We had some members and members' guest shoot some button bucks last year. I understand that mistakes are going to happen but there should be some guidelines that should be followed. I.E. "Lone" does are normally button bucks so don't shoot "lone does".

Shooting "does" <50lbs is taking a chance that the deer may be a button buck.

If someone brings to the skinning rack a 70 lb button buck or knobby-head, I can understand making the mistake. However, if you bring a 35 lb button buck to the skinning shed, you took, IMO, an unnecessary chance of shooting a button buck as the deer was too small to ID if buck or doe before you shot.

I would like to discourage shooting such young deer as the risk of it being a button buck is too high. It's not like we're way overpopulated with deer.

Fill in the two Xs: "If a member harvests a button buck less than X lbs, a $X fine will be administered to shooter."

I just can't understand a mature hunter shooting such a young deer as you can't tell what sex the thing is!!!

Or let me ask you this.... what rules are in place to lessen the harvest of button bucks?

Not saying it's right or wrong but, my nephews place in Ms. only lets the kids shoot adult does. They're specific when explaining to the kids "no little ones".

never shoot the first deer into a plot in the evening

never shoot a lone deer, esp in a plot

I don't care what you say or what your so called experience is there is no sure way to tell a doe fawn from a buck fawn under hunting conditions. No matter the range, scope power, sunshine, hunter experience or any damn thing else.

Some button bucks just don't show much, if any, protrusion of buttons , esp in Nov/Dec deer season.

I've raised a couple hundred fawns over the years and some buck fawns just don't have anything sticking up by deer season. Same deer may show buttons in late Jan, into Feb, or March. Others will show good buttons in Dec, esp early born fawns.

What if you have adult members without kids and they want the meat? Not a bad idea but not applicable in my club.

I just want to lessen the button buck mistakes and if you shoot a deer under.... what?... 40 lbs or 50 lbs, (attempting to place a sensible weight cut off), there is a better than a 50% chance, it's a button buck. So... why take that chance?

Just want some feedback on lbs requirements. If someone brings in a rather large button buck or bone barely above the hairline, I understand that this mistake can happen but I am irritated when such young and/or small deer are shot for does and they're button bucks. My thinking.... "Don't shoot such small or young deer!" Am I incorrect in my view here?

I thought that was an inherited risk of shooting does.

I could not agree more and I value your opinion, Bham Fred, as I know you walk and breathe this stuff!

But I would like to draw the line somewhere and that line is when you see the little deer, you say: "Come on man!! That deer ain't much bigger than a swamp rabbit. You took a chance and rolled the dice and now you've killed a button buck! "

I can understand mistakes at say, 70 lbs but when the deer isn't 40 or 50 lbs, the shooter just wants to burn powder and doesn't have discipline.

Shooting does is a risk but as in all risks, it's a calculated risk. There are ways to reduce the risk and Bham Fred nailed it. Don't shoot: Lone does, first "deer" in the field and what I'm attempting to wrap my arms around, don't shoot deer under X lbs. If someone brings in a 70 lb BB they shot for a doe, then that is, IMO, an acceptable sacrifice and risk. If someone brings in a 30-40 lb BB, then that's just not being smart about harvesting does and lessening the BB harvest.

If we were WAY overpopulated, it would not matter as much and the loss of BB would be the sacrifice of shooting does. But educated steps can be taken to lessen the risk.

We'll there's no guarantee that that button buck was even going to stay on your place. And due to carrying capacity I don't think it's really detrimental if a few do get mistaken for does. The only way to ever truely to prevent BB from being killed is cease all doe killing but that's not practical on most places either.

Sounds like your club just needs to set a minimum weight requirement and see how that works. Most public managed places I've hunted had the mark at 70 lbs for does.

I realize that and good point. Shoot his mama and maybe he will stay but BB roam. I am well aware of BB and the peer and mama pressure he receives.

So 257wbymag, should we just give up on reducing the number of BB's killed? Should we not attempt to educated hunters to not shoot the first deer in the field or to not shoot a lone deer (as Bham Fred suggested) as it's probably a BB?

I believe with education and discipline, you can reduce the number of BB killed. Not shooting deer under X lbs... and that's what I'm attempting to establish, will, I believe help in this.

Thanks for your input.

Just out of curiosity, how long has this been going on at this club? Is it affecting the number and different age class of bucks seen? How many acres? There may or may not be other variables to this equation.

Thanks! 70 lbs, huh? This is kinda what I'm looking for but I would want to give the members a little more allowance. I don't want to be too strict. We had a mature hunter shoot a 35 lb BB last year. REALLY? I'm like: "How or why would you ever be convinced that this deer was a doe?"

I'm thinking maybe 50 or 60 lbs. So... if a member brings in a 50 lb BB, there would be a fine. 51 lbs... no fine and chalk it up as a mistake. Or that number could be 60 lbs.

I just want to do what's fair and reasonable.

problem with minimum weight is that most folks can't judge a deers weight when it is a lone deer 150 yards away in a late evening greenfield.

When I hunted Greene Co I killed 20-35 does a year on two clubs. By adhering to lone doe/first deer rules I cannot recall ever killing a button buck in that time except for ONE. Landowner and I were walking back to the truck last day of season and saw a small deer, owner told me to shoot it. I said not, too small, might be a buck. He insisted. I missed at 40 yards I turned to go to truck, landowner called to me said it stopped with another deer. He could see buttons on second deer so I reluctantly shot the first.....I rolled it over and ya'll KNOW what it was. I cussed the landowner and walked to the truck, leaving him with the deer to tote.

usually a bigger(60+#) button buck will show good buttons and no excuse for shooting it.

A buck with small 1/2" to 1" hard antler is a 1.5 year old

Oh no I'm all for educating folks how to prevent mistakes but some folks just can't be educated!

NOT Less than 70 lbs and 500 dollars fine to the shooter. The only way to stop this is to HURT the hunters wallet!

5100 acres and we're surrounded by significant water barriers (but I don't think for one minute that it "prevents" deer from swimming the river but it does suppress or influence a home boundary) so we do have the ability to control our herd with such a large acreage.

Bottom line... if guidelines are practiced and adhered-to, BB harvest will decrease. But it's not like it's a huge issue but if members will stop shooting <50 lb deer, we'll preserve some BB and they can walk a few miles and still be on our property.

LOLLOLLOLLOLLOL!!!!! Now that's funny! You're right about that!!!


OK... I think I will say that if the BB is less than 50 lbs, there will be a fine. I understand that, "if you're trying to kill does, then a doe mouth is a doe mouth, no matter how small. I understand that logic. But we ain't overrun with does so it has more to do with buck preservation than, "You shot that little, sweet thing?"

So if a member shoots a deer <50 lbs for a doe, that is just being careless and taking a chance and if it turns out to a BB, then $100 fine.

Tell them if they shoot a button buck they have to eat the nuts raw.

Sounds like a sweet set up, bucktrot. It would be interesting to see the bb kill numbers after you get your minimum weight requirement set. Good luck.