antler restrictions in texas...
 

In my county Leon County Centerville Tx, They have had antler restrictions for the last two years...Has anyone seen any improvements

We have seen more mature deer around our place this year...was wondering if anybody else has noticed the same

RE: antler restrictions in texas...
 

some improvements in jackson co. but some of our older bucks will never be legal

RE: antler restrictions in texas...
 

We have seen some pretty good improvements in Hopkins County. It is going to take more than two years. Give it three two five more and I think you will see a decent change. Your not going to see a bunch of 200" walking around, but I think your 3 1/2 year olds that were 100" are hopefulyy going to be 120"ish

RE: antler restrictions in texas...
 

How do you figure this will happen? Have you also improved their nutrition?

In my simple mind, a 100" 3.5 year old buck will still be a 100" 3.5 year old buck even with the antler restrictions, but if you pass him as a 100" 3.5 year old, he very easily could be a 120-130" 4.5 year old next year. Other than that, I don't see where you are coming from.

RE: antler restrictions in texas...
 

You get an increase in the 3.5 score because the better 2.5 make it 3.5.

Instead of only the 2.5 four points making it to 3.5 and scoring 100; the eight point 2.5 makes it 3.5 and scores 120.

RE: antler restrictions in texas...
 

The antler restrictions are a 2-edged sword.
I've seen 2 1/2 yr old bucks that would be legal, because of theirspreadbut they in no way needed to be shot.
On the other hand I've seen mature bucks with a lot of mass and tine length but without the 13" spread that would make them legal. I don't think that the restrictions alone are enough to make a difference. There needs to be some serious education on age judgement, improvement on nutrition and habitat, and more does allowed to be shot.

RE: antler restrictions in texas...
 

OK, but with the antler restrictions, the better 8 point 2.5 YO would more than likely be "legal" to shoot. The lesser quality 4 point 2.5 YO will have a much better chance of making it to be 3.5.

Antler restrictions alone will not necessarily make for better 3.5 YO deer.

RE: antler restrictions in texas...
 

The best 2.5's may be wide enough to be legal butthe majoritywon't. In most of the TX counties with the restriction, there is little liklihood that any 8 point walks so I believe this will allow better 2.5's to make it to 3.5. But I agree that harvesting by age is the best practice - it is just that you can't really have a legal standard based on age because the criteria is too subjective for enforcement.

RE: antler restrictions in texas...
 

In my view, legislating QDM is like legislating morality, and it is nearly impossible.

The problem with antler restrictions is that in the heat of the moment when you have to make a split second decision that it can be hard to judge a spread (especially if the deer is 200 yards away).

I had an aquaintance get caught this year with a buck with an eleven inch spread, and the game warden threw the book at him to the tune of several thousand dollars. He went to court and told the judge the truth and got off VERY light.
The truth was the deer was 250 yards in some brush, and he had to make a decision and shot. He got to the deer, realized his mistake, and could have easily just walked away, but he chose to still clean the deer. According to the judge, the right thing to do would have been to call the game warden and let him know what he had done, and SUPPOSEDLY, he wouldn't have gotten fined.

RE: antler restrictions in texas...
 

If you listen to the folks in Austin County, near Columbus, TX where the restrictions have been in effect for like 5 years.............I'm hearing good things.
Hey Sonny, what kinda deer yall killin over in Centerville ? I hunt up the road in Buffalo. PM me with your email and we can trade some pic's.