I know this has been asked in past years ... but ... late doe/spike season question.

Does a buck have to be a true spike (unbranched both sides) OR unbranched on one side?

out of the TPWD website, it seems miss leading depending on where I look, or at least not consistent ... Maybe I am trying to read it too hard.

under the county specific:
Special Late Season During the Special Late Season, harvest is restricted to antlerless deer and unbranched antlered bucks. An unbranched antlered buck is any buck deer with an antler having no more than one point.

under the general whitetail section:
In counties with a Special Late Season, harvest is restricted to antlerless and unbranched antlered deer (a buck with at least one antler that has no more than one point). A point is a projection that extends at least one inch from the edge of a main beam or another tine. The tip of the main beam is also a point.


reason asking, heading out west to fill feeders, check cameras, etc. and possible take a few does/spikes this coming weekend.

A spike is a spike. If it’s got at least one unbranched main beam it’s a spike.

thanks, that's what I was thinking too, just the way it's stated made me question

If what you posted about the county specific and general whitetail section is directly copied from the outdoor annual or similar, then I think doe spike means 2 unbranched antler. The blue above in the parenthesis is saying during general season you can shoot a buck that has at least one unbranched antler, a spike would have 2 unbranched and would be legal during either season. a 5 point with a typical 8 point side and a spike would be legal during general season but not spike/doe season. That's my take.

yep, those were directly copied/pasted out of the TPWD website ... I believe several years ago, the rule was true spike only during the late season but they have changed the wording a couple of times in the past few years ...

under the county specific:
Special Late Season During the Special Late Season, harvest is restricted to antlerless deer and unbranched antlered bucks. An unbranched antlered buck is any buck deer with an antler having no more than one point.

but with the AN tossed in, that appears to be singular, meaning only one ... or one antler having no more than one point ...

that's why I am asking ... it's confusing since they state it differently

To me it means having antlers with no unbranched points. Ambiguous I agree, but I think if they meant the same thing they would have included the statement in the parenthesis. I feel certain its true spike only during late season.

But the county specific says” an antler having no more than one point.” I understand an, as one.

Probably should call to be sure, I always thought at least one unbranched antler made it a spike...

To me a spike has always meant both antlers are unbranched.

yeah I'd call the GW on that one

TPWD strikes again! What a joke.

The way I read it is that in special season, unbranched is meant to be traditional "spike", not broken points off mainbeam buck, whereas in general season, can be a broken up mainbeam buck at least on one side as long as no broken point is extending beyond one inch, othewise it's branched. Does look like two interpretable situations. That said, I'm only shooting traditional spike in either season as I don't want to take a broken up buck and passing off as unbranched, unless one side is truly spikey freak.

I really don't see the confusion here. In both sections, it clearly defines the definition of "unbranched antlered buck." The County specific section says "An unbranched antlered buck is any buck deer with an antler having no more than one point." "An antler" means at least one of them in simple English. Both antlers would mean that both of them are unbranched. The general whitetail section says "(a buck with at least one antler that has no more than one point)" In this case, at least one, means just that. He could be unbranched on one side, and have 256 points on the other side and would be legal.

My interpretation

Legal in general season as an unbranched antler deer and not legal in doe/spike special late season


Legal in general as an unbranched antler deer and legal in doe/spike special late season as a spike

TPWD took the term 'spike' out of AR's and definitions years ago to prevent confusion.

A "spike buck deer" is a buck with no antler having more than one point. Same definition has been used for ever.

At least one unbranched antler.
Means it can be any number of points on one side as long as the other side is unbranched, an unbranched antler only has one legal point.


" Special Late Season"
" During the Special Late Season, harvest is restricted to antlerless deer and unbranched antlered bucks. An unbranched antlered buck is any buck deer with an antler having no more than one point. "

Not to be argumentative, but does the deer in the first pic have an unbranched antler?

Yes.
Not trying to be rude, do you not see the buck's left antler, on the right side of the picture?

Here's a printable wallet reference ---> TPWD

The print and online version of the outdoor annual has pictures that clearly illustrate what is & isn't legal.

I really don't see how TPWD could make it any more simple.

TPWD no longer refers to the special late season as "doe/spike special late season". Directly form the TPWD book. "Late Season Harvest is restricted to antlerless deer and unbranched antlered bucks. The same book gives the definition of unbranched antlered deer...which is a buck with AT LEAST one antler that has no more than one point. Should we write it in crayon? Both deer above are legal in the special late season.

Like I stated above if the OP's quoted verbiage came straight from the outdoor annual I think your wrong. It goes specifically out of its way in one to state at lest one and not in the other. I also believe this has been discussed before the one branched/one unbranched was determined to not be legal during the late season.

Seriously, the OP answered his own question.

TPWD took the term 'spike' out of AR's and definitions years ago.

Both legal in special late season...

https://tpwd.texas.gov/regulations/outdoor-annual/regs/animals/white-tailed-deer

From the outdoor annual, currently sitting on my desk. Page 68...
Special Late Season
In counties with a special late season(county listings table, pg. 82-97), harvest is restricted to antlerless and unbranched antlered deer (a buck with at least one antler that has no more than one point). A point is a projection that extends at least one inch from the edge of the main beam or another tine.

Both of those deer in your photos are legal during the late season.

and the OP (me) still wonders why the TPWD did not state it the same way in both sections to remove any possibility of ambiguity ... I think I did answer my own question, but as you can see there are other interpretations above

According to that I think my original interpretation is wrong. That verbiage describes the same way in both places. So any deer with at least one unbranched antler would be legal in the late season. Yall were right

1-8-2019

Redchevy says "yall were right"