One-buck proposal for the combined muzzleloader and gun seasons

[MoBoost]

I limit myself to one buck a season anyhow... Except last year I shot a darn antlerless buck

 

[larkinmusic]

I'd love to shoot a doe this year. When I bought my tags I bought only a doe tag, then I realized that since I'm hunting public land in the panhandle I can only shoot a buck. So I had to buy a buck tag. I guess I don't care either way as long as the population is controlled.

 

[fishfurlife]

Apparently, Jerry Shaw, ODWC big game biologist agrees with my "speculative" points:

and he is speculating as well.

 

[Ruger76]

I like that idea of buck limit during muzzle and gun but I wish they would put an antler restriction
I am pretty sure what I just said will ruffle some feathers.

 

[Okie4570]

What if you had to shoot a doe before you could legally take a buck in any season?

There might be 25,000 "mystery" does checked via smart phone 5 min after shooting time on October 1! LoL

 

[retrieverman]

I like that idea of buck limit during muzzle and gun but I wish they would put an antler restriction
I am pretty sure what I just said will ruffle some feathers.

Yes, many people won't like antler restrictions. The county I hunt in Texas has them, and it has definitely helped.

 

[jmiller45]

I've seen the difference it made going from a 3 buck state to a 2 buck state and would be in favor of 1 buck for ML or gun. The idea of shooting a doe to earn a second tag is very interesting.

 

[dennishoddy]

I'm hearing that the ODW will be online check in only next season. I can't confirm this, but it follows several other states like Texas where they don't even have to check them in?
Some TX guys confirm this?

 

[Buzzgun]

and he is speculating as well.

Maybe so, but, since he is the ODWC big game biologist and has access to the best data available, I think he has the best handle on how things would go.

 

[Buzzgun]

I've seen the difference it made going from a 3 buck state to a 2 buck state

Care to give details of the difference you have seen???

Public land or private???

Are you certain the difference you have seen is directly attributable to the limit reduction, or could the difference you have seen be caused by other factors??

In order to assert that a regulation change has made a difference, there must be verifiable proof, and I have seen nothing published by ODWC that confirms or refutes any claims of an improvement in the quality of bucks harvested caused directly by the reduction in buck limits. Not saying it hasn't happened, just saying I haven't seen it and I have seen nothing published that supports it??

I have personally seen an increase in buck numbers and quality on my property. Of course, this comes after having not killed a single buck on the place in 4 or 5 years, plus, we enrolled the property in the Wildlife Habitat Incentive Program and have been working to improve habitat. That's not to say that we weren't trying to kill bucks during that period, but we made the decision not to kill immature bucks and, consequently, we did not take any.

Bottom line, if you want better quality bucks, you must control the harvest of immature deer and you do that through education and getting people on the same page, not by reducing the opportunity.