Fullback

I was reading comments made about Pa.'s Point Restriction put into effect this year....it's my take that Pa.'s buck to doe ratio is waaay outta proportion....It's way outta proportion here in SW Va also......I'm firmly believe that the only way to improve the quality of the herd is to reduce the quantity....by this I'm saying take does.....they don't put doe tags on your license to just look pretty..They want you to use them....SURE, point restrictions will help to see bigger bucks next year...but your still not improving the quality of the herd....here in SW Va I get two either sex tags and three antlerless only tags....I talk to some hunters and they say, "I don't shoot anything but bucks"....well, personally I think that sucks...cause they're not managing the resources....I think too much emphasis is placed on taking a B&C buck....I mean, I've watched some of the monster buck videos, buckmaster tv show, etc etc....and they take bigger deer on the tv show's than most hunters will ever see out in the wild....and I've never heard Bill Jordan mention anything about taking does.....all I've ever heard him talk about is planting food plots...well, again, most hunters don't own ranches or have acreage upon acreage, nor the funding to plant a 300 acre plot of Tecomante Double Rack Jack.....so don't get caught up in the big buck hype....OH sure, that's why we all hunt....but we should also hunt to manage our herds....I've taken 3 does this year and 0 bucks....I let at least 10 small bucks(from spikes to a basket 8) run along about thier business this year....Taking does is the key...

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

Jim Przybyla

I couldn't agree with you more. I don't have the resources, time, or money to do anything more than hunt during the gun season in Wisconsin. I would really, really ,really like to get into archery for deer (in the near future). I used to be of the mentality of hunt for horns the first weekend and settle for a doe (if I was lucky enough to see one) the second weekend. I went too many years deerless. I shifted my thinking to the DNR's point of view. They are issuing the tags in the hopes that we will fill them and reduce the overall numbers buck or doe. Since I've been doing that, not only have I seen more bucks, I've also seen bigger bucks that ever before (on the same land). I think the overall herd size and buck/doe ratios need to take precedence before point restrictions will have any significant, long lasting effects.

Hawgz

Arkansas put a 3 point rule on us about 2 or 3 yrsd ago.It is helping on bigger buck's but most people are not using their Doe tag's.Seem's like everybody want's a big buck'me too but it still are part to take Doe's are it still going be messed up herd.Question why do most of you guy's refuse to shoot Doe's.We are part on DNR's way of controlling the herd.That mean's taking Doe's and Buck's right?So let's all do our part so that the anti's can't holler we are not doing our job's.

SAVE A HUNTER EATA PETA

DeerSniper

Finally someone has the mind to speak out. I have noticed this in just about every state that I have hunted in. I live in Arkansas now and this was my first season to hunt here, but right away I can say that like Hawgz said, the herds here are just WAY out of balance. I did see a few small bucks and such (even a couple of mid sized bucks), but by far saw more does than anything (large and small). I also agree that these antler restrictions (3 point rule) won't do any good if we dont begin to better manage the herds. And YES that means we HAVE to get away from this "B&C fever" way of thinking. The health of the overall herd is the most important thing. Thanx for the encouragement Fullback and others.

One Shot, One Kill
Hunting is the one sport where, if you are playing right, the other team doesn't even know you're in the game.

JimPic

You're right-the balance is way out of whack.That's why the PGC issued over 1 million doe tags this year.

kodiakhuntmaster

Georgia issues 10 doe tags and 2 buck tags with one being a 4pt. or better on one side. 6 counties including mine have a 4pt. or better on one side rule for both buck tags. I see better deer in the "kill anything" counties than I do in the trophy counties. Antlers are about the worst judge of age there is. I think we just need to have more does taken and more spikes shot. If you want alot of average deer, let spikes walk, if you want fewer bucks but with better antlers you should shoot the spikes. It seems all I see are spikes and fork horns.

"Hey ya'll, watch this"

Deer902

The PA Game Commision put out more than enough doe tags. We have to change the attitude of the hunters who are only out to harvest a buck. They think that if you let the does walk their will be more bucks for next year. "If you shoot a doe you just killed 3 deer for next year.", is the line I hear too often when trying to convince buck only hunters. The idea behind AR's is to force hunters to pass on these smaller bucks and take a doe. Alot of hunters only have a few days to hunt and chances are they are going to see alot more does than legal bucks.(atleast for the first couple of years) If they want their freezer filled, they often have to shoot the doe. The PGC's main objective here is to balance the herd. The changes are not ONLY about the hunter, but more importantly balancing the population and creating a healthier overall herd. They used AR as a means to get it done and bigger bucks as the main selling point. They have changed the minds of many hunters and hopefully in time alot more. I have changed the minds of all of my family and the majority of my friends already believe this will work. My father in-law still refuses to buy a doe tag. I haven't swung his vote yet. But he had to pass on a couple sub legal bucks this year and said he could of shot many does the one day he did hunt. Meanwhile the rest of the family has freezers filled with venison from multiple does. I keep telling him, "You can't eat the horns." Maybe next year I'll change his mind.

cardeer

The buck to doe ratio is out of control in some areas.The areas that are closed to hunting,owned by antis and the suburban areas.The public gamelands are over hunted here in the S.E. and deer are far and few between. My daughter lives next to gamelands 52 in Berks county.The biggest problem is parking and orange people running all over their back yard. I bet they didnt take more then 10 deer out of Gamelands 52 this year. I counted 123 vehicles in the parking lots and 2 deer taken the 1st saturday.But all around the private lands are out of control.What good does a million doe tags do if the majority of the does are locked up??? Smaller management units need to be put in place for starters.A better way to count deer pop.Not all areas are over populated.There is some of that private locked up area that could be opened If the State would butter the bread of the land owner .Not all locked up land is owned by antis.There just scared of having a bad experience with hunters.They pay farmers for not planting certain crops ,why not pay landowners to allow hunters to enjoy these areas? It would be worth the increase in License fees for me anyway

royak

<BLOCKQUOTE id=quote<font size=1 face='Verdana, Arial, Helvetica' id=quote>quote:<hr height=1 noshade id=quote> I keep telling him, &quot;You can't eat the horns.&quot; <hr height=1 noshade id=quote></BLOCKQUOTE id=quote></font id=quote><font face='Verdana, Arial, Helvetica' size=2 id=quote> If you really feel this way then why agree with the AR. Yes I think everyone would love to have a hugh antlered buck to hang on the wall but I have also seen many people who have spikes ar 3pt mounted and are just as proud of them as can be.

Personally I have only one deer that scored over 130 and yes I am very proud of it but I am just as proud of the 6pt I took this year with my bow and the 5pt from year before last. I do not shoot a deer that I am not proud of. I hunted too many years without a shot at any deer back in the mid 60's to mid 70's. Granted there are plenty of deer right now but with the spread of CWD and other illnesses and most states giving unlimited doe permits in just a couple of years we could see a drastic change.

It can go from too many deer to hardly any deer in just a short time. I have many friends that will not shoot a buck that doesnt make the book and I am glad they feel that way some of them go without a deer many years because that big boy just doesnt present a shot. They can so that as we have 4 bow only counties here in Southern WV but I will also say that those 4 counties are starting to produce a lot of substandard bucks as they call them as the deer pop is getting larger all the time and the hugh bucks are becoming more scarse all the time. I may be wrong (my wife says I am a lot) but I dont think AR is any key to reducing a deer heard I think it is about a state trying to grow bigger bucks and hoping for more hunters money to hunt them. As in come to PA land of the 6pt and above bucks all this is just one man's opinion.

Roy

338

It can't hurt. I think there on the right track ...Bill