Tazman

fullback I hope I didn't offend you, when I first read your post I though "Man I am getting old" I had to pull my license out to make sure I wasn't going crazy! LOL I hunt the eastern portion of Va. so I had never even noticed the "eastern" on the last tag!

Like you I don't if possible shoot buttons or fawns/little ones, I do pop every legal doe that meets the above except during the rut.

I really do think the earn your buck would increase the doe harvest in Va.

The Tazman aka Martin Price
Founder and President of
Virginia Disabled Outdoorsmen Club

Fullback

Hey Tazman, No offense was taken....I was just a little vague in my description...I too like the earn a buck deal....I wouldn't mind seeing AR...and I definatly don't mind grilling does....LOL...Hey Taz, do ya'll run dogs there in your part of VA?....I make a trip to Mecklenburg Co. about every year to join in on a dog hunt....it's fun to do a couple times a year...just wondering.

In our line of work, we must be able to play Dixie and the Battle Hym of the Republic, With Equal Enthusiasm.

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445 supermag

Taz, you better watch out the other NJ ites. They will blast you for saying you like the earn a buck idea. I do to but I would be killed for liking it. It seems that a bunch of areas that I DON&quot;T hunt other hunters say they don't see many or any deer while out hunting. I my self see plenty of deer and I am only 300 yards at most from rt 72. I see 5 to about 15 deer on a 3 hour hunt. Not bad to me. But I Am with you it does seem to be help get the ratio in control. Just a heads up to ya. <img src=icon_smile_wink.gif border=0 align=middle>.

Brian

CAPT BRAD

MD. has a plan where you get a buck, then must take 2 does before another buck. The plan is different from PGC as more population control than growing big bucks. I like the idea. Also new this year was unlimited in the anterless dept.
Management practices are different between suburburn areas as opposed to larger wide open spaces. I hunted Pa. 1 time about 15 yrs ago. In 3 days I must have saw 300 does and not 1 buck. Pa. has taken steps to take more does.
In Va. I wish they would make anterless days run the complete season.
Taz make sure you use the east of the Blueridge tag 1st. As if you use the 2 antlered tags without using the EOBR tag you will be limited to doe days only at places like Quantico as they will not honer the EOBR tag. A friend had this happen and had to set home or squirrel hunt.

Good Luck. Capt Brad.

Edited by - capt brad on 12/26/2002 22:53:46

Tazman

Rapid-Fire what fullback was refering to, I have seen a lot of hunters do, they will only kill bucks, if everyone was like you and I and started popping every doe they could legally we wouldn't have the buck to doe ration so out of whack in Va. I would hate to see Va. start some kind of point restrictions to increase numbers of bucks.

Capt Brad your plan is a good one also, I feel the earn a buck is better(just my opinion), especially if you bow hunt, in Va. the entire bow season is buck or doe, black powder is the same.

The Tazman aka Martin Price
Founder and President of
Virginia Disabled Outdoorsmen Club

CAJUNBOWHNTR

Several years ago Miss. went to 4 pts(total)or better for bucks.They also made the entire season on private poperty or leased lands either sex.The limit on does is five.The goal of this was not to produce trophy bucks,but to try and balance the sex ratio.In some areas it was 10 to 1.Since our heard was out of balance most of the young bucks were spikes.By protecting the 1 1/2 bucks and shooting more does the sex ratio has come down.We still don't kill &quot;trophy&quot; deer.The soil quality in many areas of the state is poor and there is very little agriculture.The only problem with a point restriction is high grading.That is a young buck with a really good rack will probably be shot his first or second year.I don't agree with shooting spikes because they are inferior.Maybe if you are hunting a highly managed property with plenty of food and good genetics.But for us because of poor habitat and a deer heard at or above capacity.Most of our young bucks are spikes their first year.Studies done by Miss. state biologists and Dr. James Kroll in Texas have shown that with age and proper nutrition most spike bucks will catch up in antler development.One of the largest bucks ever raised by Mark Johnson at the LSU research facility was a spike his first year.The moral of this story is shoot does and let the young bucks walk.Then shoot mature bucks at least 3 1/2 years old.They may or may not be &quot;trophys&quot;.But at least the sex ratio will be more balanced and the bucks will have a chance to develop some decent antlers.When I hear some one say you cant eat the horns,I would say that's right so shoot a doe and let that little fellow walk.

CB


WHACKEM N STACKEM

model722

I don't believe antler restrictions are the answer. You get a person out in the woods he see's horns, he gets excited and shoots, deer goes down, guy walks over to his kill, the buck is only 3 points (his zone says 4point or more),hunter doesn't want to get in trouble, leaves deer. Now wouldn't it have been better if he could have kept this deer instead of wasteing the meat? Oh by the way the deer was 4 years old it just didn't have enough nutrients to grow a big rack it still weighed in at 210#. I think as time is going by hunters are to worried about what they can show off and they're not worrying about whats really happening. I also believe that the deer population is out of wack. Maybe instead of haveing an antler restriction we could have a BUCK restriction for a year or 2. I for one hunt for meat I always look for the bigger deer and never take bambi's(I don't believe in the saying if it's brown it's down). I would love to have a nice 12 point to hang on the wall just like everyone else. When you start putting antler restrictions on deer you are asking for trouble as PA as shown us by the wasted deer meat in the woods.

peepnrelease

The earn a buck might be a good system if NJ only gave you two or three buck tags instead of seven. And another problem is that some idiot hunters would check the same doe in seven different times among friends, so that they could shoot the next buck they saw. Combine that with the fact that you can hunt up until February 15th in certain zones and think about the amount of bucks that are being taken that have already shed their antlers. And of course we can't forget about all the buttons that get shot at this time either. Any managment will help if people don't go out to shoot the first thing they see which is a problem in NJ.

CAJUNBOWHNTR

Anyone who is shooting hair as we say without properly identifying his target is not much of a hunter in my opinion.It is illegal to shoot spikes where I hunt.Sometimes it's hard to see small spikes on a deer.If I see a single deer I am really carefull about shooting.Sometimes I pass on an opportunity because I'm not sure.That's called being an ethical hunter.I still kill my limit of does.I think the idea of deer being left in the woods is way overblown.It has'nt been an issue for us.

CB

WHACKEM N STACKEM