You are correct. I thought it was a doe. I suppose I should have clarified that. It happened so fast and even using my scope or binoculars I don't think I would have been able to tell the difference unless it stood on its hind legs or was wearing a jock strap. I did find this article.


http://www.whitetailinstitute.com/in...s/nov05/5.html

Don't be led into the trap of thinking you have to defend your harvest Cherokee. Horns are fun and get me excited, but I'm basically a meat hunter. After all, isn't the true purpose of hunting to put meat on the table? Antler stew is terrible!

Sorry guys, didn't mean to **** any of you off, but in my neck of the woods shooting a BB is a no-no. No doubt the are good eatin.

Congrats on the deer.

:s2::s2: Ain't nobody ****ed Roger. :arms:

The button buck rule is pretty common. We try to avoid shooting them on our lease, but there's no penalty for doing so (except a little razzing from the other guys). We can afford to be selective because we have a good population and every member is pretty much assured of getting his two does each year. Back when I hunted public land a lot a button buck was meat on the table, and be thankful for it.

I guess it all depends on what you're trying to achieve. Shoot a button and you take out a future rack - shoot a doe instead and you take out the babies she would have produced for as long as she survived. Private land hunters and hunting clubs usually want to protect the future rack and I know of clubs that have heavy fines for shooting a button. There's nothing "wrong" about either approach.

I just think its odd how caught up some people get with antlers. That said, I passed a couple of forkies this season. One typically has to pass something up to take a trophy. And while I understand why one would like to take a trophy, and why I wanted to take one this season, in the end, I wish I had take one of the forkies and had the meat in freezer.

When I lived in Oklahoma I took a few buttons. I didn't like taking a nursing doe and would prefer to take a fawn or a large solo doe. But back then we were trying to increase the deer where we hunted. Anyway, I certainly don't feel ashamed about it. I don't know of any possible way to identify a first year buck at 200 yards. And if its a button at 1 1/2 it needs culled anyway. A no-no? Whatever LOL.

Different strokes for different folks. ;)

.............for me semi put it in a nutshell,i've been hunting hard for 3 weeks and have only seen 4 deer,a momma with 2 little ones and a single of decent size.i was able to put a bullet in him and found out it was button buck that weighed about 90-100 lbs dressed.i'll honor him at every meal!! karl

kb1, I can't think of any greater honor one can give harvested game than to be sustained by it.

Roger, I guess there are primarily two practices which turn my stomach. The first is wanton waste. The taking of a head or antlers whilst the meat is wasted. I am happy to say that hunter's whose focus is to harvest game for meat NEVER do that. In fact, in the case of taking a 4 point elk in the wilderness, just the opposite may take place, packing out the meat in more than one trip whilst leaving the antlers for rodents. Only people fixated on antlers leave meat to waste, though most don't. I am thankful for that.

The second practice that I despise is the hunting of pen raised animals. Again people with a focus on harvesting meat never do this. They buy beef with the money they saved.

Lots of meat hunters take trophies. I have taken some good animals. There is nothing wrong with trophy hunting, personally I don't have a problem with it provided the antler worshipper doesn't waste the meat or hunt pen raised animals. The unfortunate consequence of antler worship is that it has promoted these unethical practices. Antler hunting is not a superior practice than hunting for meat. In my way of thinking, hunting traditionally for putting meat on the table will always be superior. But then who doesn't like to take a trophy? I know I sure do, but it certainly is the least important aspect of hunting to me.

First deer that went in the freezer this year was a button,next day took a 6pt.Not ashamed to admit it,Iam a deer hunter and hunt deer not horns.Again congrats on the button and GOOD EATS!!!!