I' m not sure there is always a way to tell, but there are some things you can look for. First, get a good pair of bino' s. Make sure you look for the bumps. Second, when your out doe hunting, start hunting for mature does. When an antlerless deer walks by, check out the ears. A mature doe will have large ears, and obviously no antlers. Lastly, when looking at a deer in the distance...is the deer alone? As the rut aproaches, Buck deer getting pushed out of groups, even the young ones. If there is an antlerless deer walking by itself, especially pre-rut/rut time of year, you can almost bet it' s a button buck. Don' t shoot it.

Recap---

1. Get good Bino' s
2. Shoot Mature Does (big ears)
3. Don' t shoot singled out antlerless deer.