What states have Antler Restrictions?
12-23-2002, 11:24 AM
#1
Thread Starter
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Pittsburgh PA
Posts: 947
What states have Antler Restrictions?
And how have they proven effective or unefective? This is PA's first year with antler restrictions. I wanted to see how they improved or hurt the quality of deer in other states.
12-23-2002, 11:56 AM
#2
Super Moderator
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Deepwoods Treestand WI
Posts: 902
RE: What states have Antler Restrictions?
Deer902, The answer to this depends on your definition of Quality.
Number of deer available then the anwer is generally "yes".
Quality as far as the size of bucks.... This is a difficult answer. QDM philosopy says that in order to increase the size of the bucks you need a closer ration between bucks and does. (I do not subscribe that philosophy myself) WI does not restrict to bucks for bow hunting and while they do for gun hunting the available permits for does are almost inexhaustable. In my area the number of larger bucks went down with the increased doe permits available as well as the obvious decrease in total population
"Semper Fi"
Number of deer available then the anwer is generally "yes".
Quality as far as the size of bucks.... This is a difficult answer. QDM philosopy says that in order to increase the size of the bucks you need a closer ration between bucks and does. (I do not subscribe that philosophy myself) WI does not restrict to bucks for bow hunting and while they do for gun hunting the available permits for does are almost inexhaustable. In my area the number of larger bucks went down with the increased doe permits available as well as the obvious decrease in total population
"Semper Fi"
12-23-2002, 11:57 AM
#3
Fork Horn
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Southern Illinois
Posts: 461
RE: What states have Antler Restrictions?
I know in Illinios this year and I think last year you can only kill two antlered deer per year regardless of how many tags you have and it may be in my head but I have seen more bucks this year than I ever have, so maybe it does help.
12-23-2002, 12:09 PM
#5
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Bonnots Mill Missouri USA
Posts: 237
RE: What states have Antler Restrictions?
I'm from MO. and we don't. Beside your home state, I know that Ark. does have antler restrictions. That is all that I know of state wide. A few states has certain areas or counties that have antler restrictions, but I can't recall their locations.
As far as quality, if you considered larger antlers as quality, it should improve. We have been practicing some QDM on my farm for the last 3 years, and it has improved the quality of bucks. In fact, we have killed almost as many large bucks in the last two years, as was killed in the previous 30 years. I also noticed that some of the younger 1.5 year old bucks has larger racks as well. I know I let one young 8 pointer go by, that was real nice young deer. In Ark., he would have been legal under their point restriction. That is the weekness of using points as a restrictive measuring tool.
greg
As far as quality, if you considered larger antlers as quality, it should improve. We have been practicing some QDM on my farm for the last 3 years, and it has improved the quality of bucks. In fact, we have killed almost as many large bucks in the last two years, as was killed in the previous 30 years. I also noticed that some of the younger 1.5 year old bucks has larger racks as well. I know I let one young 8 pointer go by, that was real nice young deer. In Ark., he would have been legal under their point restriction. That is the weekness of using points as a restrictive measuring tool.
greg
12-23-2002, 01:58 PM
#6
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: paige texas USA
Posts: 18
RE: What states have Antler Restrictions?
Where I live in Texas they are running a 5 county experiment where you can only shoot spike bucks, and bucks with 13 inch or better inside spread. This is supposed to let the bucks mature. Not allowed to shoot does anyway, so it probably won't increase over all population, just the average age of bucks. First year of five year experiment so we will see how it works out.
12-23-2002, 02:34 PM
#7
Boone & Crockett
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location:
Posts: 15,452
RE: What states have Antler Restrictions?
A real paradox. most the known big buck states and most of canada dont have Pt restrictions. Trey where do you hunt in Texas that does are illegal? the areas I am aware of are given a certain amount of doe permits per amount of acres.Grant you each area is different.But I have not heard of a area all does are lillegal.
12-24-2002, 03:14 PM
#8
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Warren County NJ USA
Posts: 3,899
RE: What states have Antler Restrictions?
HERE IN NEW JERSEY, THE FISH, GAME & WILDLIFE HAS A FEW DEER MANGEMENT ZONES WITH ANTLER RESTRICTIONS PROGRAM, 3 POINTS TO ONESIDE ITS EXPERIMENT THAT THEY ARE DOIN FOR 5 YRS. HUNTING SEASON 2003 WILL BE YEAR NUMBER 4. I MYSELF DONT HUNT ANY OF THE ZONES, BUT FROM WHAT I HEAR PEOPLE ARE SEEING AND TAKING BIGGER DEER, ALSO NJ HAS A UNLIMITED ANTLERLESS TAKE OR EARN A BUCK TAKE.
UNLIMITED ANTLERLESS:ONCE YOU CHECK IN YOUR DEER AT CHECK STATION, THEY ISSUE YOU ANOTHER TAG FOR EITHER A ANTLERLESS OR A BUCK. THIS SYSTEM IS GOING TO FAR HERE IN NJ, FOR THE FACT HUNTERS ARENT SEEING THE NUMBER OF DEER IN THE WOODS. FOR MYSELF IM ALL FOR THE "QDM", BUT AFTER 3 YRS OF UNLIMITED ANTLERLESS DEER TAKE, IM TIRED OF IT.
UNLIMITED ANTLERLESS:ONCE YOU CHECK IN YOUR DEER AT CHECK STATION, THEY ISSUE YOU ANOTHER TAG FOR EITHER A ANTLERLESS OR A BUCK. THIS SYSTEM IS GOING TO FAR HERE IN NJ, FOR THE FACT HUNTERS ARENT SEEING THE NUMBER OF DEER IN THE WOODS. FOR MYSELF IM ALL FOR THE "QDM", BUT AFTER 3 YRS OF UNLIMITED ANTLERLESS DEER TAKE, IM TIRED OF IT.
12-24-2002, 09:20 PM
#9
Thread Starter
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Pittsburgh PA
Posts: 947
RE: What states have Antler Restrictions?
Does anyone know the deer population, deer density, and deer (buck and doe) taken each year in the "Big Buck States"? And how does these numbers differ from PA? I'll try to look these up, but probably not until after Christmas. I thought someone might know these off hand. Merry Christmas!
Edited by - deer902 on 12/24/2002 22:28:51
Edited by - deer902 on 12/24/2002 22:28:51
12-25-2002, 03:34 AM
#10
Boone & Crockett
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location:
Posts: 15,452
RE: What states have Antler Restrictions?
902 I have no figures ,just some experience hunting in Iowa and missouri.In Iowa I usually see anywhere between 30 and 60 deer a day and 1/3 of them being buck.and 1 out of three buck being at least 130 plus.It is the Gene pool,Age and the great feed available to them.As you know Iowa can be very tough as far as winters.But the deer in the area I hunt in Iowa have lots of farms to feed on unlike most of Pa that has just sticks for the deer to feed on.I see some huge bucks in the S.E. area of pa,due to the farms,but up north in the vast gamelands they all look like midgets.