U got a problem with Antler Restrictions?

[beardedBrazos]

This was supposed to be a new thread...

lol

[beardedBrazos]

i thought it was diversion. struck me as funny. no disrepect intended.

[WCB]

Diversion?? Not a bad idea on some threads...

I'm in an AR county and have no deer. So I guess it works as the young aren't getting killed.

[M16]

[HTML[/HTML]

Agree so explain to me how they can be high fenced in without the approval of the people Of The State!

Cause before I put up my high fence I posted a notice.

"attention all deer. High fence going up. You have 30 days to vacate the ranch or be trapped and made pets forever"

[PondPopper]

Cause before I put up my high fence I posted a notice.

"attention all deer. High fence going up. You have 30 days to vacate the ranch or be trapped and made pets forever"

That's what I thought.

[PondPopper]

They are not owned by the state, they are owned by the people who reside in the state.


This is why the state has no obligation to pay for wildlife/car collisions.

[Speedgoat]

We have been in a low fence management program for over 20 yrs..We have 800 acres of a CO-OP of thousands of acres.... I have personally seen only 2 mature bucks..that were less than 13 inches wide..in all that time....

Horitexan..well put!

Good, it shows you have good management in place. Has nothing to do with AR though. AR alone is not enough.

[RutnBuk]

I see how it can work in counties that have a low deer population but how can it possibly work in counties that have 10 does to 1 buck, like Mills or Brown? The bucks that are getting harvested early in the season are your best breeder bucks, the deer that are left are the deer that should be taken but cant because we dont have two tags anymore. These are the deer that are spreading there seed. Here is a scenario for you, If you have a 6 year old giant 6-point (will score around 130 and 16" wide) and a 4 year old 12-point (will score around 145 and 16" wide) under your feeder on opening morning, which one do you think most hunters will take? Your season is done after this for a deer over 13" wide. Whats left to breed? A mature giant 6.

[garyn13]

So, in order for people to get interested in hunting they need to get antlers on the ground quickly?? That's what your statement is saying. I totally disagree. Antlers are a 'bonus' of hunting, not the motivation - unless you are a pure trophy hunter. Does, spikes and hogs are plenty to get people excited about hunting and to teach them about the practice and value of hunting. The very assumption that "success" hinges on the size of a rack is PRECISELY what is changing (and, IMO, spoiling) the sport; because it shoves the "experience," the challenge and joy of spending time outdoors, without the pressure of our fast paced lives, into the back seat. If we teach kids and newcomers that antlers are what is important, then it also teaches them that NOT putting a trophy on the ground IS A FAILURE. How is this creating a responsible next generation of hunters?

We don't allow our kids to shoot trophies, even when the opportunity arises, until they have cut their teeth on does and spikes and other game. They are happy to be able to hunt and put animals on the table; and, once they have earned their stripes and have a true passion and appreciation for hunting, they graduate to cull bucks and eventually trophies.

The very idea that the AR restricts the ability to interest people in hunting is silly. It's like saying you can't teach a kid to love and play ball unless he/she is able to hit a home run or make a touchdown right off the bat. It's the premise ('it's all about the antlers') for hunting that they're taught that is discouraging them - not the AR rule. This belief is nothing more than an attempt play on people's emotions to try and get rid of the rule, without any basis in fact.

It has nothing to do with horns I don't hunt south or west texas I don't see 10deer in one sitting I'm lucky to see 1 deer per 10 sitting so for kids or adults who haven't hunted before it is difficult to stay interested I had 10 people get off the lease because they didn't even see a deer. The deer are there but it takes a lot of time in the stand. I like the management idea of it but antlers don't mean nothing to me I hunt because I enjoy it. I hunted over 60 times mornings and evenings and may have seen 40 deer total for the year.
My mother never hunted a day in her life until 3 yrs ago she was able to shoot a yearling doe her first weekend and now she is hooked 3 guns in 3 years the works I have a real hunting partner.But at the same time I seen her get discouraged last year when she didn't see nothing in about 15 times in the stand

[sharkhunter]

They can shoot does!

a good amount of hunters in East TX are still thinking after all the research that's out there its a great idea to have as many does as possible. They will shoot every 3 1/2yr old 10pt that makes 13 inches and say it's a mature deer and he would not have made it through the winter. Then let every spike in the country walk thinking it will be a 14pt the next year. It's a miracle the herd is as good as it is.

I don't think it's strict enough.

[Keg]

Good, it shows you have good management in place. Has nothing to do with AR though. AR alone is not enough.

AR rules are in force....We just take it a step further....
I hear bout...."Oh! Those culls will get older and do all the breeding! Then there will be genetically inferior deer doing the breeding!.........Sorry don't see it........

[garyn13]

Let him breed hes not legal and don't think he ever will be .

[Keg]

It has nothing to do with horns I don't hunt south or west texas I don't see 10deer in one sitting I'm lucky to see 1 deer per 10 sitting so for kids or adults who haven't hunted before it is difficult to stay interested I had 10 people get off the lease because they didn't even see a deer. The deer are there but it takes a lot of time in the stand. I like the management idea of it but antlers don't mean nothing to me I hunt because I enjoy it. I hunted over 60 times mornings and evenings and may have seen 40 deer total for the year.
My mother never hunted a day in her life until 3 yrs ago she was able to shoot a yearling doe her first weekend and now she is hooked 3 guns in 3 years the works I have a real hunting partner.But at the same time I seen her get discouraged last year when she didn't see nothing in about 15 times in the stand

Some places..there just ain't many deer..for whatever reason....AR rules are just a beginning to help younger bucks mature....

Let him breed hes not legal and don't think he ever will be .

Show me several like him..at the feeder together..then I will say U have a problem....
Like I said..I've seen 2 in 20 plus years(they were more mature than that one)

[BTLowry]

I understand the reasoning and I agree with getting a balanced age structure population

However it is a very flawed system in that the average hunter cannot accurately judge 13 inches in the limited time you have to watch one in this part of the state.

I would rather have an outside the ears rule with a specific loophole that waived that requirement if the deer was aged 4.5 or older. This would make it a heck of a lot easier to make the call to shoot or not shoot and it would allow the mature deer that are never going to make 13" or outside their ears to be taken out of the gene pool.

And I think kids should get to shoot any 1 deer during youth season. During the regular seasons they should be limited to the same restrictions as everyone else. It is not like all of the youth hunters together could hurt the deer population in 2 days.

[Muygrande]

Far from perfect but I like them. In some areas it is the only way deer can get any age on them. Occasionally you will see mature basket racks that can't be shot but you don't make rules based on exceptions and there is no way a buck or two that slips through the cracks is going to influence an entire free range gene pool.