States have bag limits for a reason. They employ deer biologists to study the deer population and the quality of the deer herd. Some states have restrictions on the size of the deer you hunt. In Arkansas, I believe it' s a 6 point or higher (3 points on one side), in Tennessee the antlers must be 3 inches or longer, in Virginia the antlers only have to be above the hairline.

In Virginia (West of the Blue Ridge) I' m only allowed 3 deer a year. In Tennessee in the particular county I hunt I' m allowed 18 deer a year - yes I said 18, and that' s not with any kind of bonus deer permits (I only take 2 deer a year, FYI)

These biologists make these different requirements based on the deer population in their area. They are managing the deer populations based on their own independent government-funded studies. If the deer are so unhealthy, or in need of better management then I' d think they would be a lot more strict with what size buck you can kill.

I tend to be wary of what I read in magazines because they are really only out to make money, and appealing to the big-buck hunters is probably where the money is at. Not that I trust the government any more than I can throw them. Some states want bigger trophy bucks only to attract more non-resident hunters, so there is some financial incentive for setting restrictions on antler size.

In all the years I' ve been hunting I' ve never seen an unhealthy deer. Deer are smaller in some areas than in others, but I' ve never seen a half-starved deer or a mal-nourished deer. To say that only killing big bucks will make the population healthy is stretching it a bit, IMO.

To bash anyone for the size of deer they kill is unacceptable IMO. If you want to shoot a trophy just so you can go show all your friends, or just to hang on your wall is your own business. If you hunt for the first thing that comes along because you find entertainment in that, then more power to you - that' s what makes this country great. If you hunt to put meat on the table, then I can empathize with you as that' s what I do. Some people hunt all year long and don' t kill anything but still get the thrill of hunting from sitting in their stand and watching the dark, quiet forest come to life as the sun comes up. I personally am a combination of these things.

I like to watch as the woods around me comes alive, and the squirrels get to playing, the deer get to moving, the birds get to chirping, but I also want to feed my family. I let fawns go by, but I usually shoot anything else if it presents itself. If it' s a 1 year old buck I' ll let it go probably. It' s really my decision to make, as long as I keep to the regulations that the Game Commission sets for me.

Just my opinion, take it for what it' s worth.

Thunder