me.


----------



## Paperboy 1

Oops!


----------



## Hoytman5

OK guys, I am strictly a Bowhunter and have only killed 2 deer with firearms. The first was a 3 point, within the first half hour of my first hunt, when I was 14. Then about 15 years ago, I drew a public land doe permit, and shot this big doe while floating the river with the muzzy. I am a little embarrassed to say, of all the deer I have killed, this is the only doe I have ever shot. I do have a private land doe permit that I intend to fill this year. I never had her aged or weighed but wish I would have. 















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## NovemberWhitetailz

12-31-13 so I guess it's coined #TBT


----------



## HUBBHUNTER

Shot 2nd Saturday of October this year. 113#, not a donkey but above average for the area.










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## tmilldrummer

That was a cold night hubb. I shot a nice doe that evening as well but was using my muzzleloader, had to let a monster ten and a nice 8 go past me so I could shoot her.
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----------



## Firewood

Daughters first deer...


----------



## Jimbo 09

My throwback from last year, 142lbs (my biggest yet) shot on 11/16/13. No big ones yet this year but got one on 10/6/14 that was 113lbs which is around the normal average for the area.


----------



## youngslayer

Not super old I think... But still 111# dressed










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## KalamazooKid

I was pretty darn happy with this doe from last Sunday night. She dressed at 134 and was DNR aged at 4.5. Had 4 "kids" (19-22 yrs old) with me on the track and boy did we have a ball!

She's on the left here .....


----------



## tjfishinboy

The one on the right is my biggest, probably 6 years ago. Dropped one at 60 yards and the other stood And watched me reload. Wish I knew what they weighed.


----------



## Rocko0305

This picture does not do this doe justice, but it was massive. The head was massive, the body, etc.

Dressed out at 160 lbs., so it was right around 200 live weight. Those U.P. does can get huge!

2 other cool things about this doe was that the DNR aged her at 5.5 years old. It was also the first deer that I ever shot out of a ground blind using my compound.


----------



## chizzel

Friend of mines from this year.


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## Fishnmachine

I took my sister out last night to get her first deer, i shot a 3.5 yo doe from the same blind sat morning and this one was much bigger, i will find out the age later.

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## johnhunter

9AM 15 November archery kill. 124#.


----------



## Firefighter

2 midday gals on a still hunt.


----------



## Yardman

Daughters first!


----------



## Fishnmachine

Firefighter said:


> 2 midday gals on a still hunt.


Is that ice fishable Jason?

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## Firefighter

Fishnmachine said:


> Is that ice fishable Jason?
> 
> Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G730A using Ohub Campfire mobile app


If'n it was deep enough


----------



## IMessWitYerHead

Dresses at 125


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----------



## BWHUNTR

Here is a picture of a mature doe I had first laid eyes on in the fall of 2012, in October early season. Only had the one encounter of her that year but was praying she had made it through the hunting seasons and winter. I was able to arrow her in mid October 2013 after a few sits, she finally showed up. See any uniqueness about this doe Jason?


----------



## BWHUNTR

BWHUNTR said:


> Here is a picture of a mature doe I had first laid eyes on in the fall of 2012, in October early season. Only had the one encounter of her that year but was praying she had made it through the hunting seasons and winter. I was able to arrow her in mid October 2013 after a few sits, she finally showed up. See any uniqueness about this doe Jason?
> 
> View attachment 192922
> 
> 
> View attachment 192923



if my memory serves me correct, aged at 5 years old


----------



## Firefighter

BWHUNTR said:


> Here is a picture of a mature doe I had first laid eyes on in the fall of 2012, in October early season. Only had the one encounter of her that year but was praying she had made it through the hunting seasons and winter. I was able to arrow her in mid October 2013 after a few sits, she finally showed up. See any uniqueness about this doe Jason?
> 
> View attachment 192922
> 
> 
> View attachment 192923


Awesome double throat patch!


