[quote=helomech]

I believe that letting young basket rack bucks walk will make them better trophy deer (it's illegal to shoot them now anyway), I don't believe shooting young spikes will do that but it's legal, what I don't like is being told that I have to shoot a deer with a certain antler spread. It's not like a fish, where you can catch it and then measure it and if it's not legal, toss it back and let it live, TO ME, it's taking the fun and the purity of what true deer hunting was all about........that's about as clear as I can make myself. I don't like ARs, in fact I hate them, you do like them, it's okay, we both love to hunt, I won't stop hunting....don't know what else to say but goodnight.

thank you great posts and good huntin!

Regarding the post of landowners charging more for lease fees: Have any of you tried to be a rancher/farmer and feed your family solely on income from farming or ranching? The day of the small family owned ranch making it only on income from the farm/ranch is almost extinct. A 650 acre farmer is lucky to make more than $30k a year off the land in a good year. Can you raise a family of 4 on that or less? Rather than selling to developers,or breaking up the ranch into "ranchettes" many family ranches are turning to hunting for their income instead of farming & ranching (or they are doing some combination). Thus the increase in fees. That and many out of state and in state hunters are still willing to pay the rates for a chance at a really good trophy buck. Most of south texas is now expensive b/c of it but it keeps the larger properties intact and family owned.

i do care if i shoot a monster buck. thats all the bucks i will shoot w/a bow anything 130class and above except for cull bucks and doe. you cant argue that its more difficult to attract, feed and hold, stalk, walk upon or whatever on a 5.5 yr old 130 class 8 or 10 than it is to do the same to a basket 6 or 8 or 1.5 or 2.5 yr old deer. theres a certain level of sportsmanship to retrieve a mature buck thats why theyre more difficult, i could limit out in 1 day on young deer and what fun is that season over in 1 day, no i dont think so. does, culls, and big bucks for meat,young ones walk on my land.

Word.....anter restrictions = better antlers = more trophies = more $......who can argue with that?

for sure on that, believe me if i hadnt seen that 150 i would have shot at that 130 because in weatherford theyre hard to come by. 150s are anyway, we usually take 1 130 between all 5of us every year on 600 acres but i agree on the does if i dont get the big one ill for sure try for 2 doe thats just as good meat wise. or better

Regarding the post of landowners charging more for lease fees: Have any of you tried to be a rancher/farmer and feed your family solely on income from farming or ranching? The day of the small family owned ranch making it only on income from the farm/ranch is almost extinct. A 650 acre farmer is lucky to make more than $30k a year off the land in a good year. Can you raise a family of 4 on that or less? Rather than selling to developers,or breaking up the ranch into "ranchettes" many family ranches are turning to hunting for their income instead of farming & ranching (or they are doing some combination). Thus the increase in fees. That and many out of state and in state hunters are still willing to pay the rates for a chance at a really good trophy buck. Most of south texas is
now expensive b/c of it but it keeps the larger properties intact and family owned.

I have not read all 6 pages so sorry in advance if I repeat someones thoughts. AR is better than nothing but in the long run it will limit potential of a herd. The best 2.5 years olds are open to shoot while the ones with the least potential are not. The answer for this state is to get the hunters to stop shooting young deer. If you want something to eat shoot a doe they taste better and in many areas there are too many. You should not shoot a trophy every year if you define a trophy correctly. And please don't allow your children to shoot immature bucks just so they can shoot one. All this teaches is that when you go hunting you should shoot a buck. There is nothing wrong with shooting a doe. My daughter had to watch a great looking 2.5 8point probably 16 inches wide score
120 ish at 2.5. It ticked her off aat first but that became a teaching moment and now she gets it. This said I guess it is better than no regulation because we have done this before and alot of people out there shot anything with horns. MLD type programs are great. Even if land owners don't want to do that they can adopt the theory and even with smaller tracts 2-3 neighbors can get together and manage together. Set guidelines, require pictures, restrict deer taken off property, etc. I am
shocked at how certain leases get shot up. 4 guns turns into 20 with guests and the like. Ranches with good herds will always get leased and for top dollar. And for the record with the average mindset of alot of people public land herds are a lost cause. It is an example of getting what you pay for.

I think they need to change it to 15 inch inside spread!

JT38off.....So your tellin me that since 1991 you have only killed 3 bucks???? I would find a new hobby !! I am puttin a picture in here that I have already posted once just to show you that were not really killin all small deer. This is my familys kill last week. We dont kill "monster bucks" but I think we killed some good un's, so dont judge my statements so quick.

10pointers, where are you?

JT38off.....So your tellin me that since 1991 you have only killed 3 bucks???? I would find a new hobby !! I am puttin a picture in here that I have already posted once just to show you that were not really killin all small deer. This is my familys kill last week. We dont kill "monster bucks" but I think we killed some good un's, so dont judge my statements so quick.