State wide Antler Restrictions????

[SPUD]

I think if we threw away the tape measurer and went to 1 buck and 3 or 4 does that would balance things out. Most hunters would think twice about droping a young buck and those that do are finished hunting horns for the year. Does would get harvested and the buck numbers would go up.

I don't thinks so years ago they went for 2 buck 1 doe bag limit in all texas counties to 1 buck 2 does in most of the counties that will be antler restricted, and there was no increase in does being shot. There are too many hunters out there who will just not shoot a deer unless there is antlers on it, too many times I've heard, the fun is over after the shot and I don't want to clean a doe I want something to hang on the wall.

I mainly hunt public land in ETX and mostly in Sabine National Forest. I HUNT FOR HORNS because YOU CANNOT SHOOT A DOE on SNF Land.

[Zookeeper]

First of all alot of people do not know how to age deer correctly, and will say a deer is a cull just to justify killing it, second I don't believe webb county will ever go to the antler restrictions due to it being way down south. It is not a stupid regulation for areas with high pressured deer like north texas.


I don't thinks so years ago they went for 2 buck 1 doe bag limit in all texas counties to 1 buck 2 does in most of the counties that will be antler restricted, and there was no increase in does being shot. There are too many hunters out there who will just not shoot a deer unless there is antlers on it, too many times I've heard, the fun is over after the shot and I don't want to clean a doe I want something to hang on the wall.

Sounds like those that preach good deer management should also practice it. Managing the does is at the top of the things to do when the goal is to have a healthy deer herd.

[pigstikr]

Its all a conspiracy, I tell ya!

[Zookeeper]

First of all alot of people do not know how to age deer correctly, and will say a deer is a cull just to justify killing it, second I don't believe webb county will ever go to the antler restrictions due to it being way down south. It is not a stupid regulation for areas with high pressured deer like north texas.


I don't thinks so years ago they went for 2 buck 1 doe bag limit in all texas counties to 1 buck 2 does in most of the counties that will be antler restricted, and there was no increase in does being shot. There are too many hunters out there who will just not shoot a deer unless there is antlers on it, too many times I've heard, the fun is over after the shot and I don't want to clean a doe I want something to hang on the wall.

The "years ago" that you are talking about was a time when all land owners had to give hunters a "Land Owners Premit" so that the hunter could shoot a doe. Unfortunately most land owners back then were ignorant to need of harvesting does and did not want "Their" does being shot. So they did not give them out or limited the number. The result is what you have in the Hill Country. 3 million deer in five or six counties.

[crittergitter]

Thanks for the Geography lesson. Not what I think of when I hear Golden Triangle.

heck i did not know there was another golden triangle except for Beaumont until a few years ago.

i guess that happens when you dont come out from behind the pine curtain very much

[BillfromFtWorth]

I mainly hunt public land in ETX and mostly in Sabine National Forest. I HUNT FOR HORNS because YOU CANNOT SHOOT A DOE on SNF Land.

public land is a whole different ball game, the reason they restrict doe harvest is due to exceptional hunting pressure (but I agree there are some places they need to start issueing doe tags), plus is regulated by the feds and they often aren't on the same page with tpwd.

The "years ago" that you are talking about was a time when all land owners had to give hunters a "Land Owners Premit" so that the hunter could shoot a doe. Unfortunately most land owners back then were ignorant to need of harvesting does and did not want "Their" does being shot. So they did not give them out or limited the number. The result is what you have in the Hill Country. 3 million deer in five or six counties.

are you pitching that as a good thing or a bad thing?!

[texasdeerhunter]

I will throw in my support in for the AR. . .only because the county i hunt is rumored to be going to a 2 buck county next year. We have a hard enough time getting people to lay off young deer when they can only shoot one, now that they are going to get two, i think it will definately lead to more young bucks being shot. That being said, the county i hunt is moving to a 2 buck county, but wont be a county with AR?!!? That seems to be a bad combination if you ask me.

Case and point, i had 4 bucks this year that were 3.5 to 4.5 and all scored 118-125, i was seeing them every weekend and getting a lot of pictures of them. Come the 3rd week of November, they all vanished (got shot). To top it off, the mature deer that needed to be shot got a pass because they only scored 115. I have pictures of the mature deer from last week, all of them made it and all of them will live to breed another year with their inferior genetics.

I hunt Throckmorton county.

[KJones]

Where I hunt we have a resrtiction of 8 points or better + 1 doe. The bucks are normally are in the 15 to 19 inch range. This year there was 3 bucks and 2 does taken out of fifteen hunters. I would like to see the AR in our county because I am always seeing 7 to 8 inch spikes or 3 points. On the does, you could make it unlimited and nobody would shoot one.

[txbowkill]

I think if we threw away the tape measurer and went to 1 buck and 3 or 4 does that would balance things out. Most hunters would think twice about droping a young buck and those that do are finished hunting horns for the year. Does would get harvested and the buck numbers would go up.

danged good idea

[Zookeeper]

public land is a whole different ball game, the reason they restrict doe harvest is due to exceptional hunting pressure (but I agree there are some places they need to start issueing doe tags), plus is regulated by the feds and they often aren't on the same page with tpwd.


are you pitching that as a good thing or a bad thing?!

You tell me. Is it better to have 10 good healthy deer or 20 ragged out deer the size of a large dog ? Large numbers of deer does not equal quality.

[SPUD]

]public land is a whole different ball game, the reason they restrict doe harvest is due to exceptional hunting pressure (but I agree there are some places they need to start issueing doe tags), plus is regulated by the feds and they often aren't on the same page with tpwd[/B].


are you pitching that as a good thing or a bad thing?!

This is where the system is jacked up...I talked to a GW about this specific situation this year..

Hopefully, next year, you will be allowed to take a doe in SNF.

[rjet]

It is all about Antler size! I do agree that letting deer grown helps the overall quality of the deer herd.

But I have yet to see a study by the TPWD where they can PROVE that the deer being killed are less than 2 years old. No age data is collected, No jaw bones extracted and I have never been required to take a deer to a check station.

Is antler size related to age? I believe that it is somewhat linked but not the absolute.

I am pretty darn sure it is all about antler size.
If it was about age then why is a spike allowed when a one buck county moves to a two buck with antler restrictions.
I think that can come back to bite you in the arse though. You end up only killing the deer that should probably be left alone. Then all the crap bucks will do the breeding.

[whitetailfanatic]

QUOTE=bonesplitter;1192286]Geez, etx, stx, wtx,ntx who cares we are all hunters who shoot deer, hogs, ducks, turkeys and everything else the state allows. This is about antler restrictions not who or where have the most competent hunters. We all have to ban together no matter where we are from.[/QUOTE]

X2

[Baygall]

I mainly hunt public land in ETX and mostly in Sabine National Forest. I HUNT FOR HORNS because YOU CANNOT SHOOT A DOE on SNF Land.

This is incorrect! You can apply for permits for the general season, which are not required during archery season.

[JeffJ]

probably been said but it wont happen statewide unless their is a process to exempt out.