I saw the proposal for this back in February, and it looks like they incorporated it into this upcoming year’s Outdoor Annual. What I’m talking about is the clarification regarding Antler Restrictions in the affected AR counties. The clarification for this year reads as follows:

“It is unlawful to take more than one buck with an inside spread of 13 inches or greater or having two branched antlers (i.e. a person who takes a buck in violation of the antler restriction regulation is prohibited from subsequently harvesting any buck deer with branched antlers on both main beams in that county during that hunting season).”

For those of you who hunt in AR counties, what are your thoughts? Does this clarification make sense to you, or are there other perspectives regarding the clarification? Just curious.

Not sure but I suspect it means that if take a buck deer with two branched antlers that doesn't meet the 13-inch restriction, you can't go and shoot another one that meets the restriction. I could see where someone gets caught taking a illegal buck, pays their fine, and then believes they're free to take another buck that meets the minimum spread. This change means your wide rack tag is burnt in a county when you shoot a buck (excluding spikes) that doesn't meet the minimum spread.

IMO, they could have gone even further and said any illegal deer taken goes towards your county limit. This would have meant the same person could not shoot two spikes given it was a two buck county as many are.

yep, if you mess up and shoot an illegal 2 sided branched antler deer, you cannot then still shoot any other unbranched on one side buck.

I want to know who and how they are catching these violators and where. Seems like some very isolated incidents. I agree with it but what caused them to clarify that??? Do those guys actually read the regs?

The 'clarifications' make sense to me, meaning I understand their intent.

I think the folks that read the Outdoor annual regulations are a minority.

We have places in several AR counties, I still run across more people that have no idea, never heard of antler restrictions, do not believe it you if you tell them, than people that do know & follow them.
I've asked quite a few if they read the free booklet they can pick up where they buy their license, more say 'no' or 'why' than say they do.

From my point of view it is still a big enforcement problem, seems it would take triple the amount of GW's per county to actually make a good dent.

If you're gonna make up silly rules/regs, have enough staff in place to enforce them or put something in place that ensures compliance.