david, What type of test with the bow for prficiecny? yardage, groups, knowledge of anatomy ?

Sometimes I have, and other times I haven' t. It' s more or less a decision I make based on what I' ve been seeing up to that point in the year. If I' ve been passing up a ton of button bucks, I might be inclined to shoot one for the freezer. If I haven' t seen too many of them I' d more likely opt to take a pass.

JRW

Yes, I do let them walk, although sometimes difficult, I have been able to positively id them. This year, I had my 7 yr old in the stand with me. We had a doe fawn and button buck in around and under us for almost 2 hours. Letting them walk gave my boy them greatest thrill watching them for all that time. He had a ball and so did I. Paid off big time!

BIGEMY: 3 Broadheads inside a bullseye circle at 20(Easy for most of us but it weeds out the wannabees and lazy tuners. I shot my qualification with the bow and had two in the X and one just out but they' ve changed the target and I have to do it all over. Shotgun, 3 inches at 50 and good group at 100. Rifle 100 same deal.

Its the last day of the bow season in Pa and my buck tag is gone. I do however still have an anterless deer tag. There were turkey and deer all around my stand. A turkey walks within range i shoot at its feet. Meanwhile there are 2 button bucks directly under my stand munching away on acorns. Even though it was the last day, i was not going to shoot them under any circumstance. Those deer survived cause i saw them just today and they are my next years bucks

Yes, let the button bucks walk. Seems like I see them every year and I always let them pass in hopes they make it through 3,4,5 seasons. Thats when I want to see them again.

I let them walk.
They can be tough to tell sometimes, if not real close.

Yes, let them go. I had a button buck in my stand the last week of the 2001 season that had a clubbed foot. I let him walk as I do with anything with less than six points and ended up getting him this season with the rifle. He had grown into a decent six that I misjudged as an eight. Had one screwed up antler but still had good genetics to go from a button to a six in my area. Imagine what he could have been in a year or two more!!!! Wish I would have judged him better. Still tasted great though!!!

Yes and yes! I' m not gonna waste a tag on 35lbs of meat!
It' s fairly easy to distinguish a yearling (fawn) from an adult deer. I wont shoot a yearling doe either.

Where are all the meat hunters that posted on the antler restriction issue? I find it nearly impossible to distinguish a button buck from a mature doe even though I know that the face is shorter and the forehead is supposed to protrude. For several reasons I had to resort to the rifle this past season and wound up shooting a button buck that shocked me when I started to field dress him.