Oldtimr

243, ok, just wanted to understand what you were saying. Many folks call deer of the year yearlings .

alleyyooper

Same here a yearling was the fawn of the present year.


Al

BarnesX.308

I'm also from PA. We got antler restrictions in 2002. At first, I was against them. I thought it would lessen my chances of getting a buck and I thought only the best genetics would be removed. As in, most bucks shot would still be yearlings, but the ones with the best genetics.

Well, I changed my mind 100%. We are not only seeing very large racks now, but we are seeing bucks that are 200lb, 220lb, 250lb and even heavier. Every year we are getting nice 5x5s on trail cameras. And there are actually very few spikes. It seems like most yearlings are 5,6,7 and even basket 8s now.

I think a lot of the yearlings having better racks has to do with herd reduction and improved habitat. Antler restrictions will get you that 250lb 10 pointer.

I actually passed up a few legal bucks in the past few years. Back in the day, the first 4-pointer would get it.

Now, some of our beliefs changing may also be do to trail cameras. I'm sure we never saw a lot of the big bucks that may have existed prior to ARs.

Oldtimr

Barnes, you were not seeing big bucks back then because there were not very many big bucks prior to the change in management, we killed them before they had a chance to grow big. Granted there were a few but nothing like today.

BarnesX.308

I agree. But I will say that I wouldn't know about half the big bucks I see without trail cameras. But a trip to the butcher's or taxidermist will tell you there are a ton more big bucks.

Oldtimr

Can't disagree with that, cameras will give you an idea of what is happening.

salukipv1

I don't like it,

shooting a 2.5yo here with 10pts takes good genes out of the population, whereas you couldn't shoot say a 6 or 8pt 3.5yo+

my cousin shot a big 6 or 8pt a few years back and I said good job on the management buck, he's like management buck!?
It's not all about the points but it's almost impossible for an 8pt to make boone and crockett.

Oldtimr

So what! if you want to hold out for a Boone and Crockett buck, knock your self out. Here is a little news flash, very few hunters out of all the hunters are obsessed with Boone and Crockett sized racks. Quite frankly, I doubt you would hold off on killing a 10 point regardless of age if you had the opportunity. You claim it is not all about points yet you lament a 2 1/2 YO 10 point being taken out of the population instead of letting him walk to spread his genes. It sounds like it is all about points. Here is a news flash, he has already spread his genes around for two years before he got taken so it is no big deal.

243shooter

I guess this is kinda what I would like to see. Not that it matters what I want. I wonder how many young bucks get whacked just because, "If I don't shoot it, it'll just run over to the neighbors and he'll shoot it anyhow". I also wonder if it would get easier to pass on the 2 1/2 year-olds if there were more of them. As for myself, right now I normally see 3 to 6 small bucks over the average nine day rifle season. And over the last decade or so it has worked out that every 2 to 4 years I get a chance at a 14" to 16" eight or ten, which I would imagine are 2 1/2 year-olds. I hunt on my own farm here and on some land that some buddies lease about a half mile away. There is quite a bit of pressure around here. But if I were seeing 6 to 10, 1 1/2 yo bucks and 3 to 6, 2 1/2 yo bucks, I think eventually I would start to hold out for even older better bucks and hopefully this would rub off on other hunter as well. In this neck of the woods fully mature bucks are almost nonexistent even on the trail cams. If someone actually shoots a 140 class buck around here its something special and probably a once in a lifetime thing. Like I said before hunting is not all about the horns for me, and I don't know if I'm completely sold on antler restrictions. But there are basically no mature bucks around my area right now, and without actual deer management it seems like a good compromise.

BarnesX.308

Exactly what happened here. More bucks and bigger bucks. And we all took it the same way at first. But mentalities changed and we are really seeing the benefits.

Before ARs, we were killing 80% yearlings. Now, it's around 48% yearlings. You know what else is great now? Rattling and calling works. Decoys work. Before, I wouldn't want to grunt and scare away the potential spike or fork. Now, I know there are at least three 10 pointers that are between 140 and 155 inches. So I rattle away.