Vernon i shure hope yer kidding! That would sure put a damper in huntin.

I hunt in Dewitt County, The restrictions has made little progress in my area, Last yr I harvested a 5.5 yr old buck heavy horned desent tine length but 13 1/4" wide, Width is just not in the genes, I feed protien, food plots. TPW needs to catch and relocate bucks and does all over the state to change the genetics for better results in the antler size. Its like taking two bante chickens and making them produce a chicken the size of a goose.

I wish they would go to 1 buck and 1 doe in hopkins co. and stop worrying about horns and worry about no. or a buck only season like we used to have. Saw many more deer then and you could get a deer you could eat. Hate old deer when it comes to eatting em, tough as shoe leather and only good for hamburger. Dont see the numbers anymore with the bag limit like it is in my part of hopkins co.

There is a very good article in the recent issue of BUCKMASTER MAGAZINE that discusses A/R and various state deer hunting regulations. The State of Missouri went with A/R and dramatically improved the state's deer herd. A DNR official stated that by going to the A/R, all the "meat hunters were forced to let the young bucks go that they had been shooting for so long".

The article also discussed how various states structure their deer seasons. Having read the article....we are very fortunate here in Texas to have such a long and flexible deer season!

There are numerous studies by various state wildlife departments and wildlife organizations that state very emphatically that...A/R works! ! ! !

Of course a "trophy" buck magazine is going to promote ARs and have an article where a state says they improved a deer herd but improved what, better taste or more trophies? Texas has millions of deer. Not all of us are about rack size, yes, it's a bonus, icing on the cake and I have shot my share of trophies and loved it but I wasn't out to shoot a trophy, they just stepped into range. Rack size is not priority as to why some of us deer hunt. Even in the article, it said "meat hunters were forced". I know, shoot a doe, they taste better than a buck anyway. We have 10 hunters on our lease and we only get 3 doe permits a year. 7 of us get jacked on getting a doe each season. Shoot a spike, it's legal and they are young and tender, wait, young? ARs are to protect the young. Oh well, this arguement will go on as long as ARs exsist. I'll never change being against ARs and folks who love them will never change their view either. Gotta live with 'em but don't gotta like 'em. What's next, can't shoot a rabbit with less than 4" ear length or a squirrel with a less than 6" tail length?

Yea curly all it boils down to is people who want big horns or people who want to eat em! Im the later as you know and to me TPW is just like obama and his health care, stick it to us no matter what we want!

Somehow a policy based on research, started on a limited scale, expanded incrementally due to (in most cases) success in overall quality and quantity, is the Tx P&W "sticking it to us".
As to spikes, what is so hard to understand about "young spikes", versus the taking of spikes or 3-pointers that are mature, yet have poor antlers? They taste great...
The old term "ignorance is bliss" comes to mind.
P&W also states "it is not a perfect plan", but understood there was a method for improving declining or stagnant herds.

The only real policy is trying to get bigger antlers and the kill the spikes theory to me is just a theory! I had a spike on my property a few years back that went from spike to 6pt to 8pt with at least a 14in spread and then he got shot im sure cause i never saw again. Now because of the bag limits in hopkins co. jumped to 4 deer a year we didnt gain a thing and now i see fewer deer now than ever before and still dont see any more MATURE deer than we did before the regs. Now they kill of the younger spikes and the does and the population has crashed in 3yrs of antler restrictions. If TPW wants to impress me with there knowledge shorten the bag limit and restore the numbers of deer and stop killin off all the does and young spikes.

I haven't seen a change where we hunt.... there were nice deer there before they were put in place and there continues to be. Now I do feel for the folks in certain parts of Tyler Co... over the last 2 yrs, there have been 11 bucks out of 55 that would have passed ARs, with about 50 being 3.5+ shot at the lease...and it has been well managed since the early 70s since it used to be high fenced and considered the old "Scrappin' Valley"

We've been under the AR in Red River for a few years now.The Game Cameras have really amazed us at the quality of deer.
I must admit that there are bigger deer seen at times but as some said if they are just close just inside the ears but heavy and long tines.To be honest and abiding you have to pass and the odds are very high,as it has been our actually experience that you'll not likely see that one again.
I understand the original argument of which I was once a defender of in that you end up busting your arse and spending boque $$$ placing stands,food plots feeders improving your "roads" if they can be called roads. Replacing gates and locks cause people just have to trespass.
Someones said they only took 3 spikes off their place....I feel that disappointment heartily but the hunt is a bit more these days than a squeeze of the trigger,even though it all comes down to that in the end.

We had a 10 point walk out about 125 yds from me and my buddy(lease president). I and the buddy went back in forth over was it a shooter or not. I said it was too close to call it not and he said it was too close to call it as legal. We both sat there and just watched and now 2 years latter we still are wondering what ever happened to him? He never showed on the game cameras etc...

ARs for Newton county!!!!!!

I think its time for me to come off the AR wagon and state explicitly that Antler Restrictions suck. I tried to be silent but have given in again.

It's good that the state and others here are admitting its about horns. In years past they said it was about the overall age structure and overall health of the herd. CROCK.

Where has the government ever been successful in our lifetime of helping us here on the home front. OK, reduced terrorist attacks... and, 80 years ago decreasing TB, workplace injuries, child labor practices, etc.... but since then, the more government involvement, the more it will be about the money and the power, not the "health of the herd".

If they tied bigger horns to socialist medicine it would pass here on the first vote.

Like I have said before, the AR's are kind of like a guilty pleasure to me, but given a voice I would scream from the rooftops against them. I hunt for horns but realize that not everybody does, the old men that taught me everything I know about hunting could give a rat's rear about the size of antlers and I never want to ostrosize those old troopers, nor do I want to restrict what my boys can shoot, my first deer was a spike and you could not have slapped the smile off my face. Overall I say BOOOOOOOOOO, to AR's!

Cooner mine was a 4 pt and like you i couldnt take my eyes off that deer! To me thats what hunting is all about! My daughter took a 5pt 3yrs ago before the b.s. of a.r. and she was so happy and i was proud of her. Now she wont hunt anymore cause she says she has to wait to long to get a deer. Now the population has crashed around my place and its to boring to wait to see any deer so im pretty sure i have lost my hunting buddy this year. TPW can kiss my butt and there stupid rules.

Sig, Cooner, Hoytman, y'all bring a tear to my eye! Awesome words fellas.