Not directed at anyone specific, but spike vs doe, I"ve always been able to look at the head coloration and be suspect.
That and the hocks on the hind legs, they are just different doe to buck, even if the bucks are not tarry yet or have washed out.
I'm not saying its not possible to make a mistake but there are other things to look at when trying to make the decision at longer distances on male vs female.
Just an FYI. Look at the large picture sometimes helps. We can all get somewhat tunnel vision at times.
Listen, I'd be the first to admit I probably missed cues. On the other hand it was getting dark on an otherwise dark day. I might have held up, but this was my new rifle, my new scope, and dangit! I wanted some venison. Some days you feel like a nut and sometimes you don't.
The problem is if I've got astronomical binos and a $300 scope cranked down to 9X, I still have to be dang careful with my old eyes. I can't imagine trying to pick up a 1 inch point on a buck in those conditions.
Hey, I wasn't taking a poke at you, only a general suggestion for those that may not realize that different areas on deer of different sexes appear different once you get used to looking at them.
As to 1 inch.... the ONLY way you can see that is side profile with the head up. You don't always get that.
I'm lucky though, even though I've had corrected vision since 15 and probably needed it sooner than that, I have no distance vision to speak of, can't see a deer at 200 yards in the wide open if I take my specs off....And I'm 31 days from being 50, I can still see nubs with 10X Zeiss most times even if they are facing me.
But that ability along with a few others, is starting to slip away.
I totally hear you on nut and not nut. There are some days I go with a mission in mind. Went one day at the house after getting back from the deer lease. Really wanted to test a new bullet in the 32-20... had to reload some that afternoon. Got it done later than I wanted, kissed the wife after checking the sights, and walked to the south end. Got in pop up, zipped the back door up and looked up to see 3 bucks standing there in the brush. They were not there when I got in. Guess we got there at the same time so to speak. Nice 10, decent 8 and a spike.
Waited a minute or so until the spike stepped out. Cocked and shot him. Unzipped the back almost literally as he was running off, walked home.
Wife asked what I forgot. I said we need to go get a deer. She was in disbelief. Said that was as fast as she'd seen me "finish" ever. LOL...
I think she actually thought I was fooling her until we foudn the blood trail...
Hmmm, come to think of it, that was a good deer trail, no binocs, no scope... just irons an an 1892...
