Just giving a heads up for those hunting in counties with the new 20" minimum requirement on mule deer antlers. I was contacted yesterday by a Game Warden who had seen my deer online. He advised me that my deer was possibly illegal due to the new size limitation. My deer measured 26" overall but that is not how they are measuring. He sent me my picture and had marked in red where the deer should be measured. He thought the measurement would be closer to 18". I put a yard stick on his marking locations, taped the yard stick to the antlers and sent him pics,,,,,,, 22" and some change. Pics can be deceiving especially how I'm holding the deer and angle my wife took the pic. I've spoken to some other hunters and there seems to be confusion not only with hunters but also GW's.

Good info. Yes, the measurement is inside main beam spread. Great buck for sure.

You better read the proclamation again, clearly states outside the main beam. Another GW tried to say inside.

Revo just looked at TPWD regs and you are 100% correct sir, outside main beam spread must be 20" or greater. Measuring from inside could reduce that 3-4" depending on mass of main beams. What a crock.

I can see where they are going with this and it’s going to help the overall herds. Way too many young deer have been getting shot . However,,,, and I brought this up to the GW, I have two genetic variations with antlers. One is wide with good back beams. The other is narrow and heavy, usually 3 points. Seen some very mature bucks with the latter that may only be 18-19 inches overall. These in my opinion need to be shot but are now illegal to do so. Helping the herds one way and promoting bad genetics another. I would be happier if they would do away with MLD permits. Most that use them are abusing the system by getting to hunt longer during the rut for the big boys. I know I’ll ruffle some feathers on that one. It is what it is

I agree, what a crock on how to measure Mule Deer when even the GW's get confused.
I wish the Whitetail AR was 13" outside, or even 14".
The 13" inside is punishing for a heavy beamed buck.

Thanks for the clarification. That's sort of a big deal. Much appreciated.

13 inside for WT and 20 outside for mule. I don't manage a herd so I legitimately don't know but this seems kinda dumb to me. How does TPWD come up with this?

Did the game warden apologize for accusing you of being a poacher?

Now I know why people blur their faces in some pics.

Dumb rule and the Biologist really screwed the GW’s. Ears vary alot

Both these deer are dead pre-2022 both deer where toothed and also annuli’s at 6.5

19.75 Outside


20.5 outside

GW is only doing their job per what the State Biologists gathered and submitted. Biologists didn’t do a good job with reference material.

I’ve taken a lot of pictures over the past few years both transpecos and panhandle of mine and friends deer that we ended up killing and measuring. Their 20” reference material leaves alot to be desired

No joke. OP was nice to measure and send pics. He could have told him to drive over and measure it yourself.

Agreed, ARs are helping the overall herd health. Sure, there are places where a lot of folks on here hunt where they routinely see trophy mule deer. But not everyone can be on a 4,000 acre ranch where the lease members are locked in to only shooting 7+ year-old deer.

While I'm not sure whether 20" is the correct/best measurement, inside or outside, I am absolutely a fan of mule deer antler restrictions here in the panhandle. I'm also not sure it's the correct tool for every situation or location, but in my area of the panhandle, it has absolutely made an impact for the better.

In the eight years I've owned this place before the experimental ARs, I NEVER saw a "big gnarly buck." I never saw a buck outside his ears or with more than a single fork on each side. And I'm talking about years where I would see mule deer every hunt. Since the the experimental ARs went into effect (five years ago, IIRC), I have seen 170" bucks on my place and found a dead 165" two years ago. I have yet to pull the trigger on a muley buck.

Of course, there will always be mature bucks who never meet ARs, just like whitetails, but what else can you do to improve the age structure? Hunters obviously cannot do it on their own volition, so here we are.

And we're only here because most hunters have historically shot any muley with visible bone. It seems everyone wants to claim the novelty of killing a mule deer buck. "I'm not driving all they way back to DFW without a buck in the truck." US-287 gas stations used to be littered with truck beds hauling dink muleys. If it weren't true, the experimental ARs would have been transparent to everyone. No one would have noticed.

But we did notice, and they have worked as advertised. Everyone I've talked to here echo the same: the ARs are absolutely working.

I never was accused of being a poacher. I think he was shocked that my deer was as wide as it is from the pic. But,,, he was 4" off from what he thought. They need to redo this to 20" overall. There are a bunch of deer out there that are wider on the backs than on fronts,,,, like mine. His left beam curled inwards around 2" for some reason. Drought may have played a big role in his short inward main beams. But he's legal, he's mine and he's making a beautiful euro. Already ate his heart and can hardly wait to get some fresh backstraps.

IMO an age restriction would be better, but most people I've hunted with can't age a deer on the hoof worth beans.

20” out side and clearly inside ears