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Un-branched antler?
#4747581
11/14/13 12:22 PM
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Joined: Oct 2013
Posts: 116
Texan 65
OP
Woodsman
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OP
Woodsman
Joined: Oct 2013
Posts: 116 |
Can someone tell me if a buck that has a tine broke off at the main beam is considered un-branched? We have a 4 1/2 year old fork horn that is about 15 " wide and has a tine that is broke off. I wanna get rid of this deer but we are in an AR county and I don't wanna waste my "good" buck tag.
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Re: Un-branched antler?
[Re: Texan 65]
#4747641
11/14/13 01:08 PM
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Joined: Nov 2011
Posts: 10,008
unclebubba
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I would think so, however, I'm not a Game Warden, so I would not be the one making the final decision. Have you called your local GM? That may be the only way to get a definitive answer.
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Re: Un-branched antler?
[Re: unclebubba]
#4747667
11/14/13 01:20 PM
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Joined: Jul 2008
Posts: 22,283
Texas Dan
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Just following common sense, if what is left of the tine is less than an inch, he should be legal. To say that it would have been longer would be like getting a ticket for speeding not because you were speeding at the time, but because the officer thought you would be. Given the spirit of the rule and all things considered with the buck being older, I suspect you would get a pass.
But of course, this is just my opinion.
"Some people will never like you because your spirit irritates their demons."
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Re: Un-branched antler?
[Re: Texas Dan]
#4747750
11/14/13 01:50 PM
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Joined: Oct 2012
Posts: 29,717
Sneaky
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It is legal as far as I understand it, but keep in mind that some game wardens may assume that you broke it off yourself just to use the cull tag. If you have live pictures of the deer with him busted off, I would keep them handy.
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Re: Un-branched antler?
[Re: Texas Dan]
#4747753
11/14/13 01:51 PM
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Joined: Feb 2012
Posts: 10,574
DQ Kid
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Broken antlers do not constitute unbranched. The early descriptions of A/R restrictions used to have this wording in it, not sure if they still do but I've heard that from a GW myself before as well.
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Re: Un-branched antler?
[Re: DQ Kid]
#4747814
11/14/13 02:14 PM
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Joined: Jul 2013
Posts: 33
msryrs
Light Foot
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Light Foot
Joined: Jul 2013
Posts: 33 |
Wrong, I faced this same problem a few years back. The buck kept coming to my stand, and I wanted to take it, but was unsure of the legality. I called the GW and described the buck and was told it was not a legal spike because the broken antler could not be verified as to what it had been. DQ Kid is right.
Last edited by msryrs; 11/14/13 02:16 PM.
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Re: Un-branched antler?
[Re: Texan 65]
#4748099
11/14/13 03:37 PM
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Joined: Mar 2007
Posts: 5,226
Rustler
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An unbranched antler has only one point. A point is anything that extends at least 1" from a main beam or another tine.
I know how the GW's handle broken antlers in the area we hunt, like others have already said it would be best to call and ask your GW.
To me it wouldn't be a "waste" of good buck tag, if I thought the buck needed to go I'd consider it good management practice as long as the GW agreed.
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Re: Un-branched antler?
[Re: Rustler]
#4748119
11/14/13 03:43 PM
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Joined: Jul 2006
Posts: 110,808
dogcatcher
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An unbranched antler has only one point. A point is anything that extends at least 1" from a main beam or another tine.
I know how the GW's handle broken antlers in the area we hunt, like others have already said it would be best to call and ask your GW.
To me it wouldn't be a "waste" of good buck tag, if I thought the buck needed to go I'd consider it good management practice as long as the GW agreed.
Combat Infantryman, the ultimate hunter where the prey shoots back. _____________"Illegitimus non carborundum est"_______________
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Re: Un-branched antler?
[Re: Rustler]
#4748120
11/14/13 03:43 PM
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Joined: Nov 2012
Posts: 15,705
QuitShootinYoungBucks
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You need to whack him as soon as possible before he breeds this year. Got any kin/kids that would be willing to take him for you?
https://web.archive.org/web/20170223065011/http:/www.rrdvegas.com/silencer-cleaning.html
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Re: Un-branched antler?
[Re: Texan 65]
#4748125
11/14/13 03:45 PM
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Joined: Aug 2008
Posts: 20,366
Curly
Overrated
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Overrated
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Re: Un-branched antler?
