This is actually the best management idea in this thread.
i think the boone and crocket club turned deer hunting into a competitive sport. i don't go hunting to compete but to relax and enjoy nature.God can decide how big the deer in my area are.
This is ALWAYS a 50/50 argument.
I really don't suppport antler restrictions. For one thing, it varies greatly. I have passed on a yearling buck that had 8 points. Obviously this is the kind of deer we need to pass, yet it wuld be legal even under restrictions.
For another thing, I have seen a mature deer with a pretty large rack and good spread for my area that only had 5-6 points. I have seen 6 points I would love to have on my wall (big 8's with no brow tines).
Plus I've read the big game report in Oklahoma for years and don't think it would be beneficial based on that.
On the other hand, states that have them sometimes show improvement in number of surviving bucks, at least from hunters I have talked to that hunt there.
But bottom line, I don't agree with antler restrictions. If anything, we just need to educate people and hope they won't shoot as many young bucks.
It's all about age, not antler points. I hunt the hills of far eastern Oklahoma. No crops, not too many fat deer with large racks. There are a few, but not many. 2 of the largest bucks off my place were a 3.5 or 4.5 year old that went 114" I took, and a 6.5 year old that went 123", 110 and 136 pounds dressed respectively. That's typical for my area. they usually don't get any larger. The genetics and terrain and food sources make large bucks very rare.
Deer that western Okies would sneeze at are really good bucks to me.
I also don't like earn-a-buck that much. It is just as hard to take a doe as a buck for me. I hunt in the woods, no farm fields, no corn feeders nothing like that. I hunt does just like I hunt bucks, scouting and studying terrain.
I have met alot of guys at work and what not that have feeders or farm fields they can pop a doe off of anytime they please. It's a bit harder for some of us. Besides, our doe harvest is getting pretty good.
Bottom line, I think the current regs are working for the time being. The drop to a 2 buck limit helped some. A shift in attitudes helps some to. We just need to make in not be popular to shoot young bucks.
I pass bucks based on how old I think they are, not based on rack size. A 115" inch deer is a really nice buck to me, and that is how big most mature bucks get in my area. Anything larger is the exception, not the rule.
Right now I don't think we need it, but If needed later I would support a one buck limit. I would be against earn-a-buck and antler restrictions unless something DRASTIC happens to our herd. Right now, I think they have it just about right.
I really don't suppport antler restrictions. For one thing, it varies greatly. I have passed on a yearling buck that had 8 points. Obviously this is the kind of deer we need to pass, yet it wuld be legal even under restrictions.
For another thing, I have seen a mature deer with a pretty large rack and good spread for my area that only had 5-6 points. I have seen 6 points I would love to have on my wall (big 8's with no brow tines).
Plus I've read the big game report in Oklahoma for years and don't think it would be beneficial based on that.
On the other hand, states that have them sometimes show improvement in number of surviving bucks, at least from hunters I have talked to that hunt there.
But bottom line, I don't agree with antler restrictions. If anything, we just need to educate people and hope they won't shoot as many young bucks.
It's all about age, not antler points. I hunt the hills of far eastern Oklahoma. No crops, not too many fat deer with large racks. There are a few, but not many. 2 of the largest bucks off my place were a 3.5 or 4.5 year old that went 114" I took, and a 6.5 year old that went 123", 110 and 136 pounds dressed respectively. That's typical for my area. they usually don't get any larger. The genetics and terrain and food sources make large bucks very rare.
Deer that western Okies would sneeze at are really good bucks to me.
I also don't like earn-a-buck that much. It is just as hard to take a doe as a buck for me. I hunt in the woods, no farm fields, no corn feeders nothing like that. I hunt does just like I hunt bucks, scouting and studying terrain.
I have met alot of guys at work and what not that have feeders or farm fields they can pop a doe off of anytime they please. It's a bit harder for some of us. Besides, our doe harvest is getting pretty good.
Bottom line, I think the current regs are working for the time being. The drop to a 2 buck limit helped some. A shift in attitudes helps some to. We just need to make in not be popular to shoot young bucks.
I pass bucks based on how old I think they are, not based on rack size. A 115" inch deer is a really nice buck to me, and that is how big most mature bucks get in my area. Anything larger is the exception, not the rule.
Right now I don't think we need it, but If needed later I would support a one buck limit. I would be against earn-a-buck and antler restrictions unless something DRASTIC happens to our herd. Right now, I think they have it just about right.
