I don't know about all the other counties but here in wise county were not allowed to shoot a buck with less than a 13" spread I would think it should be the other way around so we can cull out the basket case six points n all the other small bucks like that to make room for the big bucks to grow n breed but that's just my opinion. if you have any opinions please post them I'd like to hear all of yours thoughts on this rule

Good and bad. It allows a lot of bucks to mature more than they probably would without the rule. The problem with it is that there are mature deer that may never get to that 13" width. We've all seen pictures of monster bucks...tons of mass...long tines...12" wide. The rule has it's flaws, but any rule probably would. If you are a hunter that is looking for bigger and more mature bucks, then the rule is a pretty good one. If you are a meat hunter and don't see a lot of deer where you hunt, you won't like it.

you can't effectively cull on LF places... proven fact.

Think the 13 inch rule is good but I think the spike tag is BS and underminds everything the AR's are said to do. TPWD flip flops everything they state they are wanting to improve by pressing the spike issue and using it as the base line of thier blanket managment program... They push taking out an entire age class, when stating they want to up the herd age.

Again you can't control genetics on a LF properties and even most HF place effectively unless you kill everything and restock with a documented herd. So the only thing you can do is control the age and numberas of deer you shoot.... so why add the spike tag...it doesn't make sense

That's the smartest post I ever saw a clown make on the THF.

Thanks Sig..Haven't forgot about your prime ribs yet... didn't have a chance to stop during corn harvest... But will in Dec.

That about sums it up. The benefits seem to outweigh the negatives. You will end up seeing more deer/population will increase, and you will start seeing bigger bucks, not necessarily monsters, but but alot more 2.5 to 3.5 year olds, however on the flipside the first couple years of the rule can be lean.

Here we good again, as the duck hunters say.

Really? I guess whoever proved that hasnt been to our place. That being said, the 13" rule is not proper management.

I guess you ranch out does some of the most prominent low fence and high fence ranches in the state including the king ranch... You can not change genetics via culling on LF places hence the King Ranch proved it... and it exteremly had to do on HF places... If thats the case no ranch would ever have 8pts or short brows or spikes now would they?

I think if everyone would just give the ARs a chance it will work just fine.Most guys dont hjave a clue on age on hoof and this will help for sure.

Your painting with a broad brush there. You will always have culls, but at what percentage? Bascially what you are saying is that herd management is nonsense, you cant change anything, so why do it. I think there are a few thousand ranches that would disagree. Will you eliminate 6 year old 8's, and slick 6's, no, but you can make them as small as possible in your breeding stock of bucks. We did that with bucks that had no browtines, I shot the first one this opening weekend in 3 years that didnt have browtines as a 3 year old. 5-6 years ago, you would see several at every stand. I know that does have a lot to do with this as well, but its management, by definition you are managing your herd. You have to do it all, not just pick one thing you dont like about your deer and try to change that.

i like it

I guess I just don't understand what the state is trying to accomplish with the AR's.

If they are trying to get larger bucks, why should they even care? Their job is to manage population, not size.

If they are trying to get larger bucks, why leave inferior, mature bucks in the gene pool?

I don't really care for it. I really don't want to shoot one that is under 13 inches, unless he is a mature scrub.

Blah blah blah, shut up and hunt!

Thanks for your input, WhiskyD. Brilliant.

i thought it was pretty good advice myself....

This is like trying to argue about the speed limit, some believe it is beneficial and some think it's crap and are not going to agree no matter the rules. And like the speed limit it will prob change, and change again.

+1

I'm not really for it or against it. As I stated, I really don't want to shoot those bucks that are less than 13" anyway. I'd just like to know what the state's goal is by implementing the AR's.

Don't know about everyone else, but yesterday I took a 135 class 18" inch wide nine pointer and passed up the other one that was with him, and that was darn near it's brother but was only about 15" wide so he's still walking.

This was my first gun hunt this year, and this was the biggest buck thus far since the AR's took effect several years ago, and it's gotten better and better every year.

So no complaints here, but there seems to be those who still don't like them, and we usually shoot a spike also, so that's all I'll be hunting from now till the end of the season.

I would like it better if there was a height exception. like 13" wide or 12" tall or whatever. There are the freaks that grow like a tree, straight up. But I'm gonna hunt by the rules and its not like I want to shoot the little dudes anyways. Just my .02

i for one like the rule, yes you get mature narrow bucks.. so? i know in east texas old country bumpkins will shoot what they see. size doesnt matter because they are meat hunters. the 13" rule lets MOST bucks reach maturity before being harvested. i dont shoot a buck unless its outside the ears anyways even before the rule. if youre into the management thing i think it will benefit. as stated above, you cant pick one thing and do away with it, no matter what kinda fence you have, youll always have the inferior bucks, but you can get their population down, and under control. you WILL NOT get rid of them. at my lease we have alot of 1.5 - 2.5 bucks that are baskets, and jus to the ears. with this rule theyre protected till they get outside the ears. which is GOOD for us, just not the people that jus want meat. i dont really see any flaws other than the MATURE tall and narrow bucks needin to be shot to. but, i am in favor of this rule.

13"... good rule.

i agree bigdaddy, there should be a height limit too.. for those monster bruisers.. maybe oneday