RE: state forced antler restrictions
Michigan -
We have test areas in MI that are requiring antler restrictions, and have produced some decent results, but it took three years to get the respectful results.
I think some of MI problems are during the rifle season... The lower portion of the lower peninsula in MI is all shotgun zone. 75% of the large bucks shot each year are in this area. Above that area, three out of five hunters are using huge caliber guns and taking over 300 yard shots at what they think are does! This is where the spikes and small four points are taken. The states that have above average bucks, 2 1/2 and older are all shotgun states. Plus they have limited amount of days to hunt. Our gun season is 15 days long! (above numbers are my evaluation!)
How many states are all shotgun zones and how long is the gun season???