RE: NY do u think we should have a antler restrictions?
 

I haven't changed my mind NO!

RE: NY do u think we should have a antler restrictions?
 

I'm a native of Upstate New York who lives in NC. I spend two weeks every fall on my friend's farm in Steuben county, and the last two years I've shot two bucks that had horrible racks (but tasted great!). We have practiced a fairly sound herd management system on this land (380 acres) for the last 22 years by taking 8-point or better and numerous does, with the exception of taking large, mature (2 1/2 years and up) bucks that have poor racks. This culling of the inferior bucks has resulted in a very healthy and large herd. So, I guess my answer would have to be NO... Counting tines is not the answer to a healthy whitetail population!

RE: NY do u think we should have a antler restrictions?
 

Sure it is! That's exactly what it is! I've heard the AR advocates talk for years now and there is no question that the driving and overwhelmingreasonthey support it is the hope of killing a larger buck. The healthy herd thing is just a ruse. Give me a break and at least be honest about it.

RE: NY do u think we should have a antler restrictions?
 

Let me expand on my earlier post...When I said "horrible racks", I meant stunted, or mis-shapen. For example, this past season I shot a buck with 4-points (short, more like molars)on one side and a "cow-horn" on the other. The single horn was not broken off, just skinny and twisted. Also, these antlers looked like sheds that had been laying on the ground for years!
Looked great in the freezer though!

RE: NY do u think we should have a antler restrictions?
 

Let’s look at it this way and be logical about it. Where there are really big deer, they some sort of QDM.One of the most basic QDM principals are limiting the harvesting of deerby regulating the rack sizeandnumber of points...they let the little ones go.This means letting the deer mature. In NY, 90% of the 1.5 year old bucks are taken every year. This is a bid concern, especially in a state that has early 800,000 deer. By enabling better management, our heard can absolutely be better.

Without some limit of rack points or size (thus age), we will never see thenumber of trophies that a state with over 800,000 deer should see. I think that a limit of 3 points or better will still allow a hunter a reasonable opportunity to harvest a buck. In PA, the numbers show this to be true. The majority of bucks in that state that were taken this year were between 2.5 and 3.5 years old. After a 2 to 3 year adjustment period, the harvest numbers for buck should be the same as current numbers.

I think it would be great to have a chance to get a deer above 120 on a regular basis. How many of us really get 120-140 class whitetails in areas like the Catskills? Not many I believe. It’s a once in a lifetime deer to even see, let alone harvest a buck this size. In a lot of states that have the deer population that we have, a 120 is not even a “shooter”. I can almost cry when I see that on those hunting shows.

Hunters in area 3 have begun to implement this 3 point rule. I think that is great. I would be in favor of this as well. There are most likely just as many hunters that hunt for meat as for racks. We should and can address both types of hunters with this plan.

RE: NY do u think we should have a antler restrictions?
 

I live in Ulster County, pretty much where the three point rule is in effect. I hunt in area 3C and 3J. This is the DMU where the three point rule is in effect. I fmyself was and still am in favor of the three point rule. I will tell you, there were more tickets issued this year for some hunters not obaying the rule. Weather one agrees with the rule or not, we must obay the rule. I for one was dissapointed to hear of all the tickets issued. This gives us a black eye. We sportsman have enough issues to deal with: anti hunting groups, no where to hunt etc. We must set the example for our young hunters. The last thing we need is for anti who or what ever to say "they dont even follow their own rules"

RE: NY do u think we should have a antler restrictions?
 

Here`s a link to a website of the guys trying to pass AR in 7F,7H and 7J. There was an article in yesturday`s paper.

WWW.cnywhitetails.com

RE: NY do u think we should have a antler restrictions?
 

stretchhunts,

Thats a great proposal. I am in 4N and I would support it 100%.

RE: NY do u think we should have a antler restrictions?
 

If you read the proposal, it presents a strong agruement that points based AR do not work as intended. As is with most all such AR proposals it is about trophy management thinly disguised as "healthy for the herd". One of the authors says he has shot a lot of small bucks - now he wants to shoot bigger ones. Since his neighbors are still happy to hunt the way he did in the not so distance past, he wants to force them to change to the way he hunts now. What happens when he and others decide more 2 1/2 yo are not enough? Do we change again to meet his desires?

Any discusion by supporters of AR is dominated by talk of "shooter" bucks and scoring potential - in other words, better "trophys". Why does deer hunting have to have a score?

Those who seek to be trophy hunters wish to control all other hunters goals so that their can be more easily met - nothing else. The number of QDM or AR supporters who actually care about the health of the herdare extremely rare. The majority are in it for the "score".

RE: NY do u think we should have a antler restrictions?
 

Steve,
I do agree. I really hunt for meat. I love eating it and making jerky. If I shoot a buck that "scores" it`s a bonus. I just don`t know about the wider than the ears AR. That`s a judgement call really. I`ve shot spike horns that were wider than the ears. The 4 point I shot this yr was wider than it`s ears but was only 1 1/2 yrs old. I just hope it doesn`t turn into a "rich mans" sport. We`ll see where it goes.