RE: Antler Restrictions in Virginia
I have been hunting in Va. for 40 years and remeber when doe season was 1 day the last day of the season, I remeber when any deer was a trophey. Consider yourselves in the glory days of being able to harvest all you want, the mentality of most Va. hunters is to kill everything they can, Most hunt clubs stack deer like cord wood. I have returned form my fathers and have seen where people drop a trail of carcasses on side of the road for miles, I have seen piles of deer 4 feet deep after the Tender loins and hind quareters have been removed.It bothers me to see these animals which were so presious only 25 years ago so disrespected. But eventually the huge harvests in my opinion will reduce the populations again. Prince William County opened a Doe only season this year that runs fron Jan 4th until Feb. 4th That should tell you something. I support a trophey only program I have hunted where they work namely British Columbia but until Va. gets a handle on their herd and the mentality of most hunters changes it ain't going to happen.
FYI It was back in the 1940's that there were no DEER in Va. a restocking program began and Deer were purchased from Alabama (90%) and Pennsylvania (10%) today Va.s best tropheys still come from the areas that were stocked with Pennsylvania Deer.