Hi Guys,

Caught these two on the game camera and wanted opinions if they met the AR requirements?

Candidate one, the 7 point


Candidate two, the 8 point


I want to provide the correct advice to my son that is in pursuit, and without passing a rod between the beams I am not yet skilled enough to make the call.

Thanks!
Aimless

Kind of tough to tell...the shadows make it tough in the first pic and the angle in the second pic. Looks like both would be close...

first pic- no. second pic- maybe.

Close!!! Hard to tell from that angle!!! With something that close, you need the buck pretty much looking directly at camera!!! They look like they may barely make it!!!

Thanks for the responses, I want to provide proper coaching for my 10 yr old, who will be doing the shooting.

What should be done if one is ground checked and does not meet the requirements? It would be a hard lesson learned for a 10 yr old to loose his first antlered deer due to a judgement call.

There does not seem to be a "oops" tag on his license.

Aimless

The first thing to do is call GW!!! If you don't they will be less lenient than they would be if you didn't call!!! If it is like 12.5" or greater and mature, the GW may let you slide!!! I'm not a GW or have ever been in that situation before and its just my opinion!!!

I think yes on both

I thought the first one was close, but legal.

The second, appears wider than the first and also legal.


Looks like caution will prevail and the 7 point gets a bye for this season, unless my 73 year old father from Louisiana comes to hunt with us.... his eyesight isn't good enough to judge points and spread so hopefully only the larger of the herd honors him with a shot. I'd sure hate to deal with a failed ground check when we are just getting together to make memories and have good times.

Aimless

First one is not legal from what I can tell. His ears are cupped forward and not out in a normal width. He is inside his ears. The second one is closer but does not appear to be legal from that angle.

If it's too close to tell even in person with a good look. I wouldn't let him shoot. Im sure it will be hard and he will be heart broken but it may just feed and strengthen his hunger for hunting. Patience and discipline are great attributes but sometimes they really suck.

I agree with this, but I'd be afraid to shoot either one... I HATE AR's for this reason !

First deer is close, but wouldn't chance it. 2nd deer looks to be wider and I think it's a legal buck, the angle makes it hard to be sure. I say first deer walks this year and I'd be looking hard at 2nd one

Both are legal. First one is barely though.

1st - my opinion is not legal.
2nd - tough angle to judge accurately. no comment.

That's the correct answer. Unless you can verify in a live hunt the buck is legal, you and your son need to sit and watch. There is no excuse for shooting a non-legal deer just because the boy would be disappointed. not saying that is what you are saying here at all, but we all have sat and watched deer we would like to shoot but couldn't because they weren't legal...a good lesson for kids to learn right off the bat!

Kudos for getting the boy out there. I am so looking forward to getting my son and daughters out this year and hopefully seeing some deer!

1st. No
2nd. Yes

I completely agree. My son had his first mistake last year while we were hunting with his grandfather. Just at the end of legal shooting he shot what he believed to be a buck, but turned out to be a doe. I am night blind and left the call to him as he was looking through a scope and believed he saw antler. This year we have photos of just about everything he should be able to take and we are reviewing the photos and discussing in the afternoons. The hit list is fairly well defined, but I want to have some options - hence the above fellows.

He will not be repeating the mistake from last year as he still has regrets about having made it.

The camp where he was hunting last year had self imposed rules to not shoot does, so while it was NOT illegal, it was a violation of the camp rules.

id say yes on both

Based on my experience and having hunted for the past four years in an AR county all I can tell you is they look bigger alive and in pics than when you have them on the ground.
If you are in doubt, don't shoot. Invariably they always seem to be smaller than you think.
First buck looks very mature to me, lots of mass too but not sure he is past his ears.
Also, I am not sure about the GW being lenient. I know I called our GW and he said it was simple...13" is 13"

Close, but we are not playing horseshoes or with grenades.

If you have to ask, you probably shouldn't shoot!

No to #1, yes to #2.

No on the 1st and yes on the 2nd