Crokit - back to the topic.

If the 67% really believed in AR, then they should be able to support it voluntarily during the whole season - therefore letting far more 1 1/2 bucks live. The fact they don't, to me says either the number is skewed or their commitment levels says it is not really that important to them.

And if they where really serious about protecting 1 1/2's, they would learn to judge age based on factors other then points - extremely unreliable here in the central NY Finger Lakes region. A study of 7h, 7j and one other 7M (?) - a very large area with high deer numbers - a few years, showed nearly 60% of the 1 1/2's where 6 pt or better. The very best of the 1 1/2 would be the target of a 3 pt/side restriction.

My biggest reason for being anti AR, is that I have never seen anything showing that it results in a significant number of 4 1/2 yo and up bucks being taken. This is the age of true maturity for deer. AR proponents repeatedly claim their motivation is to allow more bucks to mature - not to improve trophy quality. If it cannot be shown that a significant number make it to true maturity, then AR fails as to its claim. That leaves the only real reason to be wanting the bigger racks that 2 1/2 and 3 1/2 year old immature bucks may offer. If AR proponents would start admitting this as their motivation - to make it easier to shoot immature deer with bigger racks by limiting the choice of other huntiners, I would at least respect them.

Steve