[Re: Curly]
#4748383
11/14/13 04:42 PM
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Joined: Aug 2010
Posts: 60,296
stxranchman
Obie Juan Kenobi
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Obie Juan Kenobi
Joined: Aug 2010
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Question. if the tine was broken off flush from the mainbeam, then how is the GW going to know if that tine was even an inch long or how much longer to begin with? GW will never have seen the buck before till he is dead.
Are idiots multiplying faster than normal people?
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Re: Un-branched antler?
[Re: stxranchman]
#4748396
11/14/13 04:45 PM
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Joined: Apr 2007
Posts: 60,657
BOBO the Clown
kind of a big deal
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kind of a big deal
Joined: Apr 2007
Posts: 60,657 |
Question, if the tine was broken off flush from the mainbeam. Then how is the GW going to know if that tine was even an inch long or how much longer to begin with? GW will never have seen the buck before till he is dead. How many tall tines have narrow bases at the main beam
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Re: Un-branched antler?
[Re: BOBO the Clown]
#4748969
11/14/13 07:40 PM
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Joined: Jul 2008
Posts: 22,283
Texas Dan
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Question, if the tine was broken off flush from the mainbeam. Then how is the GW going to know if that tine was even an inch long or how much longer to begin with? GW will never have seen the buck before till he is dead. How many tall tines have narrow bases at the main beam This might be one worthy of taking to the judge to decide after pleading that seeing a single broken tine was too difficult. I suspect there are quite a few errors made by hunters who did not see small brow tines behind the ears. No offense to TPWD officers, but just because someone hands you a ticket, it doesn't mean you're guilty.
"Some people will never like you because your spirit irritates their demons."
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Re: Un-branched antler?
[Re: Texan 65]
#4749653
11/14/13 11:19 PM
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Joined: Apr 2009
Posts: 5,564
Slow Drifter
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This might be your chance to throw a little chlorine in the gene pool. I'd take him and tag him a spike. If you do get ticketed, it would go before the warden's Captain before a judge. Just say all you saw was the un-branched antler. It's pretty easy to tell a freshly broken off tine from one broken off naturally long before. If it really is broken off flush or nearly so that it's hard to see I wouldn't have a problem with it. If broken tines are that big a deal they should put it in the Outdoor Annual. Nothing there, I think you're good to go, especially if you have a kid to do the taking. That'd just be icing on the cake.
"I have no idea what WW-III will be fought with, but WW-IV will be fought with sticks and stones." A. Einstein
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Re: Un-branched antler?
[Re: Texan 65]
#4750371
11/15/13 03:28 AM
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Joined: Sep 2004
Posts: 274
sasquatch
Bird Dog
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Bird Dog
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We have a 4 1/2 year old fork horn that is about 15 " wide and has a tine that is broke off. Doesn't 15" make it a legal buck anyways? If you want it culled, burn the tag or find a family member who will take it.
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Re: Un-branched antler?
[Re: sasquatch]
#4750808
11/15/13 01:04 PM
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Joined: Oct 2013
Posts: 116
Texan 65
OP
Woodsman
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OP
Woodsman
Joined: Oct 2013
Posts: 116 |
Called the GW yesterday. He told me too take the buck because the broke tine made it a three point. He also said if I had it on camera that would be good too but he could tell if I had broke the antler or if it occurred in the wild.
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Re: Un-branched antler?
[Re: Texan 65]
#4750830
11/15/13 01:11 PM
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Joined: Jul 2008
Posts: 22,283
Texas Dan
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Called the GW yesterday. He told me too take the buck because the broke tine made it a three point. He also said if I had it on camera that would be good too but he could tell if I had broke the antler or if it occurred in the wild. Glad to hear that. Common sense usually wins out.
"Some people will never like you because your spirit irritates their demons."
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Re: Un-branched antler?
[Re: Texas Dan]
#4751082
11/15/13 02:48 PM
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Joined: Jul 2009
Posts: 2,326
sqiggy
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I have a fork horn deer on camera. He has broken his right side off already. Has about a inch or so sticking up, making it now a un-branched antler. Under TPWD rules, he is now a legal deer. Would I shoot him?? Probably not. Just from the pics alone, he looks like a 1 1/2 yr old deer. If he looked much older, I wouldn't hesitate to take a shot.
