A “button buck” is a term commonly used to describe a young male deer. This article explains what a button buck is, how to identify one in the field, and why accurate identification holds significance.
What Exactly is a Button Buck?
A button buck is a male deer less than a year old. These young bucks are characterized by small, hair-covered protuberances on their heads. These bumps are not yet true antlers but are called pedicles, the foundational structures from which antlers will eventually grow.
Pedicles begin to develop when a buck fawn is about four months old. Some button bucks may have very slight, barely visible knots, while others might display more prominent, button-like nubs. Genetics and nutrition influence the size and visibility of these pedicles. These “buttons” are the earliest stage of antler development, preceding the growth of hardened antlers that appear around 1.5 years of age.
How to Identify a Button Buck in the Field
Identifying a button buck can present a challenge, particularly in distinguishing them from female deer (does) or young spike bucks. Beyond the presence of pedicles, which can be difficult to see from a distance, several other visual cues aid in identification. Button bucks possess a more compact, square-shaped body compared to the larger, more rectangular build of adult does. Their snouts are shorter, and their heads appear flatter across the top between the developing pedicles, contrasting with the more rounded head shape of a doe.
Observing behavior also provides valuable clues. Button bucks exhibit more curious and less cautious behavior than older deer, being the first to enter an open area or food source. While does travel in groups for safety, a button buck might be seen traveling alone. When observing two young deer together, the larger one is the button buck. Using optical aids like binoculars can significantly improve the ability to discern these subtle physical and behavioral differences, especially in challenging lighting conditions.
The Importance of Correct Identification
Accurate identification of button bucks is important for both wildlife enthusiasts and hunters. From a regulatory standpoint, many hunting jurisdictions classify button bucks as antlerless deer, meaning they can be harvested under antlerless tags. However, some states consider them antlered bucks, which impacts tagging requirements and bag limits. Misidentifying a button buck as a doe can lead to unintentional harvesting of a young male deer, potentially resulting in violations of hunting regulations or the use of a valuable buck tag on a deer that has not yet reached its full antler potential.
Beyond legal considerations, correct identification plays a role in deer herd management and ethical hunting practices. Protecting young bucks allows them to mature and contribute to the buck population, which helps maintain a healthy buck-to-doe ratio within a deer herd. While a button buck protected on one property might disperse to another area as it matures, allowing these young males to develop supports the overall health and future quality of the deer population across the landscape.