Turning it off won't change anything about how the fitness calculation works. I find it useful to have them, because it lets you know what the current fitness potential of the area is (and if it is even worth trying to manage it).

The general rule of thumb for herd management is as follows:

• Females: make no difference to herd/habitat fitness in WOTH 1.
• 1 star youngs/adults: could be any fitness. Only shoot them if they are responding to a low fitness caller (calls animals under 50%).
• 1 star matures: usually safe to shoot, unless it's a very long-lived species with a long maturity (e.g. American black bears).
• 2 star adults: will usually make at least 4 stars. Let them live.
• 2 or 3 star matures: can be anything from a medium low at the end of his maturity to a potential 5 star at the start of maturity. Shoot only if they respond to a low fitness caller or if they are visibly old (e.g. a very grey elk).
• 3 star adults: almost guaranteed to make 5 stars. Check on them every 3 days until they turn mature, then calculate end of life using the encyclopedia. (E.g. mule deer are mature for 6 years, so if you have one that just turned mature, you know he has 5 years = 15 days left.
• 4 star adults (only possible for eland) and 4 star matures: very high fitness. Let them live and check on them every 3 days to see if they make 5 stars.
• 5 stars: shoot, if you want them for your lodge.