I don't hunt an ar county but I'm curious.

Would this deer be legal? I have other pictures that show it is firmly attached but what if it wasn't? The other picture is just to show he has a friend even tho he is fugly.

I don't think that would be a legal buck. The horns have to be outside both ears.

Nope, it appears both antlers are branched & it isn't 13" old.

That is a young buck that has a broken pedicle in his skullcap. More than likely from sparring with a little bit older buck and broke the skull under the base. My guess is it is still loose and flopping around with only the skin holding it. THIS IS NOT GENETIC. He will more than likely be a NT looking buck from now on.

I beg to differ on the question of legal. Legal is not that horns have to be outside eartips. That's just a guide, legal is 13 inches inside spread at the widest spot. If you were to start a tape at the inside top of the right side and ran that tape down to the inside bottom of the left side. I think you'd get more than 13 inches. The tape would run from 10 o'clock to 4 o'clock. So, I'd vote that Yes, that's technically a legal buck. Shooter for me, no. Give him till next year to see of that left side gets corrected.

And you would get a ticket from the GW since you are measuring wrong.

I beg to differ. was with a buddy when game warden measured a deer a couple of years ago. not as bad angle, but left side was straight up, right side was at a 45 degree down angle. Game warden measured furthest inside distance, not what the distance would have been had the antler grown normally. That dear had less width than this dear and it measured as legal.

This deer is in no way a shooter. I want to see what he'll be in the the coming years. im just curious about the ar thing. my guess would be legal because the ear rule is just a way to estimate spread. The rules state inside spread and say nothing about the angle.

You are supposed measure for where the antler would have grown normally and they are supposed to measure antler spread across the forehead and perpendicular to the antler bases according to B&C from what I have seen. But that is an antler damage and not growing in the normal way it would especially if it is loose in the skull. How would the GW determine if the break was an older break done by the deer or new break done by a hunter wanting a legal deer? If I am wrong them I am wrong but I would not take a chance on every GW measuring it the same way.

Unless he had damage to his inner skull, he might throw another set next year. Does looked mess up,
here in the hill country, he would not make season. Some big dude put him in his place i guess. Witnessed
only 2 buck fights in my hunting years, and they can get violent in a hurry! Mother nature at its finest!....

and the next GW would have written a ticket

"a hardened antler protruding through the skin AND;
at least one unbranched antler; OR
an inside spread measurement between main beams of 13 inches or greater (does not apply to a buck that has an unbranched antler)."

That's the language in the rule book, 13 inches or more from main beam to main beam. He'd be legal. If the skull plate is broken, that antler will likely grow like that the rest of his life, and would probably either start poking him in the jaw, or mess with his ability to pick up food.

I disagree. This isnt about scoring antlers it is about a legal definition of a deer. There is nothing in the regulations about the theoretical position of the antlers if the deer were uninjured.

You might find a warden that would interpret it that way, but even Christopher Darden and Marsha Clark could win this one in front of a judge.

I think he's technically legal but I wouldn't want to go to court to prove it. Venison is expensive enough as it is.