Originally Posted by
tndrbstr
The answer is YOU don't. If what your doing is working for you and your happy, then why are you worried about the way anyone else wants to hunt?
Go,... hunt,... be happy....
But just for giggles lets say, hypothetically, that 8 points or better is the magic number. I guess it's acceptable to risk letting folks high grade any 1.5 to 2.5 years old 8 point bucks , that could actually be carrying the genetics to produce what your after, so long as they are restricted from shooting those "sub par" 6 pointers that could be 4.5+ year old breeders.
Since I quoted you before you edited I will address the 2nd half of your post.
First I can't stress enough I don't care what you do.
Now you are right that can and will happen. Ive seen it happen but personally I don't really see any reason to restrict unless the herd needs it in which case it really doesn't matter if it is beneficial to antler genetics. Just health and survival genetics.
You know the bucks that live longer are more likely to carry immunity and such. Probably doesn't hurt to have some proven survivors in the gene pool.
Plus antler restrictions also work decent on a large scale not perfect but a decent plan on a large scale. There are flaws as you have correctly pointed out but like I said it is the best plan on a large scale that I can think of unless you have something else? There is no way to enforce age restrictions so its not going to be perfect.
There are herds in some places that probably need some restrictions. That is not the case in my neck of the woods as enough deer manage to elude hunter but it is a concern in some areas.
While not perfect antler restrictions will increase the average age.