Sniper151

Shoot a mature doe and you will eliminate this problem.

mauser06

i shot one my second year.....on the opener of buck season..youths could shot does on the first day and the saturdays of rifle season.....the second year of HR here in PA......terrrrrrible opener...me and dad jumped a nice 6 or 8pt from a blueberry/hedrow field......pulled up....i wasnt good enough to shoot it running.....but dad sure is........and had the shot at the back of the neck at 15yds.........but pulled up and saw YELLOW in the tree......some Ahole had on a yellow rain coat.......COLD wet and RAINY opener all day.....that buck ran between 2 guys and they never seen it.....so we went to check out another spot down the road.........walked up a THICK STEEP mountain side and waited till 3ish i think......getting dark......cold...wet.....decided it was time to go....walkin down the mountain we hear a car jam on its breaks at the road....i see something bolting our way up the steep mountain.......dad stood there shocked tryin to figure out what it was.......i said coyote...he said deer......then nah its a yote GET IT!..i dropped to my knee behind a BIG oak...dad was behind me......no idea i was there.......clicked the saftey off.....it stoped FEET away from the muzzle........KABOOM......the 06 barked......180gr round nose soft point through the boiler room at point blank range.........that deer went like 80 yds down the mountain falling the whole way..ran into a tree.....a boulder......and ran smack into a big boulder and dropped there.....dont know how it made it that far....the holes were HUGE......the heart and lungs blew out the exit...the size of a mans fist.....no idea how it ran.......but it was a button buck.......my second deer ever......i was happy......and hunted a long hard opener for it..........

Patriot15

My first deer with a bow was last year on New Year's Eve morning. My best friend's dad took me to their deer lease and said shoot the first doe to walk out. I was 30 yards away from the feeder (the lease is in west texas and if you don't use a feeder you might as well not even go) and i just got in my stand and got settled down when i heard something walking up behind me. Like most people this got my heart pumping. It was so dark i could only tell that is was there was when it moved. It walked with feet of my ladder. I waited for it to get light to make a shot. When it got light enough to see my pins more does came. I drew my bow and put my 20 yard pin right behind the shoulder of the smaller doe(really a nub buck and i thought the feeder was about 20 yards out but it was 30) and shot. My arrow went a hair low and bounced of a rock and into a cedar tree. The deer ran away and later came back. I got another arrow and already shackin up didnt knock it all the way. I began to draw back when the arrow fell off the string, hit the ladder and the big doe started stomping and looking at me. When she quit i got another arrow and put in on. The nubber came within 10 yards from the ladder of my stand and i put an arrow right threw the heart. He ran 15 yards and dropped.I was signing and dancing tell i saw the deer had balls when i went to gut it! I won't do that again. Thankfully the guy was very understanding about what i did.

farm hunter

I don't have a problem with a hunter shooting a button buck by accident. Its not a big deal from a managment standpoint - if REALLY everyone is trying not to take one. I think its wrong for a club to FINE for shooting a buton. If the club is really adamant about not shooting buttons - then the RULE could be to forfeit your buck tag on the button (still seems too tough to me).

The fact that you felt like you had to HIDE the truth bothers me.

I've shot several - and a couple I was proud to take (nice shot - last hunt of the year, first buck, etc.) - a couple I was truly sick about. (passed MANY mature does to end up taking a button [:'(])

Experience and time has helped me tell the difference - even in a pinch. Apparently - $250 fines only teach people to lie!

FH

Illinois Bowhuntin

I did on accident last year as a matter of fact.And yes he was some good eatin too.Now I look with my binoc's to make sure it isnt if I decide to take a young one.

huntnma

i agree..........so did that button buck lie out in the woods to rott? i hope not.......tell us the whole story behind it........

Chuck7

Matthew C Mill,
I wil apologize for the person who offended you. I noticed you only have 30 post. There are all kinds of personalities represented on this forum. Be careful my friend what you post and how you post. You should see the mess we get ourselves in on the religious thread. I believe if we all seen each other face to face we would get along pretty good but when we only have written print to communicate by we have to think real hard. Most humans tend to think the worst in others instead of the best in others. None of us are perfect by a long shot. Keep on posting and make sure of your shot. I will try to do the same.
Chuck

BSTNFREEK

Apparently, a lot of sates out there are much more strict on nubbing bucks!! Wi says that if a "buck" has antler growth of under 3", then is LEGALLY A DOE. Of couarse they stick to the 3" guideline very strictly..... Had a buddy last season shoot a 'doe' at 125 yards, open sights. that he never saw antlers on AT ALL(and he is a VERY ethical hunter!!), when he went to retrieve his harvest, he saw antler growth, measured, and they were 3 1/4" high, so he thought he did the right thing and called the DNR. DNR came to tag the deer for him, thanked him for reporting his error, said it could have happened to anyone shooting OPEN SIGHTS, with a shotgun, with no binocs, and because he was honest, he'd let him off easy. Well a $1200 ticket was DNR letting him off easy, game wardens comment was, well,I could have revoked your liscense for 2 years also!! Moral of the story.... SOMETIMES(not very often, but sometimes) the truth will just get you in trouble more than it should. My opinion was that he, in this situation should have just kept his mouth shut. HONEST MISTAKE!!!

StrutnBPS

I am going to assume that if these clubs have a rule that results in a fine that its for a good reason. As I posted about the club I was in. The State DNR even sent that club a letter telling themif they kept shooting that many BB'swe would lose our doe tags for a year or so. ( In SC a club can get doe tags that are issued for the club. These tags are only valid on land put into the state tag program and you can not use a personal doe tag on this land)

If you hunt an area with a good population orsee 10-15 deer every time you go hunting, I see nothing wrong with taking a few BB's. This may be a good management tatic.

Just as fines and laws on anything. They only keep a honest person honest. Every law and fine will also produce negative effects. You have to weigh the pros and cons to see which is the better way to go. This also caused a lot of deer not being shotthat were actually does. It is hard to judge a running deer. If you have doubts don't shoot. As with any other kind of hunting. I would rather pass up a chance ona doe than shoot a bb. Thats my opinion.[8D]

PABowhntr

On numerous occasions. And, yes, I would agree. They are good eatin'.