What is the best way to size up a single doe. To me that is one of the hardest things to do in the woods is determining the size of a single doe. I'm always afaid that it might be a button buck. If there is other deer around it is easier to spot the "shooter" doe.

I bought a poster years back that covered this...

A mature doe, ie anything other than a yearling doe/fawn....will look big IMO.

The poster suggested that does were longer in the chest vs. a fawn, a fawn they assocaiated with a briefcase, and a doe they associated with a peice of luggage...

Also I think a doe's face is much longer/narrower looking than a fawn....shorter stub nose...

Looking at the front of the chest helps. You can see it protrude outwards more on a more mature doe.

iSnipe

Where i hunt the rule of thumb is that we ususally dont shoot an antlerless deer thats alone because most of the time it is a button buck. We only shoot doe that are in groups, which also makes it easier to pick out the "shooter"

I find the head and ears of a mature doe look large. If the ears look short and the nose is short it is a fawn. I find it hard to judge a single body size due to distance and lack of another known object to judge by.

If the length of the face looks short it's this years deer.

If you want to call it a muzzle, go ahead...a mature doe has a longer and protruding muzzle, while a younger deer (button buck or doe fawn) has a stubbier, shorter looking muzzle...i think of a dog when i see a younger deer, and a horse when big mama doozer is in my sights

Easiest way for me is to wait for the deer to stand broad side and look at its head .
If it looks very short in the nose , mouth area ita a fawn .Most of the time its abought the same length as its ears .
Bigger doe have long mouths .
Another way is the necks . large doe have long necks .

I have this problem too, I have yet to figure out how to determine it either.

If it looks cute then it is a young deer.

Think about puppies and dogs. The puppy will have a short fat and full face where as a dog will have a longer full featured face. Same with deer. Young does will have short fat faces that look cute. Does will have long noses and huge ears and be far more muscular than young does.

Keep in mind that does are just like bucks in terms of body structure as the age. They too get sway backs and pot bellies.

Old does... notice the very long noses and large ears.




Young does (maybe a button also)... notice the short, cute faces and small ears.