Best thing they ever did. Now if there was a way to stop people from shooting yearling spikes we would be some where.

Add me to the can't stand the AR's crowd. And in time after all the good bucks have been shot out of the gene pool and all we have left running around are the offspring of spikes, forkhorns, no brows, and mature bucks that were supposedly in the minority but were left to breed - it will be too late.

And don't give me the standard MLD reply either..there is no MLD for small acreage land.

Personally I'd rathr go back to one buck and it be the buck of my choice than AR's that allow a spike and a 13" or better..I'm sorry but with near 50 year old eyes even with good optics it's hard to make sure you aren't 1/2" off at 100 yards on a foggy morning when that buck won't be still because he's after a doe. It just adds a worry and complication where for me anyways for almost 50 years there wasn't one and wasn't a need for it.

My .02.

Earl

If I can't shoot my lil' 6/7pt next yr b/c his mass increase puts him <13", I'm going to be twelve different kinds of ticked..

I just hate to see the mature buck that is a really nice basket case that will NEVER be 13 inches wide his entire life. Eventually all the deer in these AR counties will all be like this and then the AR rule will change to 13’ tall instead of wide.

I support the AR, with that beaing said, if it where a matter of my family starving or not.We are eating whatever steps out..I dont care if he has a 1 inch spread,

AR's don't change genetics!!! Tyler County has the high, narrow genetics in bucks so how are AR's going to help that!!! TPWD implemented th 13" rule to improve the age structure of the bucks!!! PRE-AR's, we were a 2 buck County and after AR's implemented we are still an AR County but we can kill young spikes!!! Couldn't they have accomplished the same thing by just reducing the limit to 1 buck or would that make too much sense???

I'm not a biologist. Maybe the jury is still out on the subject in Montague County.

My game cameras for the last 4 years show that less than 10% of the bucks in my area ever make it to 13.5 inches of width. I see an awful lot of smaller bucks chasing young does. Maybe in a couple of years things will change. At this time, I'm waiting but seeing a lot more yearlings than I think the range will support.

Im with curly, ar rules are b.s.! Saw a 4pt that had to be 4yrs old and maybe more jump the fence and maybe a 10in. spread that will never be 13in and had to let walk and for all you ar lovers that say just shoot a doe if ya want meat. I hunted all 4 days of our doe season and never saw a doe! Since TPW implemented this laws the deer numbers have crashed and the hunting has gone to the crapper! Cant be allowed to kill 4 deer a year and still increase any age on the deer in hopkins co. I was able to kill a deer every year for 20yrs before ar and now i have killed 1 in 5yrs under ar rules and see alot less deer! Nobody will ever convince me ar rules are good.

I like these AR post there funny. The reason AR was put in place was to try and get the deer to maturity. You answer your own questions all the time. Did you make sure he was legal no but he looked good so that also tells me he did not know if the deer was two or six he just looked good running.

I agree!!! Still waiting for the magic dust to be sprinkle over Tyler County to change the genetics of the bucks!!! I saw more bucks and does 4 years ago PRE-AR days!!!

Exactly, the sheer increase in hunting pressure is offsetting any possible growth that might have happened in Red River County. Studies all over show how you can get a slight bump from selective harvest criteria, but that is all. The increase to two bucks and two doe from ONE BUCK ONLY has set the deer population back 20 years in 4 or 5.

I hear all the time how the pro-AR guys, mainly people that don't even hunt in an AR county, say they are great. Well maybe it works there, but when the deer have had years to mature (being protected and all), and the population numbers have crashed, there's not much to be happy about.


It's about time for someone to say
SHOOT DOES.
JOIN MLD
FORM A COOP
IT'S YOUR NEIGHBORS FAULT
GET TO BETTER PLACE
MOVE WEST.


Did I miss anything?

Then why the legality of being allowed a young spike as an extra deer? Once again, them saying the ARs are to let bucks mature holds no water as far as making sense. It's all about the antlers. Who really cares about spikes or deformed antlers where one doesn't branch? They are ugly, take them out. It's all about the ones with potentially wide pretty racks. Apparently all of Texas needs to be known for it's trophy bucks.

That's the bottom line there Curly!!!

Why shoot does, need more of them to produce bucks that might reach 13"

ARs were put in bc of small acreage

ARs were put in bc of a failed coop

Fence or buy out the neighbor if hunting is the reason for land ownership

Can't expect to find monster deer on every property, enjoy your dealt cards

West of 35 should get annexed into NM



Shoot that yearling spike if you have to kill a buck, or that 2yo that makes AR that hasn't been feeder broke.

Invest in a spotlight & the long stand.

Yes why not let the state know how you feel. They do have meetings, rules are changed often.

13"???
[----]






12.9"
[----]

Listen up:

ARs are awesome.

Carry on.

I love um also, and I like reading these rant threads.

Good entertainment!

Should have shot a

My thoughts exactly agsellers...I would honestly hate to know how many bucks a year are buried, or left laying because they were an inch or less away from 13. If that statistic were known along with the one of how many are shot but procesed in the field (and hence not included in state harvest accounting) - there is no way on earth that AR's could be proven benefitial for the long term benefital effects to the herd.

Not every under 13" buck that is killed is done so intentionally, I would imagine very few are. I would honestly hate to know how many children, teens, and even lifelong hunters were susceptable to a bit of buck feever and were unable to tell the difference between 12 inches , 12.5 inches, and 13 inches at 100 yards because the darn buck wouldn't lay down and let themselves be measured before being shot - and had turned an event that pre-AR's would have been a family memory to remeber for a lifetime and legal to one that is a misdemeaner and makes the person a criminal al for the love of a set of horns....

Earl

The folks that do this, were poaching deer long before the AR rules took effect. The fact is most people are abiding by the rule and "most" are seeing a positive effect from it, and I emphasize "most" because obviously there are a few on here who are habitually opposed to the AR.

I'm opposed to AR's!!! I think in some Counties it probably works but as a "blanket" rule it doesn't work!!! Some Counties like mine have the high narrow rack genetics so it won't work as planned!!! I'm happy that it works great for some of y'all!!!

Im lucky enough to be in a county that doesn't have ARs. Just wondering...If you are an honest law-abiding hunter and you accidently shoot a 12.5" buck, what do you do?

You should report to GW but there are some that will either process themselves are leave in woods!!!