RE: button bucks
I look for the length of nose and body size. A doe that is 1.5 years old (or more) will have an elongated snout that is pretty pronounced and a significantly bigger body. Sometimes you can see the tiny nubs or pedicles from which the antlers emerge on a button buck but they have to be pretty close for this. If this doesn't ring any bells, try viewing some deer with a spotlight (if legal) or in some othertime/place where it won't hurt your hunting. The differences are more obvious when the deer are side by side.