# Oh Man! I just shot a button buck!!



## Tracker83 (Jun 21, 2005)

Jim,

Thanks for the detailed response. For the most part I agree with your assessment. However, in areas suffering from severe overpopulation I think that the "lowest hole in the bucket" from a management perspective is reducing the population. While the most efficient way to reach that goal is to whack does, accidental bb kills are still removing animals from the herd. I don't think that buck:doe ratios and buck age structure should be the primary considerations when evaluating the effects of that accidental kill.

Let me offer up the following scenario: You are hunting a severely overpopulated deer herd. Your #1 management objective is population reduction. It is January 1st - last day of archery season - and you have 1 tag left. With only a few minutes of shooting light remaining a button buck steps into your shooting lane. Do you thump him or let him walk?


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## anonymous7242016 (Aug 16, 2008)

I have shot 3 in 21 years of hunting. First two were so long ago I don't really remember the scenario. But the last one I was bow hunting the late season 2003. Had 3 deer walk in on me right at first light (still gray out) one was real small the other two were about the same size. The first one to step into my shooting lane was one of the bigger ones. I let the arrow fly made a perfect shot, watched the deer run into every tree in its path and fall at about 30 yards away. Got down to find out I shot button buck. Made my self drag it almost a half mile as punishment. Mistakes will be made but everyone should make an effort not to shoot button bucks.


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## thunder river outfitters (Aug 21, 2007)

michigander88 said:


> OK OK
> Thank you for the introduction TRO, yes I have a problem with button heads almost to the point where I can't control myself. And I have indulged in pulling the trigger more times than I really want to admit. Most of the time when I happen to kill one they are hard to identify because of all the wind, rain, snow, sleet, leaves blowing, road traffic, fog, hail, locust swarms, mice in the blind making too much noise issues.
> 
> MI88


lmao, snow?...hmhmh didnt see any snow falling.......rain?....werent you in a enclosed blind?...leaves?......wasnt there snow on the ground? mice?...lmao..ill give ya that one:lol::lol::lol::lol:....and last but not least. road traffic?..when were you shooting out the window of a vehicle?


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## bersh (Dec 9, 2003)

Tracker83 said:


> Let me offer up the following scenario: You are hunting a severely overpopulated deer herd. Your #1 management objective is population reduction. It is January 1st - last day of archery season - and you have 1 tag left. With only a few minutes of shooting light remaining a button buck steps into your shooting lane. Do you thump him or let him walk?


If I have one tag left, that means I've already plugged at least one - I'd let him walk.

Also, though I understand the point you're making, a total side plot to your scenario is that by the time Jan. 1 rolls along, those buttons have grown quite a bit, they've bulked up ([should] have fattened up a bit) and have their thick winter coats, and they've lost a lot of the short nose & block head appearance that they have early in the season. Gets really hard to tell what it is come that late in the season.

Ironically, I found myself in a very similar situation last season. I didn't shoot a buck, hadn't filled any of my tags, and had a permit for my land behind the house(this was all partially by design as I passed up a lot of deer early in the season - won't make that mistake again). On the last day of muzzleloading season, on the last evening, I had a baldy come in to about 70 yards away during crappy weather. Literally 6 minutes before legal shooting was over. The safety was off, crosshairs on the shoulder, but something told me not to shoot, so I didn't. Upon looking at the trail cam pic the next day, I discovered it was a decent 6 point that had already dropped his antlers. Our weather was so crappy up here during late bow season that the deer were already yarded up and trudging through 3'+ of snow didn't sound like much fun, so that last night of ML was literally my last night of hunting. That 6 point is now a pretty nice 8 this year - if he gives me the chance again he'll be in the crockpot before he knows what hit him.


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## tommy-n (Jan 9, 2004)

bersh said:


> If I have one tag left, that means I've already plugged at least one - I'd let him walk.
> 
> Also, though I understand the point you're making, a total side plot to your scenario is that by the time Jan. 1 rolls along, those buttons have grown quite a bit, they've bulked up ([should] have fattened up a bit) and have their thick winter coats, and they've lost a lot of the short nose & block head appearance that they have early in the season. Gets really hard to tell what it is come that late in the season.
> 
> Ironically, I found myself in a very similar situation last season. I didn't shoot a buck, hadn't filled any of my tags, and had a permit for my land behind the house(this was all partially by design as I passed up a lot of deer early in the season - won't make that mistake again). On the last day of muzzleloading season, on the last evening, I had a baldy come in to about 70 yards away during crappy weather. Literally 6 minutes before legal shooting was over. The safety was off, crosshairs on the shoulder, but something told me not to shoot, so I didn't. Upon looking at the trail cam pic the next day, I discovered it was a decent 6 point that had already dropped his antlers. Our weather was so crappy up here during late bow season that the deer were already yarded up and trudging through 3'+ of snow didn't sound like much fun, so that last night of ML was literally my last night of hunting. That 6 point is now a pretty nice 8 this year - if he gives me the chance again he'll be in the crockpot before he knows what hit him.


agreed,
And if you let that bb walk on the last day of season he's 1.5 years next season, maybe a decent 8 point. Bottom line is they'll never age if there not given a chance to walk


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## JimLeadfoot (Dec 16, 2005)

This guy was away from the pack - late October. I was hauling a trailer that was heavily loaded. Going a little too fast in consideration of deer on the road. I saw him pop over a mogul and down to the road...but, the smart SOB stopped right before I would have hit him with my vehicle. He dismissed the fact that I was hauling anything and calmly walked into my trailer - WHACK. Another button boy down.


