I thought he was a she.
Apparently he shed his antlers already. Fatal mistake.

I did the same thing back during regular gun season. I think it happens alot, because sometimes you don't have enough time to really look or you will miss out on an opportunity.... Anyway, congrats it'll be a a good eat'n deer...

Congrats on the deer! While it can happen anytime in later seasons, it is one of the reasons I don't like the late "antlerless" season.

First of all, congrats on the late season meat Rusty!

On a side note: (to everyone!)
If'n ya don't want to shoot BB's and shed bucks..... binos BiNoS BINOS!!!

I could have shot an "antlerless" yesterday, but binos proved it to be a BB... which I won't shoot.

If you don't have "enough time" to make sure, OR you'll lose your "opportunity"..... then you don't care what it might be ~ and hey, that's okay! I'm not saying it ain't.... just saying that if you really don't want to make those mistakes... then you must use binos, and you must take the time to make sure.

Congrats.

Agree with BowBo......... if you don't want to kill a male deer, use binoculars or don't shoot single deer.

I enjoyed the antlerless season, we just used extra caution. Saw several groups of does and bucks back together. One of our group saw amture buck chasing a mature doe, grunting. Two other bucks trailing this past Friday!

Good and bad to late season, I'll continue to manage for mature bucks, does are a bonus......

By the way Indyrusty..... nice late season deer.

I worked for this one. I was 3/4 of a mile downhill from the road on public land (Yellowwood). We were still hunting on an old logging road with steep ravines on both sides of us. We would walk, look listen, walk, look listen. My buddy just told me "We are to the point now where I don't know if I want to drag one out of here". Shorty after he said that we heard something moving. We both got in position and waited to see what was making the noise through the brush. Three what appeared to be does come from the opposite ridge and walked into the ravine bottom.
I have been second guessing myself for the deer that I have passed on this season. I still didn't have any meat. I didn't deliberately shoot a buck but when I saw it didn't have antlers it was fair game. Besides I tried to look at his head through my scope but it was so cold that the steam from my breath was fogging up my scope. I wiped the fog off of the lens, moved the gun away from my head and waited. The deer gave me a good opportunity at 60 yds. I raised my gun, held my breath to keep from fogging up the lens again and squeezed the trigger. Fortunately for me he ran toward the road and back up the other side of the ravine that he came from. He dropped dead after he climbed out of that deep ravine.
Myself and my 63year old hunting buddy still had a long up hill drag. The snow helped with the drag but it was still a lot of work.

Congrats on a late season deer. I think if you're meat hunting then who cares what it is.

Ive passed on deer in late season 'cause I couldnt tell for sure if it was a shed buck or Doe. Same for buttons, kinda hard to see the nubs right at first light or last light, bino's or not.......

Congrats on your bonus anterless deer.

Shoot what you want and don't let other hunter's influence your hunt! h.h.

I wasn't trying to influence anyone. I simply said IF ya don't WANT it to happen.................

Rusty said "I thought he was a she".... so I put out a general statement of advice for everyone

Hey I know Rusty, and I think Rusty knows that I don't try to influence ANYONE about ANYTHING!?!
I have always encouraged everyone to hunt the way they want, as long as it's within the laws!

No problem Ernie.
I understand that you are genuinely glad for me.
I get what you are saying, if I was on a property that I was managing then I wouldn't shoot unless I was sure what it was.
In this case I was spending the day with a good friend. We had been head hunting all season but now we were and doing some meat hunting.
Thanks for the congrats everyone.