----------



## jeffthedj




----------



## gunfun13




----------



## bheary

BWHUNTR said:


> Here is a picture of a mature doe I had first laid eyes on in the fall of 2012, in October early season. Only had the one encounter of her that year but was praying she had made it through the hunting seasons and winter. I was able to arrow her in mid October 2013 after a few sits, she finally showed up. See any uniqueness about this doe Jason?
> 
> View attachment 192922
> 
> 
> View attachment 192923


I really like that mount


----------



## johnhunter

Not much of a pic, but it was a nice adult doe, and this is an excellent thread.

Took her around 10am November 1.


----------



## johnhunter

BWHUNTR said:


> Here is a picture of a mature doe I had first laid eyes on in the fall of 2012, in October early season. Only had the one encounter of her that year but was praying she had made it through the hunting seasons and winter. I was able to arrow her in mid October 2013 after a few sits, she finally showed up. See any uniqueness about this doe Jason?
> 
> View attachment 192922
> 
> 
> View attachment 192923


Great stuff, Bwhunr. I love doe shoulder mounts. Had one done myself last year.

An nice adult doe taken with archery tackle is a highly underrated trophy, in my opinion. A self-serving opinion perhaps, in my case, as I've probably taken 50 of 'em.


----------



## johnhunter

November Sunrise said:


> Williams County OH 2008.
> 
> View attachment 192842


That dude can hunt.


And nobody takes doe trophy pics like koz!


----------



## old graybeard

This one is still dripping blood


----------



## Firefighter

I passed a big queen yesterday and am now kicking myself even harder after the resurrection of this thread. 

Killswitch, engaged.


----------



## RMH

farmlegend said:


> Not much of a pic, but it was a nice adult doe, and this is an excellent thread.
> 
> Took her around 10am November 1.


Hey Daniel, she wasn't ready, she gave you blood on your wood.


----------



## johnhunter

RMH said:


> Hey Daniel, she wasn't ready, she gave you blood on your wood.


LOL. The piece of cherry (prunus serotina) was from the wood pile, and used to keep the body cavity open in transport.


----------



## Jimbos

Got her on Monday.


----------



## Jimbos

She must of skidded when dropping, that the only thing I can think of for all of that dirt.


----------



## 00Buckshot69

Opening day doe.. 
Have to give a shout it to Horseshoe and FishNazi for the long drag threw the chisel plowed corn field...Kozbow said 140+ did not get a weight?


----------



## IceCold

dnr aged at 5+ yrs old


----------



## Firefighter

Bringin an oldie back to life with a new pic


----------



## Trout King

I have shot quite a few big doe I think were probably mature. We went through the "kill every doe you can" stage in Ionia County for a few years.

The most recent is posted in the successful hunter thread from this year. She was 5.5 (DNR checked) but I bet she only weighed around 100 lbs on the hoof. Had some burger from her on noodles and sauce tonight. Tasted fine. Curious to see what the rest will be as she had a hind quarter that something was up with, almost like she didn't use that quarter of her body. Maybe a previous injury from a car?


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## firemantom

12/8/18. Barry Co
View attachment 360617


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## LabtechLewis

firemantom said:


> 12/8/18. Barry Co
> View attachment 360617


Really nice pic FMT!


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## LabtechLewis

Firefighter said:


> Bringin an oldie back to life with a new pic
> 
> View attachment 360607


Lot of cool detail to that pic! Is it a saddle set up? Do you prefer gun or bow from a saddle?


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## buktruk

View attachment 360633
I didn't have a scale to put her on but her chest measured 41" which according to the charts estimates her at 195lbs. Not sure she was that big but she wasn't small that's for sure. I got a scale for Christmas so I'll be logging all of my weights from now on.


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## buktruk

A few more big girls from this fall.


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## noshow

December 5th doing a little doe management in Mason county bow kill.


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## HUBBHUNTER

I shot two doe this year, neither mature. Both I think were probably 1.5 but there was an obvious distinction between one of them and her fawns and it was late season so I wasn't being picky. Still waiting on testing and aging from the DNR on one of them to confirm. 

