Feel bad that after 5yrs in ar rules and regs i had to shoot a doe to get a little venison. You would think after 5yrs i would be able to see and take a legal buck in my county! Took the deer in to the meat locker in sulphur springs and the biologist was weighting the deer that came in and i asked him if any good bucks had come in during the 4 day doe season and he laughed and told me the only bucks he had seen come thru were spikes, no deer with 13in or greater had come in. Antler restrictions aint helping in our county i wish tpw. would figure this out. Im hoping the biologist will do some new suggestions for TPW.

Not sure I understand how yall say antler restrictions aint working. They will produce better bucks in the long haul. If you are just shooting for meat then take does or spikes.

I guess i didnt spell it out! if you dont see any legal bucks after 5yrs of AR then it aint working. In our county its the bag limit that needs to change and the spike tag needs to go. Keep 13in rule and 1 doe.

Sounds like a number problem to me! I hunt a little in Hopkins County too. I don't go over there expecting to see a trophy deer every trip or even every year. There is just not good enough numbers to produce quality bucks year after year. Let those little guys walk and they will grow up some time.

I have to agree with jskin on this one. The spike tag is needed to take out the genetically inferior adult bucks - not the young ones. I saw the best buck ever on our place this weekend and saw more bucks than ever. AR is working on our place in Fannin County.

JR

I use to be pro ar for the 1st 2 yrs, then i sat on the febce for a while. Its now clear to me that the hunting was better off before ar's. Its clearly Not working at either of my leases in Cass Co. Both my leases have see an increase in spikes, 3pointers and funny fork horns. We've done a good job of killing mature spikes and letting the 1even 2yr old spikes walk. So how is it that we are seeing more small racks and almost no 13" or greater. We are seeing fewer deer every year. And we aren't killing any. I don't get it.

The leases are in seperate parts of the county and some what different terrian. Both place are around 1000ac and have 8 hunters.

wgonfan thats our problem exactly. Our numbers go down every year and no big bucks at all and does are getting shot out wich means no deer to replace em, buck or does. 5yrs is plenty of time to get a older age group of deer and it aint happening.

I'm in Hopkins county and I'm still on the fence. Seen more nicer bucks this year than the last 7 years, not many (or legal) but more. Used to see little bity spikes and four points only, now seeing a few 6 and 8s. I've got plenty of does though and did manage a small legal buck last year.

Not sure I would let a 2 yr old spike walk. He's probably not ever gonna do anything.

I'm sure the big bucks are there..... just lots smarter than the 1 1/2 spikes now. I'm in Comanche Co and while we have few spikes/4 pts, the horns are bigger on younger- 2 1/2- 3 1/2yo.
I do think there needs to be some consideration for "cull" bucks that will never make 13" though

What do the Game cameras say especially at night...the "old timers" in my neighborhood(East Williamson County) say there aren't any 4-5 year old bucks left...I'm not showing my pics, I'm just waiting for one of them to "stay out late with a cute girl" and catch him coming home a little late!

My cameras show a few does and i 6pt maybe 10in wide and thats about it.

Not trying to sound like a smart alleck but if the hunting is that bad why do you stay on? Is this a family place or do you have some other ties to it?

Personally if my lease sucked that bad I'd be looking for a new place to hunt.

PERFECT !!!

I just wish that the Original Pro-AR whiners would have done that, instead of lobbying TPWD to do their bidding. Asking for "Obama deer" and having the gov't restrict their neighbor for their own
inadequacies.

Its my property and have owned for 23yrs and the hunting has been good till the put ar rules and regs in effect. It all boils down to a way to liberal bag limit. 2 bucks and 2 does is way to many to be taken in hopkins co. In the last 5 yrs i have taken 1 spike and now one doe because i was for the antler restrictions untill i saw the results and as far as im concerned they need to go back to the old regs, 1 buck and does in bow season only. Have always seen plenty of deer under old regs. Few big bucks but plenty of young bucks and lots of does, now lucky to see a deer.

Hoytman, I feel your pain brother.

Curly i guess we need to go fishing instead!

So your problem isnt as much with the antler restictions(buck harvest) as it is whith the higher number of does you are allowed to take now right.

AR's isnt a new debate on here, but what I dont understand is how people blame AR's for seeing fewer bucks. All AR's do is take many bucks and make them illegal to harvest, so many more should make it to next year. I do agree there has to be a better way to regulate the deer herd in these counties. I thought in AR counties that you were still only alowed to shoot does during bow season, is it different in hopkins co.

matt

Well, when you've got years invested in a place you kinda just assume (convince yourself) its a bad year and will be better next year. Haven't you ever had a bad year or two? Its easier to stay put with the friends, family, land and gear you have in place than to lease jump every year. Plus sometimes its more than just shooting deer that makes a place desireable. But that's just me, not much of a trophy hunter, but I do like to see deer and do let the little guys walk in hopes of a chance to shoot a nice 'un.

Ive blamed the warm temps, the moon, the rain, the food sources, the neighboors etc... after 3 or 4 seasons I've run out of things to blame, so now its the AR's and all that come along with them that's getting the blame.

Redchevy its the 4 deer bag limit. 1 doe 1 buck or 1 of either sex is plenty for the population we have in hopkins co.

If you go to the texas big game awards site this buck is shown to be taken in hopkins county. I don't know if the new regs are really affecting your deer population, something else is to blame, or you just hunt a crappy area but there are some bigger bucks coming out of hopkins now.

I would poo in my pants if that walked out on my place. Granted my place is not in the right place. The deer on my place are Jack Russel and Irish Setter sized.

nice buck.. she looks very excited!

no wound??? did she hit it with the tractor!?

Probably shot it with a 243.