RE: Antler Restrictions?
 

New Jersey.........3" spike on at least one side.

RE: Antler Restrictions?
 

Oh my God, don't get me started....[:@][:@][:@][:@][:@]

RE: Antler Restrictions?
 

If the legislate it I'd be all in favor of it. Problem with self imposed things on public land and shared private land, you really need all to agree. I've said for years, just close the buck season for about 2 or better yet 3 years and everyone will become a believer.

RE: Antler Restrictions?
 

No - there is NO biological reason or proof that points based AR does anything positive for the herd.
Also leads to hy grading - if you don't know what it is, then look it up before supporting a program that creates it.

Steve

RE: Antler Restrictions?
 

A legal buck in NY is one with at least a 3" antler one one side. If it doesn't meet that requirement, it has to be tagged with a doe permit. I would be against any additional restrictions for us.

One thing I have noticed being able to talk about these issues with people from all over the country ..... everything is relative ...... you midwest guys seem to have 130 class deer running all over the place ... it's not that way here ... we also do not have the thousands of doe running around that some of you other guys seem to have ... I mean ... 6+ deer / year allowed? WOW...

This past year in my area, I knew people that did not get even ONE doe permit .. they had a buck tag for gunseason, and an either sex tag for bow ... if you bought a muzzleloader permit, you got another tag for antlerless ..... I'm against it here ......

RE: Antler Restrictions?
 

Steve, You need to check some of the threads that are in the N/E section. The PGC, as some of you may be aware, initiated AR AND increased doe tags 4 years ago to balance the herd. We had 1.5 yr old bucks doing most of the breeding because the older bucks were only 10% of the buck population.
AR may be the question here, but it's a double edged sword. A balanced herd needs to be part of the attempt.
Some stateshave a fairly good buck to doe ratio. AR in this situation is IMO QDM. NY state is looking at PA as a model and I am to understand that NY is cutting back on the # of bucks you will be allowed to take this year. They are trying to balance the herd. AR will be next and it's the best thing PA has done, and NY can do for the herd and quality of hunting.

RE: Antler Restrictions?
 

Arch, that statement right there is subjective .... what's quality hunting to me, may not be to you .... I think it all comes down to percentages ...... the lower the number of P&Y Bucks, the better a 100" one looks, AND a 150" buck ..... it's the whole "bigger is better" deal ...

RE: Antler Restrictions?
 

It would be a "bigger is better" deal if your herd was balanced now. NY is in the same situation we were 5 years ago. AR is not intended to create trophies in this circumsatnce, it's intended to help balance the herd.

It would seem to me that if "Hunter A" can take a buck in two or possibly 3 different zones and 3 different seasonsAND was unable to otbain a doe tag , if his success rate is 50% , he will be taking too many bucks out of the herd. If "Hunter B" repeats this scenario or close to it, the buck/doe ratio after a few years of this is way out of balance.
This is what NY is facing..the need to balance the herd...not to create P&Y bucks. AR is the way to do it AND limit the # you can take. In your state you can take a buck w/ a bow, and one w/ a rifle, and (you tell me) I think another w/ a muzzleloader. Taking out that many bucks doesn't leave many to breed the does. You will have what we had in PA, buck fawns doing alot of the breeding in the second estrous period. A large # of does may not be bred at all. It's a spiral downward anyway you look at it.

RE: Antler Restrictions?
 

Yep we have antler restrictions here in FL. Must be atleast 5" in length on atleast one side.

RE: Antler Restrictions?
 

Is there anyone here that can honestly say, "I want to shoot that small 4-point instead of that monster 10-point"? Give me a break! We all want bigger bucks, otherwise we would squirrel hunt! There is no shame in that.

It is a "fact" that if you shoot a 4-point, he will never be a 10-point.