ORIGINAL: bluebird2
As I said before, I think our buck situation has improved tremendously with the antler restrictions. Antler restrictions can't hurt.
Antler restrictions can in fact hurt more than most hunters realize. First they reduce the buck harvest due to more bucks being lost to non-hunting mortality. Second, ARs reduce the number of OW doe so fewer fawns are recruited which means lower harvests. Third , ARs can result in high grading and smaller rack sizes. fourth, in the long run it has the potential to adversely effect the gene pool.
Non hunting mortality existed before AR's and will exist no matter what.
Now you're trying tohave it both ways.According to hundreds of your past posts, you claim over and over we are way under MSY carrying capacity so for you to now to claim that AR reduces the number of OW doe is simply being hypocritical on your part.
High grading? You mean the disproven theory of one rogue biologist in one dubious study in a state very different frrom Pa that no credible wildlife biologist has supported?
Adversely affect the gene pool? You yourself said that high grading had nothing to do with genetics.So what evidence do you have thatAR's can hurt the gene pool?