deerhuntnow what txfour is saying is that you trophy hunters are being fooled. You think that the AR's in place allow bigger racks when this is not the case. For every trophy buck that is shot there are 10 basket rack bucks left to walk and spread their love under the protection of the AR. Any buck with a greater than 13" spread will be shot no matterhow old he is. How does that make bigger racks? Yes you will have older deer but you will have quality that gets worse and worse every year. I am now done with this thread because it cant be explained any simpler than that. good night.

Txfour
We have common ground here and you have hit upon a very good point. Genetic diversity (and/or better genetics).
If TPWD would release deer with higher quality (and different) genetics around the state I have no doubt that it would greatly improve the quality of our deer. But we would still have to have a plan in place so that the KillitifitwalksbecauseIwanttoeatit.com guys dont mow them down. We still need to do something about the hunting pressure to give the new blood a chance.

I am glad that you have 130 class deer on your place. It is now up to you as a hunter to be able to harvest these deer. It is all about the hunt.

deerhuntnow my point is the bucks turned nocturnal, and there were more inferior illegal bucks running around than the 130's. Eastland Co. has been an AR county for years now. Im just saying from what I've seen I'm not impressed, and I think you agree about the inferior genetics that are spared under these rules. Thats my only gripe. I love the challenge of the hunt.

Acorns are dropping and I think it will be an early rut. Good luck.

Seeing how we all gotta live with ARs (#@$!@&*%), I just hope everyone gets what they want this season, whether it's venison, bragging rights, just seeing deer........whatever peels your banana!

AR's SUCK I might get a bumper sticker that says that

Becareful... Might want to make sure it says Antler Restrictions not AR's

IF there were proper genetics, but its 300 miles to Red River County, and it's just not the same deer. LIke someone said above, we could stop hunting all deer for several years, and the woods would be filled with bucks we can't shoot. 90percent of the ones getting shot are only legal as spikes, very few 13inch deer... and fewer deer of everytype each year

Well look here Vern, I told ya there would be another AR thread. I'm for AR's Vern, how about you?

I am reserving opinion until my new website is up....

Hagermann Deer were imported, not native.

There were no check stations in NE Texas since 1980.

If their data is so great and proves their point, why won't they release it?

I have asked personally. It's not available unless you formally file a Freedom of Information Act Request and pay for the time and expenses of LOCATING IT, copying it, and mailing it. They said it was volumnus, and said it would be very expensive.

Most of the tracts here are too small for MLD. And most landowners want no part of state government accessing their land.

Sure if all you are doing is hunting property, that all seems fine.

The vast majority of the deer we have seen, killed, or saw that someone else killed over the last 30years have been 11inch 8 points at 5-7 years old. So IF it had the genetics it would have been better by then. But what happens, is that it gets to keep breeding, while the one that might have decent genetics and be over 13, gets shot.

I am all for having a trophy deer.

I am a realist, and I know that a trophy is in the eyes of a beholder. In deep NE Texas, a 12.75 inch old 8 or 10 point is a trophy. Only an idiot would expect the deer in Red River County to have the same antlers as Archer County or Real County.

Do fisherman expect all bass to be trophy bass? Are Lake Meredith Big Bass ever going to be bigger than Lake Fork's Big Bass?

Maybe we need to stop fishing, or wait, we can keep the ones under 2 pounds or over 8 pounds, hey slot deer hunting!

Maybe they could have gotten more support if they called it a slot instead of Antler Restrictions.

Note: Many don't know me, but in a short verse I don't like AR's, or much other government involvement in my life. Seems that some people read a few post and become experts. Or preach that we should complain other places or "get involved", believe me I am involved directly. I actively hunt deer 40 days a year, and manage and see deer more than that year around in 7 different counties in three distinct regions of our great State. I am very very lucky in that regard, blessed actually. I know what trophy deer are, and where they come from, and what to expect from each region. I don't claim to be a biologist or an expert when it comes to deer. But I am not a newby, search-engine PhD, or a general idiot. I encourage you all to make informed decisions yourselves, not repeat mantra that a government agency has instilled in you.

I am hereby resigning from the Anti Antler Restriction Threads.

From now on, I am all for antler restrictions........ Now I am going to have a glass of wine, listen to KennyG and check my stock portfolio...then buff my Texas Trophy Hunter Window Decal so it shines bright on 635 Tuesday.

You cant resighn! Meat hunters like me need ya! Peel that sticker off and get ya one that says VENISON ITS WHAT FOR DINNER!

I'll still be around fighting the good fight! Venison, the other white meat!

TP&W makes me the maddest.

Gonna be vacating in New Braufels tomorrow thru Friday....won't be near a computer but I'll be around on the forum off and on till we leave but in my absence, all you fellow AR opposers, keep on keeping on till I return!

Don't matter, don't like 'em....gotta live with 'em if I'm gonna keep deer huntin' but don't gotta like 'em.

Really?????? Deer taste better today than they did in the 70's or 80's????? That's weird. My taste buds must be week because I haven't noticed any difference.

I did it!!!!!!!!!!!!

AR's

I hunt in East Texas - Deer are always really tall but not so wide, however you will see a 16"-18" deer once in a while. It's hard for the kids..no, no son thats a mature 4-5 year old 8 point with a 10" spread. He will never be any more than what he is today but you cant shoot him, we will just keep pumping the feed to him so he can keep producing cull deer that you cant take.

This rule may be great in South Texas, I've hunted there also, but I've always have practiced 8 point or better and mature deer.

Comments - anyone else having the same issue?

Yessir, in the part of Wood County where I hunt, it's a big issue.

I hunt in Tyler County which is a 2 buck, 2 doe county. It went AR this year and I'm not sure that if they just change it to a 1 buck, 2 doe county if they wouldn't have accomplished the idea of letting more of the younger bucks survive!!! Either way, I've passed on the younger bucks anyway!!!

Yep TPWD makes recommendation to them and some of them were happy with it. Good for them.

I can't figure out why TPWD thinks they needed to make it a regulation. Heck they could put it out there as a RECOMMENDATION for anyone that wants to follow it. That was no need for this to be a regulation (based on a complaints by a Co-op). TPWD made up data, and extrapolated it to be a statewide problem al because:

"...the original 7 counties was going to tpwd and austin wanting them to improve the deer herd b/c the hunting pressure was high and many young deer were killed."

Oh TXfour,
Look under TPWD site's Deer Management section. There is a publication called "Rut in the Whitetailed deer" or something like that. I've referenced it in some of my previous posts.