khuengo

This is my first hunting season and I heard people having antlerless deer permit tag and wonder what is the difference b/w anterless deer and does?
Please explain.
Thanks

shepdogwv

Basically there is no difference because button bucks (some of which have basically no buttons at all) can be very difficult to tell the difference of than doe. It's called an anterless tag because you never know when you might shoot one and start to gut it then find a package on it. It happens to the best of us (and me) haha.

Tree climber

it also depends on you state laws. check you hunting handbook.
In Fl. ; a deer with less than 5" horns are regarded as anterless.(????) never have understood that.if it has that much horn , it should be consedered antered????

make sure you check the law.

DeerWhisperer

Guess it depends on where you live. It has to be 3" or less here to be antlerless. read your guide or visit your states dnr website.

JagMagMan

Check your local laws to be sure! Here in Tx. "antlerless," is any deer that the antlers have not broken through the skin!

zekeskar

Excellent advice. I've seen 3" limits several times, but not 5 until you mentioned it. I've also heard (on this forum and elsewhere) many, many sad stories of people literally not seeing 3 -4 inch antlers and shooting a deer thinking it was an antlerless deer/doe. So my guess is that the 5 inch limit is just a way of making it even more clear whether a deer has antlers or not, avoiding the problem of not being able to see the little 3 inch antlers. The problem with 3 inch antlers is that they can indeed be obscured by the ears. Of course, the hunter needs to be absolutely sure, take the time to look carefully and absolutely not take the shot unless sure.

Rebel Hog

Yup! 4-7/8" will get you a citation!

davester

Check your regulations and then double check them! There was a recent post in the southern forums about a WMA near me where does were pouched. Don't know the details but I bet since the county is either sex they didn't know the WMA is antlered buck only (above the fur in Va.)!

NEB.BuckHunter

Here in Nebraska, a buck is considered anything with antlers 6" or more in length. That's the way that it's been ever since I started hunting about20 years ago. Everyone should be able to see anything above 6", even if their ears are perked up.

WVCritter

There's a lot of people that call it "doe season" but if that were the case you cold only shoot does. Lots of button bucks and also bucks that have shed their antlers get killed during antlerless season. Any deer with less than 3 inches of antler is considered antlerless here in WV. With 3 inches or more it's considered a legal buck.