I dont have an axe to grind here, just curiosity. What was the rationale for TPWD making Grayson Co. archery only for deer? I have seen some pics of huge bucks from that area...

I'm glad it is! Too many people in that area maybe? Most places are small tracts of land and maybe that is the reason. They have put it up for vote a few times to allow Shotgun but it gets shot down I understand.
I'm glad it is bow only, this allows these deer to grow and keeps leasing fees under control. That is one of the few counties that you can afford to hunt for a trophy deer at a reasonable price.

Don't get me wrong, I am not complaining, I don't even hunt there, but would like to. I am just wondering if it was a decision based on antler/trophy quality, or as you mentioned a safety/population issue. There are lots of populated areas (take Montgomery Co. north of Houston) that still allow rifle hunting.

I am just wondering if this is a sign of things to come from TPWD?

Not sure why, it has been that way for several years. From what I have seen over the past couple of years, Collin county could open up as Archery Only. There are plenty of deer there.

My personal opinion is that in the next 3 to 5 years,the following counties will go either Archery Only or will close the season all together. Denton, Tarrant, Johnson, Parker, Wise, along with possibly Cooke and Ellis, in north Texas, along with Comal, Bexar, Travis, Guadalupe and a few others down in the Austin-San Antonio-Houston complex.

Somefolks won't agree with that assessment, and I don't care. All those counties are experiencing phenominal population growth.

East and south east Texas are experiencing such a tremendous influx of people and more and more places are either being subdivided into small country estates or are being covered with concrete because of urban sprawl that there will not be enough room even for shotguns and muzzleloaders to be fired.

Archery Only, while cutting people that don't like to hunt that way out of an area, at least keeps a viable hunting opportunity open. One problem that will arise however if my scenario comes true, more people will turn to archery and the demand for places to hunt will increase and so will the prices.

I wish they'd allow bow hunting only in collin county (next county south of Grayson). I got great deer numbers on a few of my places. I could be deer hunting within 10 minutes of the house.

Probably the human/deer ratio. Way too many humans. Tons of people in the DFW area have decided that they want to move up here and live in the country. In my particular area, people have moved in a pushed the deer completely out.

Good point on the big deer. Open a gun saeson and in 2 years, they'll all be gone.

I spoke with a game warden about this exact thing in Grayson Cnty a few years back. I was told that the deer population itself will not sustain an open general (gun) season. The numbers or lack there of, are the main reason for the bow only season up there. I would imagine that there areother factors involved as well but that's what I was told.

When I bought my land in grayson this past fall I talked to the biologist at ray roberts wma about the deer in the county and why it was archery only. She said it was put into affect 20 or 30 years ago when the deer population was very small but they wont change it now due to land size/human population.I mostly bowhunt only so it benefits me.

Lack of deer.

Yes, lack of deer is probably the biggest reason. I wouldn't waste time trying to hunt in Grayson county if seeing deer everytime out is something you want.