Here's a post made by Timberline on another forum. I agree with what he said completely.
Somewhere along the line a mentality developed in the hunting and wildlife management world that hunters should harvest only, or primarily, the males of the species. For decades, that's the way it was, and a whole generation of hunters and game managers grew up with that thinking. Gradually, though, reasearch began to show that that mentality was actually detrimental to many big game populations. It's as though a farmer killed and butchered only his best animals every year, and then wondered why his remaining animals were getting smaller and weaker and his herd was in decline.
Today, better game managers have realized that real benefits come from a more balanced harvest of animals, although breaking the old and outdated hunting mindset that says we-shoot-only-bucks and bulls is proving to be a major problem.
In many cases, if you really want to help the local wild game populations (and most hunters do), buy whatever doe/cow tags are offered and go to it.
To be honest, it wasn't easy for me to change my own outmoded thinking on this. I grew up with the mentality that bucks and bulls were the only legitimate hunting trophies, and does and cows were but a last resort meat-oriented choice. Very slowly, I've changed the way I see it, based on lots of reading, soul searching and experimenting. The research clearly shows that a more balanced harvest is better for the herds. I do sincerely want to help keep the herds healthy and ongoing. And I've discovered that an old cow or doe is often just as difficult (and as fun!) to hunt and shoot as a younger male of the species. In most cases, there are more of does and cows (largely because so many hunters are still clinging their old thinking) and that makes the hunt more fun and certainly more productive.
I have plenty of Colorado elk hunting friends who have stuck like glue to the old ways and the old bull-or-nothing mentality. They continue to buy only bull tags, and the majority haven't killed an elk in a decade or more. They also continually grumble about what they see as the lack of elk.
I sprinkle Colorado cow tags in with occassional bulls tags and kill an elk every single year. You tell me who's having more fun and who helping to better manage the herds.
In my opinion, if you want to enjoy your hunting more and really help out, considering changing your mindset about buck and does and bulls and cows. Check whatever outdated hunting ego you may have at the door, buy whatever tags are available, and thoroughly enjoy the resource.
Hunters are predators. Within the law, act like it.
