The old doe rule is no longer true

[Hunt 365]

I am now hesitant to shoot does in the evening. Here is why:
The old adage was don't shoot a small deer by itself. The past few years, I have seen multiple deer together, without racks, some with various size differences. The bigger ones have been buttons too. I guess early and late ones together. I really don't trust myself anymore in the evenings to shoot a mature doe. I haven't shot one in the evenings since the new rule came out, but it's mainly because I don't want to shoot a button.
I have killed some in the morning, but is anyone else experiencing this? I guess because there are more deer now, buttons are bunching up. I just hate taking a future buck out of the herd, even though most of the places I hunt need some does thinned.

 

[GRIT]

I have seen an explosion of button bucks the last 2 years some that have broke through the skin some have not.Have seen as many as 4 BB in one group.

 

[duckduck84]

Happened to me tonight three in a group ended up shooting the button unknowingly. I'm not as broken up about it though because I didn't have to burn a tag since the antler was still beneath hair and we've seen a lot more bucks then does on our land this year.

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[casjoker]

Same here, I was about to shoot a big doe, so I thought, after further inspection with my 4x range finder I saw some little bumps and passed. Lucky I was bow hunting, rifle hunting I may not have let it get close enough to see the bumps. I don't mind letting the little guys go, I have seen way more buck and buck sign this year than the last two or three years which is fine by me.

 

[bowhunterfanatic]

I let a deer walk inside of 10 yards yesterday evening with a bow because I was afraid it was a button. I put binoculars on it inside of 10 yards and couldn't see the nubs but it was alone and its body size screamed button. I've made that mistake one too many times, so I just won't shoot one by itself this time of year anymore.

 

[pass-thru]

Not unusual to see buttons grouping up now, I guess the orphaned ones. And sometimes they are as big as their mom. But if you look closely at the head and jaw to compare it is still not difficult to tell fawns from mature does.

 

[Pinwheeled]

Been covered up in buttons this year. We don't shoot many does on our place anyways but the new rule has made me pretty cautious. I don't think that's a bad thing


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[Smo]

What's the new rule? I must of missed something.....

 

[duckduck84]

What's the new rule? I must of missed something.....

Antlerless deer rule change. Any antler above the hairline counts as a buck.

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[TNWhit3tail]

A good check is to compare the distance from 'the eye to the base of the ear' and 'the eye to the tip of the nose'. If you can approximate them being the same distance....DON'T SHOOT! When the distance from 'the eye to the tip of the nose' is longer...then you know it's a mature doe. This is pretty obvious after a couple looks. Try it out next time you are in the woods.

 

[Hunt 365]

A good check is to compare the distance from 'the eye to the base of the ear' and 'the eye to the tip of the nose'. If you can approximate them being the same distance....DON'T SHOOT! When the distance from 'the eye to the tip of the nose' is longer...then you know it's a mature doe. This is pretty obvious after a couple looks. Try it out next time you are in the woods.

That's a very good point- good intel. Thank you

 

[Smo]

What's the new rule? I must of missed something.....

Antlerless deer rule change. Any antler above the hairline counts as a buck.

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Oh that rule change. LOL

I thought I had missed a new rule on killing older Does ...

 

[MickThompson]

I assumed he was talking about "never shoot a doe by itself. Shoot the largest antlerless in a group" to avoid buck fawns.


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[jb357]

Just do what most people do. Shoot everything that moves and if it happens to be a button poking through the hair, cut it up and don't check it out. Or buy your wife a license and check it out with her credentials.

 

[Hunt 365]

I assumed he was talking about "never shoot a doe by itself. Shoot the largest antlerless in a group" to avoid buck fawns.


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This is what I was referring to. I guess some of you other guys don't hunt enough. It makes me sick to shoot a button, yet I try to take some does. Some of you have been helpful in identifying does further and I thank you.

 

[duckduck84]

Just do what most people do. Shoot everything that moves and if it happens to be a button poking through the hair, cut it up and don't check it out. Or buy your wife a license and check it out with her credentials.

Is that really what most people do?

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[jb357]

Just do what most people do. Shoot everything that moves and if it happens to be a button poking through the hair, cut it up and don't check it out. Or buy your wife a license and check it out with her credentials.

Is that really what most people do?

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More than you would ever imagine.