Oh come on cameron, you can do better than that!

what ever happened to ppl tending to their side of the fence??? Tired of neighbors killing young deer...do something about it yourself, don't expect the gov't to fix your problem. Seems to be the most logical solution if you ask me.

I can't go too far, Curly, because despite the fact that I've announced about 5 times on this thread that I don't believe anything I'm writing, people are getting really mad.

But it's still entertaining, so I'll keep going.

Exactly. However the people with 50 acres are getting mad bc they can't manage the county.

Cameron, you just don't get it. Hunting for most people is not about antlers. Obviously that is what hunting is about for you. I really don't believe that you give a damn about the age structure or herd balance as long as it has big antlers. I don't think people had not been hunting because they felt they did not have a chance for a trophy deer. I do not hunt in an AR county and have not shot a buck in two years. I don't have to have someone tell me what buck to shoot. I don't whine if a neighbor shoots a deer that I let walk. It is about choices. When someone else makes the choice for you, it defeats the purpose of hunting. I understand what tpwd is trying to do and it is not easy. I just hate to see hunting suffer for it. Then you rub salt in the wound with your "winning" post. You may be a hunter but I would be hard pressed to consider you any kind of Sportsman.

all this frustration over deer... shot ducks :-)

If hunting is not about the antlers for you then you're telling me that you would not get excited if a 200" buck walked out while you were hunting??? That 200" buck would be just like shooting a 4 pnt scrub to you?

I'de be tickled to shoot a 200" deer, especially if he was a 4pt. A lot more goes into it to get those kind of deer consistantly than just waiting for one to break 13".

I am just curious why it's "wrong" to be an antler hunter. I personally would rather shoot a 200" than a 120". I still eat the meat but would rather have a wall hanger. Does that make me a bad person? Reason I ask is that I've been readig this thread for several days now and it seems that there is a general felling that if you hunt for antlers then you are bad.

Who cares why people hunt as long as they are in the outdoors and respect it so the future generation can have the same oppurtunities.

To some hunters, antlers could just be icing on the cake and not just what "it's about".

Please tell me if I'm right about the general consensus of most anti-AR hunters they don't agree with ARs because it allows spike harvest and allows extra doe harvest in areas that don't need it but they agree that the 13" rule can help improve age structure

Guardian, I don't feel there is anything wrong with hunting for antlers. Just like there is nothing wrong with hunting for meat. What I don't like are mandates that is pro one or the other. If you notice my post above stated that I had not shot a buck in two years. That did not mean I didn't shoot deer. I had the choice to let the deer walk. I would not get upset if the neighbor shot one that I let walk. A buddy of mine shot a nice 8 that I let walk. If he had of lived another year he would of been really nice. It was his nicest deer yet and was really happy and excited to shoot it. It would of passed any AR restrictions. Again I feel the ARs will cause us to lose more hunters than it will draw to hunting. I guess time will tell.

I think the excitment level would be the same for me. I have only shot two bucks in my life and both were spikes. Likewise I don't plan on ever hanging one on my wall.

Good post. I think there are just as many antler hunters who think it's "wrong" to be a meat hunter that shoots bucks that aren't "trophies" in their eyes and the meat hunters constantly being labeled as trigger happy brown it's down guys doesn't help matters either.

I wouldn't go so far as to say hunting for "most" people is not about antlers.

Just don't see many people talking about the awesome doe they saw the other day.

I don't like AR's either. Just more regulations and reasons to fine someone. We can beat this dead horse all day long and still will have the same results that we started wtih. A law that was well intended but not fair statewide.

Guardian its not wrong to be a trophy hunter! Whats wrong is trying to make us all trophy hunters! What makes us ar haters mad is we have to abide by someone elses standards on what makes a trophy. Icouldnt care less if i kill a 4pt or a 150 class deer. Dont get me wrong if they both walked out i would shoot the 150 for sure but thats not what makes a good hunt to me and killin 4 or 5 deer dont inflate my ego! Used to kill 1 buck every year at my place for 20+ yrs and if i was good enough with my bow i would get a doe. If for no other reason on hating AR my daughter wont hunt anymore because she doesnt see any deer and when she does they arent legal either by antlers or not doe season. Guardian, my future generation hunters are lost because of AR rules and bag limits. My dad even stoped hunting because of license costs and b.s. rules and regs. I never thought that would happen but he is getting old. Cant blame that on AR unfortunatly.

The tremendous irony in all of you calling me an "antler hunter" and whatnot, is that I'm almost exclusively a doe hunter. In the last 4 years, I've probably shot 12 deer, 11 of which were does and 1 of which was a garbage buck.

Still think having ARs is better than not having ARs though.

Couldn't agree more. Basically, everyone is crying that the extra deer tags have allowed their "neighbors" to shoot more deer. Each place has to managed for its size and the amount of deer it can handle. Sure I could complain that I'm not seeing the usual 10 deer on my 20 acres...but should there really be 10 deer on that 20 acres? or 20 deer on 50 acres? or 40 deer on 100 acres etc.???

No one has shown any statistics on the census on their individual properties prior to and after AR's. The only thing that people are saying is "we aren't seeing the deer we used to see". Does that mean you are only seeing 6 deer vs. 10? Or does that mean you are only seeing 1 deer vs. 20?

Sig has stated that the AR's are bad for NE Texas. How does he know what is happening 30 miles away let alone 100 miles away. Each place has to be looked at on an individual basis. Yes I know that the AR's were a blanket program. How do the people that aren't seeing deer know that they aren't the minority in the area they hunt? And when I say minority, I mean the types of property that usually wouldn't hold deer.I have seen posts on here from people in the NE that have seen an improvement.

There are places within 15 miles of me that don't see deer while another place 5 miles away is covered up.

Exactly! And that's why I think it's maybe not good for different counties in different parts of Texas to be under the same rule. Then again, maybe I don't know what I'm talking about......

Has ANYONE asked the "biologists" if the spraying of the brush reducing herbicides in East Texas MIGHT be contributing to the DECLINE in over all numbers? Less food = Fewer deer. No, the "biologist" CAN'T say that. He says,"FEED PROTIEN and DEER PELLETS." Then when you have shot all of the does he says "The hunters have killed TOO many deer." LOL!

WOW!! I guess to each his own.

On the flip side Curly, Texas is one State that gives the hunter,for the most part, the capability to manage his place with either available tags, or programs that you can get on to get the tags you need. Just think if we were in an area that wouldn't give you access to the tags you would need to properly manage your own property. I personally like having the choice to use/or not use my tags(before the HF). How would people feel if they couldn't get the tags they need?

Im sure AR works in alot of places with good deer populations, TPW just needs to take a second look at places that its not working and see if they can figure out why.

Wonder how ARs effect South Texas deer compaired to Texas Panhandle deer compaired to East Texas deer.