All the posts asking for input on a given deer having a legal spread brings to mind the case where you made your closest call and found a deer barely legal.

For me, it would be a buck that I shot just a couple seasons ago that carried a rack with solid mass but just a 14-inch spread. I must admit that at roughly 80 yards away, it must not have been easy to see a half-inch gap between the outside edges of the ears and inside edge of each main beam.

Mentioned in previous post - shot a large bodied 8 point with heavy mass, and tall rack. From the blind through the binocs I thought that he was for sure legal. When I got to him, I was very concerned and started measuring. He was legal, but not a hair to spare - exactly 13". I learned a lesson on this one.

This is what concerns me about the 'Oh for sure he's legal, shoot on sight' crowd on some of the pictures. It seems to me they don't really care; I wonder if they're home-processing their mistakes?

Our local GW told me personally he gives 1/2” of slack on the AR rule

That is YOUR local GW. You may find some officers that will give 10 MPH slack on speeding. But others will stop you and give you a ticket for 7 over. Why play with fire?

Ive wondered the same thing. When the guys say "shoot it", do they mean its legal or that they mean they dont care. I wish guys would be more specific when they post cause even if they dont care, the OP probably does. By the way,

Yeah, I know

It was just a question I asked him one day and that’s what he said

Just curious as to how many unders are left for the buzzards.

I've never seen a deer I wanted to take that was even close, but at the same time I'm glad we don't have that rule in the rolling plains.

I have only shot does in AR counties either during archery season or the doe days.

My biggest buck to date a typical 12 point only beats AR's by a very slim margin, thankfully we are not in an AR county.

That is because your local GW uses common sense it seems!

Not all will and that you can bank on.

But, I'd hope our GW are educated well enough on WT deer so that they can tell the difference in a mature buck and an immature one and use that as well as a deciding factor before getting a ticket book out!

I had never heard the term "ground shrinkage" until a very good friend shared it after I told him a buck that I had shot looked much bigger when I was looking at him through the scope. Turned out the deer had a 15-inch spread but the G1's and G2's were not as long once I had him on the ground.

I don't shoot any deer now that would be close to it because I just don't shoot many deer any more. I can only imagine the stress when I was younger making sure they made the AR requirement. That would have been a lot of stress as a kid to have to worry about. Of course when I was growing up in the late 70's and 80's hunting in Bosque county we didn't have a ton of deer that would have qualified or even come close. So it seems to be helping.

I shot a 9 pt. with heavy mass a couple years ago that I studied for probably 5 minutes through the scope. Deep body, sway back, pot belly. Definitely mature. (I subsequently aged him by his teeth at 6.5 yrs.) Finally decided he was legal after getting him to look my way a couple times. Measured 13.5" wide.