So consider it an insult, but the truth has now come out that you violated the law and didn't contact the DNR to tell them of the mistake you made on one of them! I smelled a rat as soon as I read your post and saw you were from MO and pretty well thought they had a one buck rule. If you're such an ethical hunter you shouldn't have shot an animal that early in the morning at that distance if you didn't have an either sex tag---no ifs, ands, or butts. Then to not turn yourself in like the law requires when you make a mistake like that just compounds your problem and doesn't speak very highly of your ethics. Not only that, but you have now come on the internet and posed a question concerning what I thought might be illegal activities and then admitted you have committed a serious game law violation---not too smart there pardner!!!

I don't know but the benefit of the doubt is probably not a bad idea.

Ive looked at deer for hours and then shot them.....Why? Because I like to look at deer.

I would say the looking into the regulations part is supposed to be the step in front of the accusation part..

I'm in IL and I can kill two bucks but I'm not sure about MO.

I don't know. Ive never not cared about whether the deer had antlers.

I'm confused. If the first one was a legal antlerless wasn't the second one your legal buck?

That is one antlerless and 1 antlered deer right?

all im trying to say is that in Missouri we are issued a doe tag and a buck tag. in Missouri you can use a doe tag on a doe, a button buck, or a buck that has a spike of three inches. I legally killed and tagged the first buck because it had a spike of three inches. as for the second buck there is no excuse. I made a mistake. I thought I was legal. I had no clue it was a buck. it was in a ground with two other does. it was not rutting so its body frame looked like a doe. I saw what I thought were three does in the field. and I shot the biggest one.

you are correct.

well then just say that for crying out loud. I see what you are saying and how it could happen, but you should have just said how you tagged them. we have the same rule in ny for doe tags with spikes of 3" or less.

easier regs in Iowa
 

If a deer has no forked antler, put an antlerless tag on it. You guys are giving this guy grief, maybe for reason, but if we had a picture of this deer, maybe you would back off a little.
Here's a picture of a buck that fooled me. I was hunting private property where the land owner only wanted does shot. M-loader shot at about 60 yards. Light ok, late afternoon. In timber. Deer came out around some trees, looking almost directly at me. Ears up and alert. The picture shows the right side. The left side was only a mass of "bone" about 3 inches in diameter and 3/4 of an inch high. Now look at that antler..... The top is light colored and hid real nice in front of the ear which is also light colored. The dropped part is dark colored and tucked along the darker colored face. I simply didn't notice the rack and killed the deer. When I rolled him over to field dress him and saw nuts, I was very surprised. Because of obvious bad genes, the land owner was glad I got him out of the woods. I put my any sex tag on him and was legal. Give me grief if you want, but the same thing would probably happen to you.

Is that buck tag strictly for a buck or is it an either sex tag?we dont have buck tags here just either sex tags.

***This still means he ATTEMPTED to violate the law EVEN IF he had already tagged the first deer with the 3" spike with his one anterless tag. He specifically stated in his first post that he shot the second one that had a six inch spike thinking it was a doe. If he had already used his doe tag on the 3" buck, he obviously shot at a deer he thought was a doe and didn't have a doe tag to legally use on the 6" buck, but was lucky it qualified as a buck and could use his buck tag on it. The only way he should have shot at that second deer he thought was a doe was if he was issued TWO doe tags and still had one of them left. Therefore, even if he was legal as far as the way he ended up tagging them, I"ll stand with my previous staements. I also would like to know why he says he made a mistake that he has to live with. That comment sounds like an admission of committing a violation, rather than just a booboo that was resolved by legally tagging them, especially with his longest post responding to mine regarding the mistake.

You beat me to the punch!thats why i asked about a buck tag being an either sex tag.always be sure of your target and beyond! This is a number one rule for many reasons.