I was reading an article in my local paper this weekend and it was telling about hunting in Vermont. They have antler restrictions that you can't harvest a spike horn. I'm new to hunting and was wondering what everyone thinks of their rule. Sounds like a decent one to me,I guess, because they will maybe get some bigger deerrunning around and more of them in a year orthree. What does everyone else think about limiting deer based on antler length. Just curious.

I've been here in vermont for 8 yrs now and have taken a few nice 8ptrs.....but it's awfully frustrating to pass up young 4ptrs only to see them get shot anyway. It's been a long time coming and we've already seen better deer taken through archery season.

Combined with the mild winter last year and hopefully more awareness from other hunters these younger deer may become a few years older.

We're definately not hurting on our numbers...maybe more doe permits would help with the ratio's......i guess that's why we have the biologists

I do not like antler restrictions. They are now starting it in NY state in a few areas. This topic has been discussed here before, but to me hunting should be to help control the deer populaton and for hunters to put some meat on the table. State conservation departments have NO business managing the herds to get larger antlers on male deer, it serves no purpose in managing the herd as a whole. Antler restrictions are plain and simple management for trophy hunters in my opinion. I am very surprised that anti-hunting groups haven't made an issue of this, since it would be great fodder for their cause. Most people who are not hunters really have no problem with deer hunting when they know hunters will be using the meat, but if they knew that the state game departments are now even managing for trophy animals, I think their opinions would change quickly!
I hope noone gives me the bit that I should shoot a doe instead of a small buck. I hunt in an area of the Catskills here in NYS and there have been NO doe permits issued in the last two years now. If I was even further restricted where I could shoot only a 6 or 8 point buck, I think I would not even bother purchasing a license.

We have had no doe permits in this area of Maine as well for around nine or ten years. The biologists said the tree harvesting has brought a lot of food and we will see the deer herd here rise. That did not happen here, instead a we watch our deer herd decline. The mild winter last year has really given the deer a big boost here. Alot of young bucks are getting shot and that means more does to breed. Another mild winter or two and we will have a good strong herd. Now for shooting spikes here it is a good thing. I have shot a buck before that was six points and looked like a hugh spike. Its antlers rose straight up about six inches and half way down two points opposit each other, both antlers looked pretty much the same. That deer dressed out 202lbs, and I do not think that a tiny rack would help produce heavey racked deer. So to make a rule like this you would have to take alot into consideration.

Remember, the restrictions on shooting spike horns came from the hunters themselves. With the poor deer kills year after year in Vermont, something had to be done. It was good to see that the Fish & Game Department finally started to listen to those that have spent many hours in the woods. I saw more deer this year during the archery season then I have for many, many years. One particular night I saw 5 different buck, four of them 3 pointers. This protection of spikes may not be a cure all, but it definitely is a step in the right direction. After all, we don't need to shoot a deer every time out, but it's nice to see something.

I agree bigtbird. I think deer numbers are up, if we get another easy winter then next year should be great. I have definitely seen way more buck sign this year than last.

I have to agree with this statement as well. However we have no antler restrictions here. The mild winter last year has helped our deer numbers alot. For example a tagging station in town here has tagged more deer this year then the last 2 years combined. 15 miles north of here has trippled the number of deer be tagged at that station and there is al,ost 2 weeks left of hunting. With the increase in does ( as this area has no anydeer permits ) and another mild winter or 2 we will be seeing an awfull lot of deer. All signs here says the mild winter is in fact boosting the herd here in Maine. So we are hoping to see some more mild winters to come.

I also realize that there are more factors then just sparing the spikes that has improved our deer numbers.
1. number of hunters ( been down in VT)
2. weather conditions ( too warm- deer don't move)
3. good winter - less snow ( sometimes this can also hurt deer, once they get below the browse line, there is no way they can get above this area without snow)

If everyone was on the same page in regards to letting smaller buck walk, it would greatly increase the size. The problem is how some hunters look at the issue. They may feel that if they don't shoot, someone else will (I'm not looking for an arguement here). I don't blame hunters from taking a legal buck or doe.
Just a thought.

Sorry to say this but people that think antler restrictions are just for trophy animals are fooling themselves. Do you really think it is good for 1 to 1 1/2 buck to be the majoritybreeder deer in a heard? Same goes for does.The same goes for does too, shoot to many and all your 1 1/2 year old does are breeding and it causes hight motallity rate in fawns..Allot of people just don't realize that the Game commisions aren't just putting these restrictions out there for bigger antlers even though that is a big plus for some. Meat on the table mentality is good but think about when you have thousands of hunters thinking the same way. It is good to have diversity in the hunting community,some meat hunters andsome trophy hunters. So some of the"meat hunters" that don't realize this should wake up and smell the tarsel glands LOL

Actually it makes NO difference. Mortality in fawns happens due to weather and food availabilty. Offspring of 3 or 4 year olds would die just as quick if the winter was too rough and food hard to find. If you mean mortality due to miscarriages, this can't be proven either. As in human females, it is more likely that a female will be fertile at a younger age, than at an older age, plus miscarriages are also more likely in older ones. For years most states had no antler restrictions whatsoever, yet did it decrease the herd? Nope, if anything the herds kept getting bigger and bigger. Now many states tell hunters to shoot a doe or two or three instead of that small buck. This HAS decreased the deer population, and dramatically in some areas.