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## bioactive (Oct 30, 2005)

Tracker83 said:


> Jim,
> 
> Thanks for the detailed response. For the most part I agree with your assessment. However, in areas suffering from severe overpopulation I think that the "lowest hole in the bucket" from a management perspective is reducing the population. While the most efficient way to reach that goal is to whack does, accidental bb kills are still removing animals from the herd. I don't think that buck:doe ratios and buck age structure should be the primary considerations when evaluating the effects of that accidental kill.
> 
> Let me offer up the following scenario: You are hunting a severely overpopulated deer herd. Your #1 management objective is population reduction. It is January 1st - last day of archery season - and you have 1 tag left. With only a few minutes of shooting light remaining a button buck steps into your shooting lane. Do you thump him or let him walk?


I let him walk. The more bucks there are the more pressure on the doe herd. Why kill him when by doing so, I may improve the chances of a doe surviving? He may or may not make it, but if his presence even incrementally increases the chances of a doe dying, then it is better to keep him alive. You see, the problem is, in the scenario you describe, recruitment of new animals is probably close to zero. If there are already too many does, you make room for those that are already living to survive, while there is little or no recruitment of new bucks going on.

Easy decision for me. If a herd is overpopulated, spare as many bucks as humanly possible if it is at the expense of does.


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## thunder river outfitters (Aug 21, 2007)

Tracker83 said:


> Somebody please explain to me what is so wrong with killing button bucks? Some of you guys sound absolutely devistated about your accidental bb kills. I don't intentionally target bbs, but I've never been upset when I've dropped one thinking that it was a doe. It happens. I'm starting to wonder if some of Michigan's problems with hunters being unwilling to harvest does is because so many are paranoid that it might be a button buck...


i think the only reason is, michigans buck to doe ratio is in the bucket, there is trophy hunters and there is meat hunters. if your a meat hunter you should shoot a doe,imo, just to do your part in balancing the heard. ill be the first to admit that im a trophy hunter and i do my part in balancing the heard. i will take out as many does as the state allows me to take. i personally have 7 doe tags for area this year, and will use each and every one of those to try and do my part in balancing the heard.


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## QDMAMAN (Dec 8, 2004)

> thunder river outfitters said:
> 
> 
> > i personally have 7 doe tags for area this year, and will use each and every one of those to try and do my part in balancing the heard.


I've herd that about you.


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## floating debris (Nov 3, 2008)

I mistakenly took one on Friday night. Thought it was a doe because so many were around my stand. Took the shot at the last shooting light. Was pleased with the shot placement and the fact it was my first bow kill since 1990, but disappointed upon walking up on him. 

Karmic payback happened Saturday morning when I flat-out missed the largest buck of my life. A clean miss on a 170" 12 point.


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## DuckMan87 (Jun 11, 2009)

JimLeadfoot said:


> The purpose of the thread was to alert people to the pertinent problem where lots of people dust the button boys. I have plenty of stories - do you have any contribution that might help the group overall in terms of identification of button bucks, or, have you never shot one?


look at their damn head?


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## Ieatantlers (Oct 7, 2008)

DuckMan87 said:


> look at their damn head?


In all of his scenarios he's basically blazing away at the hip. No time for ID, its brown its down! Half the reason I gave up gun hunting years ago was from seeing most of those scenarios he described by neighboring hunters.


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## soggybtmboys (Feb 24, 2007)

I have taken a few. My first deer was with a bow and it was a button buck. Since then I have done my best not to shoot them. Therefore, small deer/fawns that are alone usually get a pass. I passed one last week after I stalked within 25 yards then it turned into a bb instead of the doe I thought it was. I took the last one intentially, I had my young son with me and wanted to kill a deer while he was with me for him to see, it was his first time deer hunting. I was on a farm that is overrun, so its not a major concern of mine. I consistantly kill deer with my ml out past 100 yards over ag fields, so I am sure it will probably happen again and it is not something I desire to do, but will not fret over it. Antlerless deer reduction is the game. I have recently purchased a spotting scope, and will be using it to better discern between doe fawns and buck fawns at grater ranges.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## Sam22 (Jan 22, 2003)

Bob S said:


> Any program that aggressively harvests does is going to occasionally take buck fawns. It's not a problem, don't let it bother you.
> 
> Even in a Quality Management program, as long as buck fawn harvest does not exceed 10% of the total antlerless harvest, it is a non issue.


