Data can be twisted to make it say what they want to...



After attending a TPWD meeting the Young County Biologist called me and tried to SELL the TPWD "line" to me for FOUR HOURS on the phone. It was like talk'n to a used car salesman. I became obvious how he answered my questions that he was "toeing-the-company-line." The desk-jockey TPWD wildlife mgrs are his bosses, what is the guy to do? There are other biologists (retired) that just roll their eyes at the BS TPWD is doing.



Is this about genes or age? TPWD should not be regulating genes !!
The year old 13" deer with a good with gene will be targeted, and not get age on 'em. Killing yearling spikes does not let deer get age on 'em.
Using a ruler to measure age rather than a calendar...That top notch scientific wildlife management there......Oh brother!!


This same option was availible under the old regulations.
The buck:doe ratio was not involved it the data to push this that I recall. Other than maybe counting the DEAD DEER at locker plants, the buck:doe ratio of dead deer is pretty worthless. Just like the age & spead of a dead buck's rack when you have NO IDEA what the LIVE AGE DATA of the herd that the dead deer came from !!!.

I completely agree with you ^^^

very well said

Great Buck!
Thanks for the picture.

It is working great down here in Gonzales. We have 12" wide bucks that are 14" tall (exaggerating, but you get my point). When all you shoot is wide bucks, the narrow bucks breed. It is called selective breeding only opposite in this case. I have let several bucks pass cause i just didnt know. At another lease, he would have been taken. I takes so much away from the adrenaline rush to ponder whether or not he is legal. My buddy and I share this 200 acres and we only take one buck per year. True we are seeing more deer but they are narrow and tall.

Preach on brother!!!

Yep, It's called TPWD-"High Grading" = Take the best leave the rest.

Bunch a mumbling, bumbling baffons!!!

X2 cant stand tpwd stupid rules.

That does stink. You may want to get or build a big enough blind for the two of you so you can sit with and help him. I have some cool times in a blind with my teenage son. Hopefully he will still want to share a blind when I'm old and he can afford his own lease.

Cherish those days with dad. There are only so many.

Its not a given that your going to take a buck every year, yes it would be nice, but we should treat it as a privledge to take a good mature buck. If hunters could understand that there would not be any arguments over AR's. Ive heard one statement many times that i hate "well if i dont shoot it the guy next door will". Maybe he will you never know but it doesnt mean you have to shoot a young buck. I think everyone who hates the AR's is just out looking for the first buck they see. And those are the same people who will complain that they see no mature bucks and they wonder why.

Not true. Some just wish to kill a deer. Any buck is a bonus. My brother has a 150 class 8 point on the wall yet will shoot and celebrate over a fork horn. One reason it is refreshing to hunt with him. Hunting here and Missouri is about horns as well as meat. There it's about the hunt and a deer harvested is always a trophy no matter doe or buck.

Yep!

Maybe I do look for the first buck I see. Maybe I'm that guy next door that will shoot the legal buck you let walk no matter what his age is, as long as his rack is 13 stupid inches wide. It's called yummy venison in my book. That is the privledge to me. Never been about maturity (maturity being just another word for trophy). Don't worry, I've ever shot anything illegal either. Don't get me going on shooting a doe. Where I hunt it's 10 hunters, 1 lease, 3 doe tags. Oh and did I mention.....I hate ARs but that's okay, trophy hunters, I mean deer management lovers are the winners now and I don't know why AR lovers/trophy hunters keep defending their love for it, it's manditory now so we all have to do it, trophy hunters win, meat hunters lose. I have 1 trophy euro mount and 4 trophy buck shoulder mounts on my wall and another one at the taxidermist. By the way, 3 of them although mature, wouldn't pass the 13" width rule now. I am proud of them but not as much as I am having venison in the freezer. I can whine about the ARs as much as those that like ARs whine about us meat hunters.

How many acres are 10 hunters hunting on. It cant be much if you can only get 3 doe tags. I see why you are angry. Stop being cheap and pay for a good lease.

You don't know my situation and you don't know me so don't judge me and call me cheap. If you really need to know, it's 750 acres and we get 1 doe permit for every 200 acres. It's a family owned lease. Bet you're a trophy hunter on an expensive lease I take it? Nevermind, just don't call me cheap and I won't call you an ass.

I think you are wrong about what I think and why I think it.

I let lots of young bucks walk, sometimes the neighbor shoots 'em, sometimes not. That's the way it goes sometimes. It used to be good enough to call that "hunting", giving everyone the freedom to hunt for meat or hunt for horns.

You want to get a buck like on the TTHA magazine cover, than you might have to hunt a little differently, in another location, or even spend more money.

But now TPWD has jumped in bed with the trophy management hunting lobby and made this a regulation about antlers (not age). The spewing of such ridiculous justifications and that they sell this thing as wildlife management is sickening. It is just politics. TPWD=Texas Politics and Wildlife.

Your right we all have different reasons for hunting, im not a trophy hunter but i do fill my doe tags before i take a buck. Now dont get me wrong if a big buck steps out i will take it, but i do feel my freezer up with meat every year. And you can call me whatever you want, the old lady has said it all. I do apolagize for calling you cheap. We just believe in different things everybody is entiled to there own opinion.

Let me buy you a drink!

How are politics involved may i ask.

Did I mention politics? It's TP&W, read PHishTX post.

No, i did read it just wanted his opinion on it.

the smiple anwser or the long anwser...

Parts of the AR's are bunk science and put into place to make spike killers filled justifed in their genetic quest to enhance thier herds, assuming that you can even manage genetic on an open range herd.

I will give TPWD a little credit.. they have some what raised the age of the herd ... but thats even an agruement becuases they can't prove it

Long answer... they are telling people what they can and can not shoot..... And those that hate AR's blame AR's on trophy hunters(ie people that only shot big deer)

of course this is all an opinion.

Your move PHishTX. I'm tired......

I think they have always told us what we can and cant shoot. for example the amount of bucks or does you can take. What is the difference in that and a antler restriction.