farm hunter

I look for the "puppy head"

If its alone and running - I don't shoot - period.

Once you get used to looking for the "Fawn Puppy head" - its not too hard - really its not.

DOE

Fawn

If - I'm not sure - I pass.

hunter rich

Dont get me wrong, I am not saying you should shoot first check later, I am saying that if you do kill a button, don't beat yourself up over it. Enjoy the tender, tasty protien and be more careful next time. I also stick by my point about buck dispertion, so if my freezer is low and the season end is near...that spike/fork horn going with me. Because he probably wont be back as a 6 point or 8 point next year, but someone elses may be...Hmmm...maybe I dont want anyone else killing young uns.

AJ52

farm hunter

Great pics showing variations.

Stump_MN_Hunter

A buck fawn will most likely not get dispersed if it's mom is taken out. He will most likely stick around the area.

davidmor

I have to agree with what others have said. Shape of the head (and body), if it is alone, or if it is the first one out of the woods the chances are pretty good that it is a button. I have shot two buttons since I started hunting and both of them were the first ones out of the woods. I now am very careful about looking at the deer before I pull up my gun. It takes some practice looking at them and I still have some deer that I let walk becuase I am not sure. The hardest part for me was learning to just watch the deer and not shoot the first thing I see. The excitement and adrenaline gets going and everything inside of me would say "there is a deer, shoot it!" I now find that a hunt is just as successful for me when I see deer that I could have shot, and let them walk. Especially when it is a nice buck that is just a point short of what my and my hunting buddies guidelines are. I had a nice 6 point buck with a very big body come out with three fawns this season. I watched them for about 15 minutes with everything in my body telling me "shoot the buck! shoot the buck!". Because I don't shoot under 8 points I just watched. Sure enough about 15 minutes later a nice doe came out. I waited until the doe was next to the buck before I took her. I figured if I wasn't going to shoot the buck, at least it would feel like I shot him if I took the doe when she was standing next to him! This was probably one of my most fun hunts ever. It was great to take the doe, but it was much more fun watching the buck and knowing that with the pull of the trigger he would have been in my truck. That is a successful hunt to me.