I did see a couple really, really big does during the season that I hoped I'd get a shot at but as it goes, they're still out there and hopefully a little bigger for next season.


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## brushbuster

View attachment 360787

Early bow season


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## dewy6068

I shot this doe in Arenac county on 12/30/18. Based off of the size of the deer I didn’t think she was very old...guessing she was 2.5 yrs old. I processed her last night and turns out she was 5.5 and only weighed 95 lbs dressed. Glad I was able to harvest her because she obviously was past her prime and a good one to take out of the herd!


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## PWood

11/16, 8:10am 30yds.
DNR aged her at 6.5


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## firemantom

LabtechLewis said:


> Really nice pic FMT!


Thanks. I actually took the pic myself with the 10 second timer on my cell phone resting on a log! Lol


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## Wild Thing

dewy6068 said:


> View attachment 360971
> View attachment 360973
> I shot this doe in Arenac county on 12/30/18. Based off of the size of the deer I didn’t think she was very old...guessing she was 2.5 yrs old. I processed her last night and turns out she was 5.5 and only weighed 95 lbs dressed. Glad I was able to harvest her because she obviously was past her prime and a good one to take out of the herd!


5 1/2 years old isn’t “past her prime” at all Dewey. We had a doe on our property that lived to be at least 18 1/2 or 19 1/2 years old - and she had fawns every year of her adult life. She had twin fawns in the year 2000 when we first noticed her (which is why we figured she was probably at least 2 1/2 that year) and She had single fawns the last several years of her life, including 2017 when she finally disppeared. I have mentioned her and posted photos of her many times. She only had a stub of a tail so she was very easy to identify. She had a very small home range and would often “disappear” for the entire firearms (and sometimes) muzzle loader deer seasons.

I just read something that Jeff Sturgis recently wrote about the myth of the “dry doe”. There is really no such thing as a dry doe - as long as they are alive they can conceive fawns. This was proven to be exactly the case with “Half Azz”. 

We took 6 does this year ranging from 1 1/2 to 8 1/2 years of age. We weighed every one of them which we always do. They all had dressed weights of 93# to 105#. We have killed many, many does over the past 24 years here and the heaviest one dressed out at 135#. There is virtually no correlation between age and body size with does from what we can see. We have killed old does that were fairly small and young does that have been fairly big - age doesnt seem to influence their size on our property snd we feed them pretty well - 16 acres of highly nutritious food plots every year...


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## mal

Hillsdale County nanny doe shot by my buddy on the evening before firearms opener with his crossbow. Couldn't convince him to field dress it in the swamp...so that was one hell of a drag. He's 6'9" and 330 lbs. and I'm no little guy, and we were both spent. Not sure of the weight but if ever I've seen the mythical 200 pound doe, this was probably it.

Another buddy shot one on the other side of the farm the following day that may have been bigger, but I don't have a pic. Looked like we were hauling a donkey in the back of the Polaris. He told me to thank Farmlegend for fattening her up over the years.


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## RMH

wildthing said:


> 5 1/2 years old isn’t “past her prime” at all Dewey. We had a doe on our property that lived to be at least 18 1/2 or 19 1/2 years old - and she had fawns every year of her adult life. She had twin fawns in the year 2000 when we first noticed her (which is why we figured she was probably at least 2 1/2 that year) and She had single fawns the last several years of her life, including 2017 when she finally disppeared. I have mentioned her and posted photos of her many times. She only had a stub of a tail so she was very easy to identify. She had a very small home range and would often “disappear” for the entire firearms (and sometimes) muzzle loader deer seasons.
> 
> I just read something that Jeff Sturgis recently wrote about the myth of the “dry doe”. There is really no such thing as a dry doe - as long as they are alive they can conceive fawns. This was proven to be exactly the case with “Half Azz”.
> 
> We took 6 does this year ranging from 1 1/2 to 8 1/2 years of age. We weighed every one of them which we always do. They all had dressed weights of 93# to 105#. We have killed many, many does over the past 24 years here and the heaviest one dressed out at 135#. There is virtually no correlation between age and body size with does from what we can see. We have killed old does that were fairly small and young does that have been fairly big - age doesnt seem to influence their size on our property snd we feed them pretty well - 16 acres of highly nutritious food plots every year...


