i just dont shoot fawns or lone anterless deer and i have never had to worry about shooting a button buck.

If it is legal I have no problem with someone shooting one. I don't shoot them as we try to shoot mature bucks or does. I turn my scope up to 15 power and look at the head, you can tell if you look. Besides they are small and if you look you can tell they are immature.

Opening week of our bow season I watched three deer feed there way to my stand. The only shot I had was at 30 yards and I took it. I walked up to my "doe" and my heart sank. I let anything under a six walk unless it is an older deer on his way down. I ask anyone who hunts this property to do the same and I would have been mad as heck if anyone else had did this! It happens to most of us. I have good eyes and I couldn't tell.

[Deleted by Admins]

What do you care what another hunter kills ?
It's the shooter's business , and only his , what he aims at . People like you act like they own the deer . Grow up , not everybody hunts like you .

I passed a buttonbuck and a 5 pointer opening day of firearms season in Illinois on Friday. My uncle killed the buttonbuck 30 minutes later when it walked past his stand. I let him walk because I was hoping there was a bigger deer behind him, not because of the "trophy" he may or may not become. My uncle was pleased with his deer, that is all that matters.

If you are on private land with limited hunters and can manage the land you should care what is killed. If these variables don't work then its hard to say that BB wouldn't get killed as a spike the next year. But you could really consider the fact that if you want a mature deer, no matter where you hunt, you need to let the young ones walk.

I've been hunting for 9 years, and killed a Button Buck in 2002. Killed a 3 point in 1997... and a nice sized Spike in 2000, and a big Spike this year. Think this one was 2 1/2 years old. 150 pound range. I shoot whatever I see. Last 2 years I only seen 4 Deer. I'd shoot a bigger Deer if I had my choice. But I shot a samll Doe Fawn on opening day, and that's the only Deer I'd seen all day. Went back after bringing that one in, and missed a bigger Doe. It was smarter and stayed behind a group of Tree's. I went again on day #3 and shot the big Spike, it came running by with a big Doe. I did'nt even notice the 7" Antler's until he was laying on his Side. Would'nt of mattered though. Someone had shot it a day or two prior about 6 " above a hind hoof. [8D]

I nailed a button buck in PA last year. I thought it was a doe..until I went to gut it and it had a pecker.

If I knew it was a button buck... I would have let him go.

In PA and NJ a button buck is considered an "antlerless" deer.

I personally don't believe that accidentally taking a button-buck is such a terrible thing. I'm not advocating that you go out gunning for them, but hear me out.

During their first year, button-bucks are run off by their mothers. They usually end up miles away. This is called dispersal and it occurs with almost every living thing on the planet. This keeps that little buck from breeding with his mother, sisters, aunts, etc. Therefore, that little button-buck will most likely never be seen on your property as a mature deer.

Just my 2 cents.