Antler Restriction Question

[MagicBlade]

Most of the bucks on our lease are under 13" even older bucks.
Although a lot are young, the question came up this last week as to what is the purpose of the Antler Restriction rule.

Is it to improve quantity or quality of the deer herd?

If an older deer is under 13" and continues to breed, won't the genetics continue to be under 13"??????

[Sleepy]

You wont ever change your genetics. Got pics of these older bucks? AR restrictions are for giving a buck the chance to age another year or two than he would normally get.

[MASTERS]

Just be thankful you are seeing older deer, due to the antler restrictions

[Blackmouth]

As Sleepy said, it's to improve the age structure of the bucks. I won't lie and give you a percentage based on memory but I believe when TPWD first came out with the restrictions, a majority of the bucks that were 13" or less were 1.5-2.5 years old. It is too difficult to get the general public to learn how to age a deer on the hoof and this was their remedy.

[dustoffer]

You wont ever change your genetics. Got pics of these older bucks? AR restrictions are for giving a buck the chance to age another year or two than he would normally get.

The quality of the bucks here in Guadalupe County has gone up substantially on the place I hunt since ARs were enacted. What used to be a parade of spikes and little cabbage racks is no more--

[Sleepy]

The quality of the bucks here in Guadalupe County has gone up substantially on the place I hunt since ARs were enacted. What used to be a parade of spikes and little cabbage racks is no more--

100% agree in the two counties I hunt. Not only am I seeing older bucks, but I’m seeing more bucks. AR was a saving grace for people who want to kill older deer and not just the first thing that walks out.

[lovemylegacy]

Most of the bucks on our lease are under 13" even older bucks.
Although a lot are young, the question came up this last week as to what is the purpose of the Antler Restriction rule.

Is it to improve quantity or quality of the deer herd?

If an older deer is under 13" and continues to breed, won't the genetics continue to be under 13"??????

The purpose is getting bucks to 4 years or older

[Rwc]

The quality of the bucks here in Guadalupe County has gone up substantially on the place I hunt since ARs were enacted. What used to be a parade of spikes and little cabbage racks is no more--

Same in McLennan and Bosque on the grounds I have.

Rwc

[tmurray]

100% agree in the two counties I hunt. Not only am I seeing older bucks, but I’m seeing more bucks. AR was a saving grace for people who want to kill older deer and not just the first thing that walks out.

I took a guy from Baton Rouge out hunting on a nice place in south Texas once. We had a 3 year old 10 point mid 140's deer come out about halfway through the evening hunt. I asked him, "If I wasn't here, would you shoot that deer?" His reply "Nope, I never woulda seen that deer, I woulda shot that 6 point an hour ago"

[tradtiger]

I guess ARs are helping to produce more mature deer, but I wish they would add another option of legality, such as: 13" inside spread OR at least 6 scorable points. I think it's unreasonable for -- especially bow hunters -- to be able to get a deer to look right at them, alerted and at close range, to somehow judge whether antlers are outside of ears and then to get drawn on that same deer in bow range. Counting points would be much more do-able and should help many deer get beyond juvenile age.

Some will say that there's plenty of opportunity to judge bucks with trailcams, but this doesn't work on public land. And in woody terrain, there's little chance to get a look -- much less a shot -- before he's gone. And, by the way, there's no baiting on public land -- no hand corn for them to get comfortable munching while you're getting good long looks at their antler spread.

[tradtiger]

Anyone doubting the difficulty of determining legal bucks in real time need only look at how many "Does he make 13-inches?" threads appear on here by experienced, conscientious hunters.

[Bucksaw]

I guess ARs are helping to produce more mature deer, but I wish they would add another option of legality, such as: 13" inside spread OR at least 6 scorable points. I think it's unreasonable for -- especially bow hunters -- to be able to get a deer to look right at them, alerted and at close range, to somehow judge whether antlers are outside of ears and then to get drawn on that same deer in bow range. Counting points would be much more do-able and should help many deer get beyond juvenile age.

Some will say that there's plenty of opportunity to judge bucks with trailcams, but this doesn't work on public land. And in woody terrain, there's little chance to get a look -- much less a shot -- before he's gone. And, by the way, there's no baiting on public land -- no hand corn for them to get comfortable munching while you're getting good long looks at their antler spread.

AR laws have definitely helped in my area. I am seeing much bigger deer than I ever have in my entire 33 years. Just in the last 5 years or so the quality of deer that would be considered "a decent buck" is way more than it was. I have the proof hanging on my wall. Granted, I don't have anything huge in my living room, but considering that 5 yeas ago harvesting a 13" deer on my 160 acre lease was a feat, and now I am getting to pick which one I am going after.

That being said, I don't think that AR laws are a perfect solution. As long as there is a rule, there is someone upset because it adversely affects them. I wish there was a legal way to harvest those older bucks that are never gonna reach 13", without having to be on MLD land. Its tough for someone on a small private lease, or like your case on public land, to be able to manage the way you need to for MLD requirements, so its impossible to take out those old culls. All you can do is hope that either the neighbor has less moral character than I do or hope he gets whacked by a car or something. Otherwise, his genetics will continue to circulate.

[Doe Doe Spike]

Is it that antler restrictions have helped you see better deer or that you are spending more time in the stand cause you didn't shoot the first thing that walked out?

[Big pig]

Is it that antler restrictions have helped you see better deer or that you are spending more time in the stand cause you didn't shoot the first thing that walked out?

We see a lot of 1.5’s and 2.5’s now. But I think it has actually caused a lack of older bucks in my area.
Some of these hunters would have killed the first young dumb one, thereby taking that hunter out of the game. Allowing the older bucks a better chance to survive. Anything 13” or close is down.
We are surrounded by leases. Three times in the past 32 years have I seen a 5 year old. And I have seen a lot of bucks year around in those years.
But I would be ok with the law if they would eliminate the spike tag. 2 bucks is 1 too many with the numbers of hunters per acre in Leon co.

[Traxx]

Well, I am a meat hunter and will take a doe or spike any day over a wore out old azz buck. Even better if I can kill it out of rut. To me a 2/3 year old is prime. Old enough to have some weight but young enough for eating.