5 years on my own place and been watching deer grow. We have lots of 8's and a few 10's. We hadn't shot any deer yet but lots of pigs are gone. Well Friday afternoon I hung a scent wick soaked in trails end in my driveway just around the bend of trees. I was once again cleaning some pigs we had trapped and decided to take a break and walk to my gate. When I cleared the bend of trees there stood an 8. He probably would have made ARs but I let hime walk because of age. Once he passed, out pops what I thought was a doe but when he stopped and looked at me I saw the 4 inch spikes on his head. Second spike I saw there in 5 years. The first one walked but this one, well, is in my cooler! 25 yards broadside standing in my driveway. Pow! backed the truck up to him loaded him skinned and quartered in less than 30 minutes. Backstrap was on the table before 6:30 pm. It was the easiest deer I have ever taken and the first off my own place since I got it.

My hero Congrats on a killing a deer off of your own land

Nicely done! Congrats on the full freezer!

Congrats!!

Good job, bet those steaks were tasty!

I also shot a spike this year, hadn't had deer steak in 6-8 months and it was the first thing we ate for dinner after we got back.

Congrats again! First deer I shot off our place was a doe yet I was prouder of that deer than many bucks ive shot.

Congrats!!!

SPIKE = = =

congrats!

Not to start another needless debate, but something that I have observed as a result of AR's is that just as some people will never never grow tall, not all bucks will grow significant width in their racks. It only makes sense when you think about it. It has also given me a lessen in what to expect in 1-1/2 and 2-1/2 year old deer from the perspective of those that lag, or run ahead of their peers. Such things could never be learned back in the day when anything that had antler matter showing was fair game.

As a result of AR's, hunters are learning for themselves when deer are falling behind their peers and need to be removed. The ones who object to such thinking seem to be the same ones who feel they are the few who have all the answers.

Today, when a hunter says he harvested a deer that needed to be removed, I have no trouble following his judgement.

Good job on the first deer kill on your land. You must have some serious self control to wait 5 yrs.


As fars AR's go, I assume they are good in the long run. I can tell you though that the deer on my lease in Comanche are actually smaller now. Ive hunted there for 10 years now and every year before AR, 1 or 2 150's would be killed off the 5000 acre LF ranch we hunt. The last 4-5 years have been brutal. A couple 140's and 130's have been killed. Most bucks we see, and there are plenty of bucks, are in the 120's. Of course the area has been in a pretty bad drought, but still, the quality of antler in the area has taken a huge plunge.

Try a little hunting up in North East Texas. The AR's here means you probably won't get to pull a trigger on a buck but every 2-4 years. It has about ruined my nephew. He has been hunting with me for 2 years now and we have had to pass up 7 bucks so far because they have all been 1-2 year old 4-9 points but not 13". Some were close and he was begging to let him shoot one, but I can't let him take the risk. Finally this year it appears that they extended the youth season so maybe he can get a doe. I don't see any more 13" deer now than I did before the restrictions. I also still see about the same number of deer, (maybe a few less) but quality is exactly the same as it has been for the past 20 years. It is not because of surrounding hunters, there are fewer people hunting around me now than there were 20 years ago, and I myself kill fewer deer than before.

Matt and Randy, interesting observations. I think this is an experiment the state is doing to prove what hunters have known for years about genetics and forage. If you have good genetics and age you have good deer with good forage if you're missing one or the other, deer just won't meet their potential. We've seen better deer and it is tough to pass on deer for 5 years. I am blessed to have a friend that lets me cull a few off of his place every year so that helps my itchy trigger finger.

Thanks for all the congrats and pats on the back. I wish I had enough backstrap to pass around. Me and the kids are tearing up this morning.

Congrats on the freezer meat!!!

awesome congrats!

It's gotta be nice having your own place and watching the deer mature! Sounds like you're heading in the right direction....