Well Ar's are making us question a "spike" That we have been seing for a while that honestly needs to go. The problem is he clearly has two antlers on one side. The other side is about an 8 inch spike but looks like it has a nice bump on it about midway up.

My question is what is the defintion of an branched antler? I have heard one inch and if so is that measured from the center of the antler to the tip of the bump?


Thanks in adance.

In addition to the end of the mainbeam or spike, anything that extends at least one-inch from the edge of the mainbeam is a point or "branch". And again, the distance is measured from the outside edge of the mainbeam, rather than the center.

Gotcha! well I beleive this guy gets the go ahead for a arrow this evening! Thanks Dan.

So a 4 pt. with unbranched main beams and that has 1/2 inch brow tines is actually a spike ?????

Not a point


This is a point


http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/regulations/fish_hunt/hunt/deer/#special

He can be a six point counting all the bumps less than 1", two main beams, and all the other points under 1"= spike!

What I find most difficult when trying to make sure the buck is a spike, is making sure there aren't any brow tines that would make it a branched antler. A one-inch brow tine can be easily hid behind the ears.

You will probably want to get a better look at it then instead of shootng it immediateley like some guys do.

I believe thee 13" antler restriction will result in some better bucks in the future but, on our place we have several older deer that need to be shot. For example we have an older deer that has 4 points on one side and a 12" dagger on the other side. Problem is he has a 1" browtine that makes him illegal. Very frustrating letting this deer walk. Several people that have seen pictures of this deer recommended shooting him and letting him lay. We aren't going to do this but on land managed for bigger and better bucks you can see where this type of thinking can enter in to ones decision.

I would love to see TPWD after say three years of antler restrictions come out and make it legal to take all inferior narrow bucks say every third year.

It would not surprise me though that most of the bucks taken would be 1 1/2 year olds, since most people can't judge the age of a deer to save their life.

Easy solution: MLD

If it were all that easy, everyone would be MLD.

Some things in life are worth working for.

If going through the process isn't worth your time, you're obviously not that upset about having to let a few bucks walk that you normally wouldn't.

Here you go, they can get right on it!

http://www.texaswildlifemanagement.com/MLD%20Permits.htm

My property is MLD btw.

Doesn't really seem that aggregiously difficult, does it?

If someone is going to argue that a management plan and 2-4 years of census data is too much to bother with, it's hard to take them at face value in their outrage over not being able to shoot mature freak bucks disqualified under ARs.

If they're not going to be on the lease long enough to make it worth their while, there's no way they're going to have any effect on the herd genetics anyway.

I agree 100% and I'm just giving an opinion about how TPWD could possibly take some of the heat off their AR restrictions by allowing some of those so called inferior bucks to be taken that are the reason for a lot of the discontent with the AR's.

It's not going to make much difference since like I stated most people can't age deer on the hoof anyway.

I hunt MLD property and that is the way to go, but I just get tired of hearing all the complaining about AR's and having hunted on places that were shot out and now are coming back in just a few years of AR's I believe in them.

But again I have an opinion just like other and you know what they say about opinions.