Gentlemen,

Need a litle help. What is the best way to distinguish a doe from a button buck. I seem to have a littel trouble with that. Other than obvious equipment changes that would allow me to see better.

Now that is a question that I don't think that I have read on here before.

How far are you shooting? Even with cheap optics, you should be able to see the knots on the head.

Button bucks tend to have a short stubby nose instead of the long nose. Bodies are a little bulkier and at times they seem "stubby".

Look at how long thier legs are. A button buck is going to have a small body in comparison to leg length. Either way you still use an antlerless tag

Swarovski

nubbins are built like bucks... squarish heads, usually with a doe (s), by themselves or mixed in with a bachelor group. The knots are usually a dead give-away.

The top of a button bucks head usually looks square or flat or has bumps near his ears, a doe's head looks rounded on top.

Good binoculars are a great investment.

Also, if a buck fawn is still with his family group, he'll almost always be the first deer to the feeder.

But quality optics is really your best bet.

he'll also be the one the does are chasing around trying to get him off the feeders. I watched one try to mount a doe this weekend and she like to have delivered a beat down to him.

X2
Button bucks will also often be the firsr deer to showup in a food plots and feeders.

If you cannot positively identify your target then you probably shouldn't shoot it.

Button bucks are fawns from this past spring. They're going to be tiny, even compared to does. A mature doe will have a long, large head, skinny neck but much larger body. Use 10 power binocs to look at the head and see if it has buttons.

X2 I would not hunt without binoculars!

Thanks to all for the input, it has been duly noted, in the optics department would you update your scope or you binoculars to the Swaravsky or Zeiss level?

Ford vs Chevy. I have both and prefer the Zeiss, but others will disagree. Either will be a huge upgrade.

the buck will have 2 balls, the doe wont

Body size to me is the best way to tell. I shot a button buck one year at 16 yds. Couldn't tell till it was a button buck until I started the gut job. That's when I realized it was not a doe. If it's a young deer and you don't want to chance it just assume it's a button buck. By the way, this was on public land and I had sit for 8 days without seeing a deer. I was primed to fling an arrow.

It's not my proudest moment but it happened. I was able to teach my son how to follow a blood trail and it made for some good eating. I was bow hunting OK so it was legal and I checked him on my buck tag.

Yea i think the light was a little low and I did not realize until we loaded him in the truck.......I just want to gather as much knowledge as possible so I dont do it again.

A spotting scope will zoom 'em in so you can tell if it's got buttons or not.