What is the point in Late Antlerless and Spike season?

[Etxbuckman]

Does are just as pregnant in January as they are in November and December, their fetuses are just more noticable then.

[adam_p]

Crustacean ?!?

You lost me. If you are suggesting that I am crawfishing that isn't the case.

I should have stated I don't care to shoot does. Not that I don't care about shooting does.

[Fishndude]

We've reached a new low when we complain about additional hunting opportunities.

[adam_p]

It solves plenty for high population areas in Texas outside your fences. If you don't like it or care for it stay at home....problem solved. Killing does in a highly populated area after they are bred kills two mouths each shot in a place the land has to support all spring, summer and early fall. It is all about removing mouths.

I don't disagree with this. Why is it being implemented in low population areas though?

[bowtech72]

we don't hunt it because the does are already breed so if you shoot a doe, you just killed 2-3 deer in one shot that comes out of your next seasons population. there is enough time in the regular season to shoot them. just my two cents.

[adam_p]

We've reached a new low when we complain about additional hunting opportunities.

I supposed you would like it if there weren't seasons at all and it was just a free for all?

[deer99hunter]

We've reached a new low when we complain about additional hunting opportunities.

Yes sir ! As Smart put it, it's just another management tool .

[Bowtech Lefty]

In the county I hunt we have too many does, so taking some out in the doe season puts some more meat in the freezer. Although, I don't particularly like shooting "bred does". Our biologist encouraged us to shoot our does early but most of the hunters are looking for a big buck and know they have the doe season to fall back on to shoot does. FTR, I do try and shoot mine early if I am able to. I don't agree with shooting spikes but that's another argument.

[elliscountyhog]

[Smart]

I don't disagree with this. Why is it being implemented in low population areas though?

Its implemented by counties. Low pops on one ranch doesn't mean low pops in the whole county. It is still up to the individual landowner/lessees to know their pops either way. IMO it just gives folks another chance to take any does that need to.

[adam_p]

Its implemented by counties. Low pops on one ranch doesn't mean low pops in the whole county. It is still up to the individual landowner/lessees to know their pops either way. IMO it just gives folks another chance to take any does that need to.

For sure. But I find it hard to believe that there are more areas in Cooke County that need the extra does shot than there are areas that don't.

[bphillips]

For sure. But I find it hard to believe that there are more areas in Cooke County that need the extra does shot than there are areas that don't.

If the population is that low all around I would try to find the correct way to go about changing it.

[Horitexan]

Moving it to pre-season would probably make a lot of sense but it's not having a serious impact where it stands. Not sure where you get the statistic that a buck will only breed 1-2 does per season. That's false. If they are presented with lots of does (like a property that has way to many does) they will breed MANY does. This is a problem because a buck isn't designed to breed that mAny and, while they WILL do it, it's VERY hard on them. For this reason, any doe season helps because it's more important to worry about reducing doe numbers than worrying about what 1 particular doe might be carrying. You only have so many tags anyway. The odds if shooting the does with your next generation of mega bucks is infinitesimal.

While I don't subscribe to the old adage that, 'spikes will never amount to anything' it's still a numbers game. If you have a large deer population, getting the numbers down (to healthier levels) is more important than anything. So, shooting spikes makes sense because ODDS are, given a spike and a 4pt at 1.5, the 4pt will more likely be better so the spike should be taken out as a population reduction.

The OP is correct, from the standpoint if managing for maximum antler potential on a piece of property where the population and age structure is already perfect. But this is not the situation that TPWD is addressing. Those types of properties are eligible for MLD. TPWD rules are geared toward THE REST of the state, where deer herds are not properly managed and they are doing the best they can to implement rules that will assist in bettering the deer herd on non-managed land. Just like the AR. You simply can not apply the same types of rules and policies to the (essentially) public deer, that you can to deer that are closely managed by a partnership between the landowner and a biologist working hand-in-hand and with relative control over the herd.

I can't find one compelling argument why the current rule has any substantial negative impact. I'm guessing that an early season would be problematic because there are many parts of the state where antlers can still be fairly early in development in September and TPWD rules are state-wide. So a late season for does and spikes probably makes more sense.

[M.E.B.]

I think like several above that it is to get people to shoot the does that they passed during the regular season.

I figure they throw the spikes in there thinking that a few will get killed by accident anyhow so they make it legal so people don't leave them laying. Might be way off base but I can not think of another reason.

[TX_Kevin]

Moving it to pre-season would probably make a lot of sense but it's not having a serious impact where it stands.

I can't find one compelling argument why the current rule has any substantial negative impact. I'm guessing that an early season would be problematic because there are many parts of the state where antlers can still be fairly early in development in September and TPWD rules are state-wide. So a late season for does and spikes probably makes more sense.

I haven't hunted every inch of the state, but I am not familiar with any part of the state where typical velvet remains past the middle of September. They are pretty much all hard horned by then. At the very least they are far enough along in antler development that one would confuse them with a doe. To me having the season for does and spikes open two weeks early makes more sense and would have a more significant affect on the herd, and on hunting.