IMO, it's the 1 1/2 year old buck that is the easiest to kill in most areas. Fawns have the protective maternal instinct of a mature Doe to save their butts. Does also generally have other deer with them, meaning more eyes and ears to detect danger. However, a yearling buck (1 1/2 year old) has many thing stacked against him. For one he is a very curious animals, this fact alone will get many killed every season. Then consider buck dispersment, for the first time in his life the yearling buck finds himself looking for a new homerange becuse mom has pushed him off to prevent inbreeding, this unfamilarity of his new surrounding also make him easy to kill. All this going agaist him and then add in the hormones he is experiencing for th first time thrown in will his curiosity and this is what puts most states harvets ratios at 60 to 80% yearling bucks! I think the only guys you are really going to find that are going to argue this are the guys that kill yearling bucks every year! IF, they get past this first year carrying a "rack" they become sooooo MUCH wiser and aer well on their way to becoming a trophy.