You explained this very well Wildthing. I agree with every word. I wanted to say something but didn't because I could have never put it together as well as you did.


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## crossneyes

Taken in early antlerless season.


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## crossneyes

Thanksgiving morning 2018


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## Waif

wildthing said:


> 5 1/2 years old isn’t “past her prime” at all Dewey. We had a doe on our property that lived to be at least 18 1/2 or 19 1/2 years old - and she had fawns every year of her adult life. She had twin fawns in the year 2000 when we first noticed her (which is why we figured she was probably at least 2 1/2 that year) and She had single fawns the last several years of her life, including 2017 when she finally disppeared. I have mentioned her and posted photos of her many times. She only had a stub of a tail so she was very easy to identify. She had a very small home range and would often “disappear” for the entire firearms (and sometimes) muzzle loader deer seasons.
> 
> I just read something that Jeff Sturgis recently wrote about the myth of the “dry doe”. There is really no such thing as a dry doe - as long as they are alive they can conceive fawns. This was proven to be exactly the case with “Half Azz”.
> 
> We took 6 does this year ranging from 1 1/2 to 8 1/2 years of age. We weighed every one of them which we always do. They all had dressed weights of 93# to 105#. We have killed many, many does over the past 24 years here and the heaviest one dressed out at 135#. There is virtually no correlation between age and body size with does from what we can see. We have killed old does that were fairly small and young does that have been fairly big - age doesnt seem to influence their size on our property snd we feed them pretty well - 16 acres of highly nutritious food plots every year...


I'll add .... A doe without a fawn (pre hunting season or during rut ect.) does not mean she can not have lost a fawn or fawns earlier.
Three years ago a rough estimated couple dozen I watched had only a couple fawns to show.
It was not caused by dry doe . Or by bedded fawns elsewhere. It was caused by fawn loss.

I don't know how many had dry udders of those field dressed over the years by other hunters but don't recall ever encountering one dry during hunting season myself. 
Possible if one never nursed a lost fawn and enough time has elapsed , maybe. Not my forte.
Do doe eat part of afterbirth to stimulate hormone / milk production like some other animals do? An absorbed fetus would not create that opportunity. Or opportunistic coyotes.

One of the few of my disappointments with the "state" includes an old doe from the N.W. long ago they took a tooth to age and it came back inconclusive.
Their and my saying she was quite old , is not the same as knowing how old she was.


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## Handlining Rules

Not sure on weight but here’s one I took this season from the Banana Belt of the UP. She was aged at 8.5.


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## sniper

mal said:


> Hillsdale County nanny doe shot by my buddy on the evening before firearms opener with his crossbow. Couldn't convince him to field dress it in the swamp...so that was one hell of a drag. He's 6'9" and 330 lbs. and I'm no little guy, and we were both spent. Not sure of the weight but if ever I've seen the mythical 200 pound doe, this was probably it.
> 
> Another buddy shot one on the other side of the farm the following day that may have been bigger, but I don't have a pic. Looked like we were hauling a donkey in the back of the Polaris. He told me to thank Farmlegend for fattening her up over the years.


John now we need ole Farmlegend to start sharing some of his bucks!..
Lol...That big ole doe probably saved a lot of deers lives over the years..

Sent from my LG-H871 using Michigan Sportsman mobile app


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## BWHUNTR

She got TRIAXED! 










Hoyt always performed well! 









I know, I look 20 years younger without the beard.


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## sniper

BWHUNTR said:


> View attachment 361497
> She got TRIAXED!
> 
> View attachment 361499
> 
> 
> Hoyt always performed well!
> View attachment 361501
> 
> 
> I know, I look 20 years younger without the beard.


Pat I was gonna say 25 yrs..Thats a compliment by the way...
Nice does...

Sent from my LG-H871 using Michigan Sportsman mobile app


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