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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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

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