Antler restriction rant

[Bowhunter718]

Over the last few years I have noticed that I have more and more deer that are mature 3.5 plus that just don't get wider that 13 inches. It's driving me CRAZY!! I wish they would make it about age and not antler size...really frustrated I had to pass on a big boy already this morning.

[trophy8]

3.5 isn't mature. And how many "mature" deer did you see before the antler restrictions? It helps a LOT more than it hurts and nothing is perfect. Let those deer get 5-6+ years old and I'd bet very few are only 13".

[Bowhunter718]

I'd be happy too, I haven't fired a shot out here in the 4 years I've hunted, I really do enjoy watching. But at some point I'd like to shoot instead of just hearing shots. Like I said, just a little frustrated this morning.

[El Paisano]

I know what you mean. Where I hunt you don't get much time to look at them and may not get a frontal view at all before they disappear. On the other hand, I can remember when a goat horned 6 point was a bragging deer and you didn't dare pass one up. I like it better now. Lots of good bucks out there.

[Cratus]

Be most people can't tell age. I'd rather see them add or change one of the buck tags to a cull tag allowing u to shoot one deer that may not meet AR

[pblaetz]

I don't have an answer……. but IMO restrictions definitely allow a lot of young, genetically superior deer get killed and a lot of genetically inferior deer live and breed.

Education and self-imposed restrictions are the best method of QDM...........but unfortunately, not everyone abides.

From what I've seen though, up here in PA. antler restrictions as a whole, have worked!

It's just a really slow process.

[tbgascorer]

Age will never work. 99% of the hunting public can't tell a 2.5 from a 10.5. It isn't perfect but they have a balancing act to follow with set laws and harvest opportunity.

[tbgascorer]

Be most people can't tell age. I'd rather see them add or change one of the buck tags to a cull tag allowing u to shoot one deer that may not meet AR

The problem with adding a buck tag is that people will use it just to kill another good buck. Look here at TBH to see the wide variance of what different people label a cull vs. mgmt type deer. Very few would use it for its intended purpose.

[BOHICA]

the problem with the AR the way it is today is for those of us that hunt in east texas, the genetics are tall narrow racks, its been that way in the parts of E. Texas I hunt for the past 20 years. I have trail camera footage of 4.5 year old bucks that are only 10 inches wide, I don't believe that if they get to be what most call mature 7.5 yrs old he will be over 13 inches wide. What I have noticed is that the 6 and 8 pts that are 11-12 inches wide are disappearing every year. The real problem I have with the AR is the fact that it is imposed on kids, if I want to let my son or daughters shoot a fork horn why shouldn't that be allowed? Hunting is not like fishing where you can catch and release, my son has had to sit and watch fork horns, even a nice 8 pt because they didn't meet the AR requirements. it's tough on a 10 or 11 year old to sit for hours finally have a deer come in and be told nope he's not legal. I feel your frustration

[steven]

Age will never work. 99% of the hunting public can't tell a 2.5 from a 10.5. It isn't perfect but they have a balancing act to follow with set laws and harvest opportunity.

Exactly. Especially after seeing all the pictures of "old spikes" that get posted that still have milk on their breath. I wouldn't mind it a bit if the entire state had to go through the same method as MLD leases to get tags. If you only got so many tags per property/acreage, you wouldn't have to worry about your neighbor and his 9 cousins all tagging out on the 50 acres next to you.

[BOHICA]

Exactly. Especially after seeing all the pictures of "old spikes" that get posted that still have milk on their breath. I wouldn't mind it a bit if the entire state had to go through the same method as MLD leases to get tags. If you only got so many tags per property/acreage, you wouldn't have to worry about your neighbor and his 9 cousins all tagging out on the 50 acres next to you.

how would this work for folks who only hunt public land? What about folks with only 10-50 acres? No matter what the state says, the purpose of the AR was to make everyone a trophy hunter. And I can't tell you how many posts i have read on here where people say let them get to 6.5 yrs old or older, that works great on huge high fenced properties not realistic for public land or small tracts of land. I agree with letting them mature and would love it if everyone felt the same way, on my place in palestine we had a self imposed rule long before AR came about, had to be 8pt or better, what we noticed is the neighbors starting shooting everything in sight, tough when you only have 50 acres

[Bowhunter718]

I'm hunting on 40 and I hear gunshots all around, some morning I'll hear 10 or more shots, yet I haven't seen one legal deer on my camera which is taking pictures year-round. Just makes me wonder. After 4 years of keeping this feeder filled all year long I'd like to get away with something. Just seems like every year there's more and more pictures of narrow deer, so obviously these are the ones breeding. After 4 years and not a shot taken I would hope my patience would have paid off.

[steven]

how would this work for folks who only hunt public land? What about folks with only 10-50 acres? No matter what the state says, the purpose of the AR was to make everyone a trophy hunter. And I can't tell you how many posts i have read on here where people say let them get to 6.5 yrs old or older, that works great on huge high fenced properties not realistic for public land or small tracts of land. I agree with letting them mature and would love it if everyone felt the same way, on my place in palestine we had a self imposed rule long before AR came about, had to be 8pt or better, what we noticed is the neighbors starting shooting everything in sight, tough when you only have 50 acres

Those are good questions, but I can tell you right now that it doesn't make sense for one group of hunters to be given tags based on acreage/deer densities and the neighboring property be able to shoot an unlimited number of deer based on however many hunters they cram in. If all of these small, fragmented tracts of land around here were only allowed one buck and one doe tag per property (or whatever deer density numbers in that area suggests) it would be alot easier for bucks to reach that 5 or 6.5 year old mark.

[CastAndBlast]

Age will never work. 99% of the hunting public can't tell a 2.5 from a 10.5. It isn't perfect but they have a balancing act to follow with set laws and harvest opportunity.

This!!!

[RackstackerG5]

I understand your frustration but it works ! They implemented this law knowing it wasn't at all "perfect" but it sometimes gives a younger more genetically dominant buck a chance to grow up.
Are younger deer killed? Absolutely ! I have four bucks I have followed since their first set of antlers and at 2 they are 15-18" wide. Will they get shot ? I hope not! But it is a possibility because a lot of people around us see it outside of the ears and gives them a dirt nap. They don't look at mass, body confirmation, or any of the tall tell signs of a mature buck !
I agree with pulaetz. a self imposed restriction is by far the best form of QDM.
Coming from a county that, before the AR, was a one buck county we have seen a huge increase in more genetically dominant bucks. Having the ability to thin out your doe herd and the use of the "cull" tag has absolutely helped us ! I am sorry that you aren't having the opportunities that you would like ! Hope you have better luck in the future ! When you do get that chance it will be well worth the wait !