Deer hunting has gone the way of fishing, all commercial now, use this bait, no use this lure, here got to put out "feeders" and shoot deer over a timed feeding device...all the while sporting the latest in "camo" and scent control while sitting in a heated elevated room looking over feeders that dump corn out on the hour every hour....
That aint hunting.
Hunting is getting out and doing your leg work, finding the trails, getting a pattern on the deer, scouting for rubs and scrapes, working for that deer, no matter if it is a buck or a doe. Learning how and teaching the next generation how to track a deer, as well as other aspects of the outdoors that young men and woman should know.
Each deer is a trophy when you have done your homework and spent the time actually hunting, not shooting over a feeder.
Now we have "leases", I remember when I was alot younger just about anyone would you let hunt or fish, all you had to do was ask, these days you either have to lease it up or are told to leave, dont ever ask again, we dont allow hunting here....yet they will complain about the deer eating their plants or on the roads. Landowners got wise and found out that people will pay alot of money to hunt, dont blame them so much, but everything is about money these days.
All about money these days. I will pass.
Just my .02 worth.
I support further managment of our herd. The big bucks can be had in Eastern oklahoma they just need time. Not sure if an antler restriction is the way to go though. Maybe after a feww more years of the reduced buck harvest we will see better results.
And for those who want to look down on hunting feeders and such....you need to check yourself. It may not be your cup of tea but as hunters we need to stick together as much as we can. I do a lot of hunting over feeders, it's really my only way to harvest deer. I only get to hunt a few days a year and I do it on less that 10 acres. Without feeders I wouldn't see deer most of the time. Later in life when I have time and more land then yes I will do alot more prepping and less time hunting over feeders. Please watch your attitudes about other "styles" of hunting thats all the antis need is to find a rift among hunters and start driving a wedge down it.
And for those who want to look down on hunting feeders and such....you need to check yourself. It may not be your cup of tea but as hunters we need to stick together as much as we can. I do a lot of hunting over feeders, it's really my only way to harvest deer. I only get to hunt a few days a year and I do it on less that 10 acres. Without feeders I wouldn't see deer most of the time. Later in life when I have time and more land then yes I will do alot more prepping and less time hunting over feeders. Please watch your attitudes about other "styles" of hunting thats all the antis need is to find a rift among hunters and start driving a wedge down it.
I expressed my view on the matter, no where did I say you cant "hunt" like that. If that is what you call hunting, whatever, but that is not hunting in my view.
Like yourself I only get a few days to hunt, if I dont make it out on those days, I dont get to go, that is life. I can all ready say that I am a no show this year, so be it, other matters are more important.
Hunting is a skill, and IMO setting over a feeder does not promote those skills.
Hunting is not allways about getting that big buck, or even filling a tag, it is about spending the time outdoors, becoming one with the woods and finding out more about yourself than you thought you knew.
I hunt public land and have for years. Those of you who also hunt public land know how hard it is just seeing deer much less having the luxury of picking out which deer is older. Deer management is easy talk from guys with leases, food plots, feeders, ect. Try telling the guy who has been in a stand for 5 days that he should be more selective when he shoots the only deer that crossed his path.
Don't get me wrong, I envy you guys that have lease set ups and cams, I honestly do. However I feel that you are loosing some of what I feel is the thrill of the hunt. If you pattern your deer based on what time the feeder kicks on you should be more concerned about deer management because that is really all you have left.
The way I hunt has produced small deer, big deer, and sometimes no deer at all. I don't make it a habit to shoot spikes or small deer, however, I know that if I start being too picky on deer slection and let a small one walk, that next sound I hear will probably be the next hunter along the trail that was not so picky.
Antler restrictions, no. Total bucks in a season, yes.
Don't get me wrong, I envy you guys that have lease set ups and cams, I honestly do. However I feel that you are loosing some of what I feel is the thrill of the hunt. If you pattern your deer based on what time the feeder kicks on you should be more concerned about deer management because that is really all you have left.
The way I hunt has produced small deer, big deer, and sometimes no deer at all. I don't make it a habit to shoot spikes or small deer, however, I know that if I start being too picky on deer slection and let a small one walk, that next sound I hear will probably be the next hunter along the trail that was not so picky.
Antler restrictions, no. Total bucks in a season, yes.
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