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Re: Un-branched antler?
[Re: sasquatch]
#4752575
11/16/13 12:49 AM
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Joined: Apr 2009
Posts: 5,564
Slow Drifter
THF Trophy Hunter
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We have a 4 1/2 year old fork horn that is about 15 " wide and has a tine that is broke off. Doesn't 15" make it a legal buck anyways? If you want it culled, burn the tag or find a family member who will take it. He'd rather burn his spike tag than his "buck" tag to get this thing out of the gene pool, but yes, if he's 15" he could be tagged a legal buck. He now has options, and options are always good.
"I have no idea what WW-III will be fought with, but WW-IV will be fought with sticks and stones." A. Einstein
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Re: Un-branched antler?
[Re: Slow Drifter]
#4768180
11/21/13 05:28 PM
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Joined: Aug 2013
Posts: 3
nobius
Green Horn
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Green Horn
Joined: Aug 2013
Posts: 3 |
We have a 4 1/2 year old fork horn that is about 15 " wide and has a tine that is broke off. Doesn't 15" make it a legal buck anyways? If you want it culled, burn the tag or find a family member who will take it. He'd rather burn his spike tag than his "buck" tag to get this thing out of the gene pool, but yes, if he's 15" he could be tagged a legal buck. He now has options, and options are always good. "Spike tag"? All the tags on my license say either buck or antlerless. Do spikes use the antlerless tag?
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Re: Un-branched antler?
[Re: nobius]
#4768258
11/21/13 05:45 PM
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Joined: Nov 2012
Posts: 15,705
QuitShootinYoungBucks
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We have a 4 1/2 year old fork horn that is about 15 " wide and has a tine that is broke off. Doesn't 15" make it a legal buck anyways? If you want it culled, burn the tag or find a family member who will take it. He'd rather burn his spike tag than his "buck" tag to get this thing out of the gene pool, but yes, if he's 15" he could be tagged a legal buck. He now has options, and options are always good. "Spike tag"? All the tags on my license say either buck or antlerless. Do spikes use the antlerless tag? While all three of the tags will say buck or antlerless, I believe he's referring to the notion that in an Antler Rest county, you get two bucks, only 1 of which can be 13"+, and the other must be a spike. Hence you sort of have only two antlered tags, one for your 'buck' (13"+) and one for your 'spike'. So some of us refer to them as 'buck' and 'spike' tags. In any event, any deer with a hardened antler requires use of a buck tag.
https://web.archive.org/web/20170223065011/http:/www.rrdvegas.com/silencer-cleaning.html
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Re: Un-branched antler?
[Re: QuitShootinYoungBucks]
#4768546
11/21/13 07:10 PM
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Joined: Oct 2013
Posts: 351
ImBillT
Bird Dog
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Bird Dog
Joined: Oct 2013
Posts: 351 |
I just keep hearing about all these deer that suck in AR counties. Lol. Glad you can take him as a spike. If the GW hadn't gone your way surely some buddy would have been happy to shoot him. All I've ever shot is spikes and does. As a meat hunter on a low budget I usually only get to shoot deer that people want gone and don't wanna tag or clean.
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Re: Un-branched antler?
[Re: ImBillT]
#4768559
11/21/13 07:17 PM
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Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 2,061
ChrisB
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If the deer is over 13 inches wide like he said, you only get 1 deer over 13 per year in that county regardless of how many points it has.
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Re: Un-branched antler?
[Re: QuitShootinYoungBucks]
#4768919
11/21/13 09:31 PM
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Joined: Aug 2013
Posts: 3
nobius
Green Horn
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Green Horn
Joined: Aug 2013
Posts: 3 |
While all three of the tags will say buck or antlerless, I believe he's referring to the notion that in an Antler Rest county, you get two bucks, only 1 of which can be 13"+, and the other must be a spike. Hence you sort of have only two antlered tags, one for your 'buck' (13"+) and one for your 'spike'. So some of us refer to them as 'buck' and 'spike' tags.
In any event, any deer with a hardened antler requires use of a buck tag. Ohhh ok gotcha. Just wanted to make sure, as last weekend we saw a spike that we might take this weekend if we see him again. Just wanted to make sure I'm using the right tag, as we haven't had a spike on our property in a while so I wasn't sure.
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