will he make the 13" minimum?

[Codie]

Trying to decide whether this deer will meet the 13" minimim antler spread required by the new antler restrictions in our county (Young Cnty.). I have him at about 13.5" - 14". Lets hear what everyone else thinks. He NEEDS to make it, as he is a buck I would really like to get rid of. He is 1-2 yrs older than any other buck I have seen in pictures so far and has the smallest rack I have seen so far, so he needs to go

[tbgascorer]

Very close, but I think he will make 13". Too close to be really comfortable though.

[bow4my2]

shoot him.

[TEX_hunt_AS]

He might make it, but it would be close. I bet you'll have a better idea when the velvet is gone, it always throws me off!

[ZZ Pops]

Bet he will next year.

[Mark jackson]

pretty sure.

[Codie]

He might make it, but it would be close. I bet you'll have a better idea when the velvet is gone, it always throws me off!

this is another thing I thought about. I would think once the velvet comes off it would give him a little better chance of making it. I will probably end up showing a picture to the gamewarden and seeing what his opinion is in order to cover myself.

[Reaper]

it will be close

[Shane]

this is another thing I thought about. I would think once the velvet comes off it would give him a little better chance of making it. I will probably end up showing a picture to the gamewarden and seeing what his opinion is in order to cover myself.

$20 says the GW won't commit without putting his tape measure to him.

[dennisomfs]

...not a very well thought out rule....needs fine tuning with " 13" width or 3 years of age"...let the shooter make the call if he is able...give a one time "warning" for a mistake, then go from there....the way it is, a buck a buddy of mine shot several years ago in west Texas would be illegal...it scored 215, aged 6, but was only 11 1/2 inches at widest point

[Codie]

...not a very well thought out rule....needs fine tuning with " 13" width or 3 years of age"...let the shooter make the call if he is able...give a one time "warning" for a mistake, then go from there....the way it is, a buck a buddy of mine shot several years ago in west Texas would be illegal...it scored 215, aged 6, but was only 11 1/2 inches at widest point

obviously there will always be exceptions to the rule, BUT for the most part this rule does a great job keeping young deer alive until they have the opportunity to at least get middle aged. There are a LOT more 1-2 yr old deer that are less than 13" wide than mature deer that are 13" wide. I just hope this buck will make the 13" so we can get him out of the herd. I Don't want him breeding this year

[dennisomfs]

the "exceptions" are not as much a problem as the herd with marginal genetics where the bucks over 13" are taken out at 2-3 yrs and the under 13" "basket bucks" become the surviving, predominate gene for the male 1/2 of the gene pool. In places like that, the odds favor more and more sub 13" racks as time goes by....the reverse of survival of the fittest as we take the fittest out of the gene pool....

[J-Bone]

...not a very well thought out rule....needs fine tuning with " 13" width or 3 years of age"...let the shooter make the call if he is able...give a one time "warning" for a mistake, then go from there....the way it is, a buck a buddy of mine shot several years ago in west Texas would be illegal...it scored 215, aged 6, but was only 11 1/2 inches at widest point

So who is going to decide if the deer is 3 or 2, and how will they prove it?

He looks very close to me. I would have to hold my decision until I saw him in person.

[dangerous dan]

he will be close, a lottle to close for me, would wait until next year

[breederbuck33]

i'm sure it will be a whole lot easier to tell when he is infront of you... it looks like he'll make it to me tho