Good point, I was hoping someone would say that.

There are ways to help avoid it, don't shoot an antlerless deer all by itself unless it's a 150lb swamp donkey. The bigger of two small does will be the BB, they are slightly larger than their sister.


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## lodge lounger (Sep 16, 2005)

It seems there's a couple buttons taken every year in our camp. I've shot a few, but not in quite awhile (this is my 45th season :yikes None of our guys really want to shoot a button, but it happens. I don't get too excited about it, but when shots are taken in circumstances when an informed decision hasn't been made (i.e., running deer), I'm perhaps less enthusiastic with my congratulations. Anyone can see a group of deer, look them over, pick the largest, and end up with a button. Low quality shots at running deer, however, are never a good idea.


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## Nick Adams (Mar 10, 2005)

I've shot two over the years and one barely legal spike, all while filling dmap tags in early December. Winter coats on the deer. Open sights on the rifles. Deer are moving more often than not.

We usually have a lot of dmap tags to fill and typically only three or four days apiece during the muzzleloader season in order to do it. If you aren't shooting one or two deer per day the tags won't all get used.

We avoid taking shots on single deer. The second and larger of two moving deer are fair game, but that's not an ironclad guarantee either.

There is a $50 camp fine for shooting a BB. Most have paid it at one time or another. The only people that never have are the ones who never seem to see any deer or the ones who don't put much effort into filling their quota of tags. Leftover tags are a worse sin than taking a few BB here and there.

-na


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## Sanilac slayer (Oct 19, 2009)

My first deer was a button buck when I was 14 with a shotgun. It was just about dark and he was 60 yards away or so and I dusted him. I thought it was a doe and a I caught a lot of crap from my buddy and his dad for it. I ended up feelin bad about shooting it but in all reality when I look back at it now, I should have been happy that I harvested my first whitetail and not let what them guys were saying about it take away from my first successfull hunt. My wife will start bow hunting next fall and I already told her, whatever you get a chance at that gives you a good clean shot, take it. We love venison and we will eat it whether its a 150 class buck or a doe fawn.


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## Manthus (Jul 5, 2010)

ifitsbrownitsdown said:


> here is the #1 way to PREVENT button boy harvest.....DO NOT SHOOT A LONE DEER.....that will minimize your chances greatly......just be careful its not his twin sister with him, else he may look bigger!


Button buck #5. Mid season 2009. Single deer walking. Down. &^%$#@ Button Buck. I gutted it real quick and cut it up fast so no one would know. I didn't tell my friends until the next year. :lol:










Then, button buck #6 came this year - I had a 150 yard shot and took it...multiple deer (3) feeding in a crop field, yeah, you guessed it - I smoked the BB through the heart...great shot ??

I'm not so sure ALL of those deer weren't buttonboys running together like a gang. I guess I will remember that scenario for next year! Can't wait until I'm a VETERAN hunter. It's only been 20+ years now...:gaga:


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## Ol Mucky (May 8, 2006)

JimLeadfoot said:


> Forr those of you that are hunters and have shot a button buck in your life, have you become an accomplished enough hunter that you would say that you will NEVER make the mistake again of dumping a buttonBOY?
> 
> .


When you say 'mistake' I assume you mean you made a personal decision not to shoot a button if possible but you did right?

I have killed one button and like a previous poster mentioned, I glassed him, didn't notice anything other than I thought it was a real nice doe. He ate good. I didn't try the buttons (not sure how to cook those).

I have passed on many others over the years, mainly because the ones I did see were late season deer (very small bodied) and the kill wasn't worth the effort for the volume of meat, plus there there is generally a herd of doe running around.

I won't hesitate to kill another if the meat is needed and depending on the days I have left hunting, the environment (corn still standing, etc) and what walks into my scope.

{edit: you cannot go by the "solo" deer scenario either when trying to ID these guys. I've killed/seen many solo does during all times of rifle}


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## Sib (Jan 8, 2003)

He guys, this is a 1.5 yr old thread now, so you can't tag it with your antlerless.


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## Manthus (Jul 5, 2010)

Ol Mucky said:


> When you say 'mistake' I assume you mean you made a personal decision not to shoot a button if possible but you did right?
> 
> I have killed one button and like a previous poster mentioned, I glassed him, didn't notice anything other than I thought it was a real nice doe. He ate good. I didn't try the buttons (not sure how to cook those).
> 
> ...


Well, I can't speak for Leadfoot personally, because I'm Manthus...but, yeah, mistake or not - I have dumped a bucketload of buttonboys.

They all taste great! I have started to hold myself to a one buck rule, if it has nuts, that's my buck for the year. 2 years in a row with a .5 year old buck. lmk.


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## Manthus (Jul 5, 2010)

Sib said:


> He guys, this is a 1.5 yr old thread now, so you can't tag it with your antlerless.


That 150 yard shot was with the 150 grains of Triple 7 too. Shhh, don't tell Thunderhead


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