new hunter taking first shot
 

Long time looker, first time poster here. last weekend i took a good buddy to my land in the persuit of taking his first deer. He has hunted birds for a couple of years but never sat in a stand. well he hunted all morning without a deer. during the afternoon hunt, he got me on my cell with a text message stating that he had a doe raggen size (raggen is his 100lb dog) and that he was going to pass. knowing that i had 5 doe tags left i told him to take it since he said it was 100+. well he took the shot and dropped it from 215 yards out. when i got out of the stand and over to his plot, i walked up on the deer to find a 60lb button buck. part of me was excited for my friend being able to shoot his first deer with my rifle on my land, but the other part was disapointed that such a small deer was taken. should i feel responsible for the loss? i told him to take it while thinking that it was a legit doe when i was over 3 miles on the other side of the property. i have been loosing sleep for the past 2 nights over this.

RE: new hunter taking first shot
 

Relax!!! It sucks taking a button buck but its not the end of the world. Use this to teach your buddy how to identify size and sex of the deer. This a verygood lesson for him. I certainly wouldnt lose any sleep over this.

RE: new hunter taking first shot
 

Ha. I dont think that is something to lose sleep over. Like johnnybravo said, use this as a teaching method. I'll admit that my first deer was a button buck, and it wasnt my last. Look at it as getting some dang good meat.

RE: new hunter taking first shot
 

no big deal.
the first dear is buck fever galore.
my first deer was bambi. and when i shot i thought it was the size of a bus.

RE: new hunter taking first shot
 

I wouldn't worry about taking a small deer. Depending on where you are, the DNR encourages hunters to take any kind of deer just to get the population down. Also, depending on where you live, the mortality rate for fawnscan bepretty high in the winter. I took a button buck early this year. I couldn't tell that it was a buck, I thought it was a doe fawn. But anyway, in my area, you have to shoot an antlerless deer before you can get a buck tag, and anything with antlers of less that 3" qualifies.

RE: new hunter taking first shot
 

what state do you hunt in?
I kind of like that rule.

RE: new hunter taking first shot
 

It takes time to learn how to judge deer and their size you just taught him a lesson and next time he will make sure the deer is bigger. Congrats on helping out a new hunter.

RE: new hunter taking first shot
 

I understand how you feel but don't worry about it. My first deer with a bow was a button buck. this deer came under my stand and stoped about 15 yards out, I could have swore it wasa doe, in fact a drug it to our little gravel road, went inside to eat and still thought it was a does. It was not until I went back to pick it up that I noticed that this doe had, how should I say, man goods. and I thought oh crap, I looked at his head and sure enought two little buttons. but this is still considered antlerless, so it was all gravy. needless to say if I shoot a doe i am out with the binocs checking that head.

RE: new hunter taking first shot
 

Losing sleep over someone filling their deer tag. I suggest some tylenol PM[&:]

RE: new hunter taking first shot
 

In Indiana, anything with less than a 3" spike is considered "antlerless" I believe.....

RE: new hunter taking first shot
 

My first deer was a button buck. I've shot a few more and just this year filled my first season tag with a button buck too. Good eat'in. Don't loose no sleep over it

RE: new hunter taking first shot
 

Here in Iowa, we don't have "doe" tags. We have "any deer" tags, good for, well ANY deer, and "antlerless only" tags. Anything less than a forked antler is considered "antlerless". It makes it a lot easier to hunt, because even at 100+ yds you can tell if the deer you are shooting at fits the tag you have. I took a 70# barely button last year, not long out of spots....good eats. It looked bigger on the nob of ground in the tall grass. I thought it was a big doe. I didn't lose a lick of sleep, there are plenty more where that one came from.

RE: new hunter taking first shot
 

wow dude you lost sleep over that uh i think thats a problem. look at it this way you helped a new hunter get his first deer ever and its good eatin. i hope you didnt blow up on him for shootin it. just teach him a lesson and make him a better hunter.

RE: new hunter taking first shot
 

I can guarantee that no one who is a member of this forum can tell the difference between a button buck and a doe at 215 yards......unless they were using the HUBBEL Telescope!
It's difficult enough at 50-60 yards and thats even with the deer making u turns in front of you to try to tell their sex from 'behind'....
There's always a 50\50 chance of being right or wrong and we've always been taught that on young deer, it's safer to pass than be completely wrong.
I wouldn't worry about his decision to shoot. I would be happy for his success and use the experience as a teaching\learning tool.........

RE: new hunter taking first shot
 

This is the important part. He thought it was a doe, mistakes happen, don't worry about it.

I know a certified wildlife biologist that once mistakenly shot two button bucks in the same day. If a wildlife professional can make a mistake, so can non-professional hunters.

RE: new hunter taking first shot
 

At 215 yards I doubt there are many people on this forum that could be 100% sure it was a doe. Don't worry about it being a young buck, that is just some thing that happens to everybody.