GMMAT

Andy......

Believe me...I understand where you're coming from....and from a personal (not saying this about YOU) standoint.....I selfishly agree with you.

But it ain't all about ME.

I know too many guys who couldn't care less about killing a monster buck.....but they sure like to hunt for "A" buck. I'd just hate to deny them (the guy who gets to hunt 10X/yr) of this.

EAB? Sure! EAB (with a caveat that 2 had to be harvested before a buck could be legally taken)? Bravo! THAT would serve our purposes (in NC)a LOT better than AR's. (IMO) Plus.....NOBODY would be telling a man he couldn't shoot ANY buck.

Gary makes a great point about EAB and BB mortality. It's a double-edged sword. I don't know the answer.

But in NC.....HOW is the "mature buck/trophy" hunter helping with our "issues" (too many does)? He isn't. He's part of the problem (if he's not part of the solution).

How would (and I don't know the answer) limiting the number of bucks taken (via reduced bag limits) not serve the ame purpose as AR's (in the end)? Less bucks taken can't be a bad thing. And....if herd balance/structure is our REAL goal...wouldn't this be a means to an end?

I don't know. I'm aksing.

Germ

One of my buddies in MI coined this phrase

"It's all about the antlers"

That goes from the trophy hunter, to the guy shooting a spike. When you come to understand his comment, you understand what deer managers are up against in some states.

We know pretty much we will never have a true balance herd here in MI, but we can atleast try and make it a little better Even with AR's or OBR those states still have 50% yearly buck kill. That is all we are looking for in MI, 50% is way better than 70%+[&:]

early in

People ask how do AR's help the over all heath of the herd? If you can only kill certain bucks, that lets"more" bucks live longer to spread desireable genes and help keep a closer buck to doe ratio. At least this is the situation in Pa. I love the AR's here in Pa.

GMMAT

We're over 50% (buck kills).

How would AR's help this BETTER than EAB? If you figure in the success rate %-age for bowhunters in NC......you're gonna eliminate a LOT of people from the buck killing pool.....simply because there aren't that many guys (%-age-wise) who kill 2 deer a season with their bow.

Take away the possibility of that 1st deer being the first buck they see......and I think you've gone a long ways towards achieving your goal.

A theory.....

GMMAT

What makes a 3.5yr old buck's genes more "desireable" than they were as a 1.5 yr old?

tsoc

I am not reading 15 pages of debate about antler restrictions.In the absence of any other (same old thing) management I am for them.Are they the best answer no,are they the only answer certainly not,but they are better than doing the same as a state has always done.
I live in an area on New York that has been under antler restrictions for two seasons,this season will be the third,to date it hasn't shown an appreciable effect on the age class of bucks I havetaken but I believe it will,and am willing to show patience to give it a chance.

drdi

I've lived in both Pennsylvania and Ohio (I'm in Ohio now, but spitting distance from the PA line) so I'm quite familiar with a lot of the controversy. The two states are night and day as to how deer are managed and they should be because of a number of reasons.

BUT, when I deer hunt Ohio in gun season, there are many days when I don't see a deer at all. Even during bow season, I might not see a deer, although usually I will see at least 2 or 3 during a halfday sit. That is how it supposed to be when the deer herd is at a good level (which I think it is in my part of Ohio). There is just something not right about seeing 50+ deer when you go out deer hunting. I have friends in PA who talk about seeing that many in ONE afternoon of hunting. Well, at least in the "good ol" days. To this day, they still see more in a day than I ever have in Ohio. Well this is in the Western PA and I understand things are different in the mountains.

I'd be all for AR in Ohio, but not necessarily to produce bigger bucks. I like the fact that it actually makes people have to identify their target especially during gun season. What a concept!

At least right now, I am happy to be living and hunting Ohio. The Division of Wildlife does a good job. Ohio's biggest challenge to hunter is the lack of public hunting land and land access. But I guess that is a problem in other states too.

PreacherTony

Jeff ..... I don't get your post here .....'splain, please?

rybohunter

So its OK to tell a guy that he CAN’T shoot ANY buck, until he shoots a doe.
BUT it’s NOT OK to tell him that he CAN’T shoot a buck with X number of points.
Makes perfect sense. [&:]

PreacherTony

What's the difference to ANY rule then? There HAS to be rules ..... Why have seasons? Why restrict the amount of deer at all?? I say that tongue in cheek, but seriously think about it ......

Maybe we should elect the leaders in the Conservation department of our state .....