skeeter170

Do you impose stricter rules on you land for harvesting deer that goes beyond your state laws. I live here in Louisiana where the state doesn't impose any rules on antler size on Bucks taken. Up until this year we did not even have tags. It is now 3 buck and 3 does a year which I think is great. I just wish that we would have a antler restrictions as well. I would not like to havea "spread Rule" though. We started a 3 on one side about five years ago on our leasewhich has really helped our buck antler sizes. Our only problem now is that one of our neighbors has a no doe kill rule and shoots every buck that walks.

Just wanted to get your opinions and see what kind of rules you may have on your hunting lands.

timbercruiser

I've hunted with about every kind of rules you could imagine. One tract of land just above my house I'm going to join with has some kind of point allocation. Less than 6 points (1" or larger) is 80 points, 7 or 8 point is 60 points and anything 9 points or larger is 0 points. You have a total of 120 points you can shoot, unlimited does. Kids can shoot anything if they havn't hunted long, 2 bucks allowed, after that the points count against the member. Other clubs say "mature bucks", but you can have problems with what each hunter calls a mature buck. My favorite on my land is shoot it if you want to.

tycteach

On my land, if you're willing to pay the money to have a shoulder mount made, go for it. Otherwise, it had better be one that I have specifically decided that I want taken. I own the land, I feed all year long (right now, they are emptying 3 55 gallon demand feeders each week), I buy the feed and the seed for the plots, I do the work (along with my son), I build the stands or put up the factory made ones (son helps too), I supply the stands/blinds/houses with the necessities, I provide the food and the lodging and the utilities, I use my truck and equipment and fuel, sometimes I provide the guns, shells and possibly some of the clothing. I MAKE THE RULES. Sounds fair to me don't you think? I do cut the younghunters some slack, but not the grown ones.

skeeter170

I am all for implementing any rules you want especially if it is your land. We have all decided to put these rules on our lease. Has anyone else seen a big difference after implementing rules? We sure have but it took a couple of years. The greatest part was my sons first deer was the largest that has ever come off our lease and a great friend of mine killed a 10 pt after two years of us not harvesting any bucks and letting them walk.

130woodman

At least I'm not the only 1 that does that.

npaden

I try to use an age based guideline personally. I've set a personal limit at 3.5 or older for now although I'm pretty sure the 2 on my hit list from trail camera photos are 4.5 and older.

Right now I'm not allowing anyone else to harvest anything unless I am sitting in the blind next to them and give them the okay.

gregrn43

in the part of arkansas where i live the state has a 3 point on one side rule, i try to shoot mature deer be it a 6 point or what ever, last year on my property i passed up many young 6 and 8 points and ended up taking a mature 7 point.

Pro-Line

I own 400 acres in central WV. We started antler restrictions before they were so "popular". We used to shoot only 3 per side or better. You must realize that this is central WV...there aren't 130" deer behind every tree.

Before the restrictions...we killed one over 140", and3 over 120", and a neighboring landowner killed a 167" buck. (It's really high on the WV list of B&C bucks)

We did this for nearly 8 years...and noticed ZERO improvement in deer herd quality. Now I am stumped........................................

It seems that our adult deer are growing 110" racks, and that's it. I'm not complaining, but antler restrictions aren't all they are cracked up to be if you have "mountain deer" that don't have acres of protein to munch on.

All that said...a 110" buck in WV is 5X harder to kill with a bow than a 130" deer in Ohio.

rodclop

on my lease we have if u want it shoot it on bucks only. My great uncle want let us shoot does which is stupid but he says theres not enough but when when i see 15 at my stand and my dad sees 20 at his and my great uncle sees another 15 all on the open morning. YEAH WE HAVE NO DOES. every year i've tried to explain thebuck to doeratio to him but hes old and thinks he knows everything.

Lanse couche couche

My ground is hunting land, not a deer farm. No restrictions apart from what the state imposes. However, the neighboring landowners are very good to me, so i would be inclined to pass on big bucks because they like to shoot the big boys.