Ok boys and girls, Its story time. yeah.(rifle season)
Your sitting it the stand, 9:45AM sunday morning of the 4th weekend. your thinking hard about bacon an eggs, then a doe shows up lookin a bit nervous. she keeps on truckin.
30 seconds later: low an behold two fine bucks are on her trail.
now you have a decision to make. which buck do you take?
YOU HAVE EIGHT SECONDS!! 1 ONETHOUSAND! 2 ONETHOUSAND! 3 ONETho...... Which one did ya shoot?
The top 10 i got in 1996 from Caldwell county. the bottom 8 i got last year in Marion county. he ended a 3 year dry spell!

Based on your Post Title, 12" - 13" - 14", then I suspect that these may not be legal this year. Right? Although they are great looking racks.

I'll be real honest here, they both would have walked.

Sorry, 12, 13, or 14 inch. Not going to make it in my book either.

Okay, on the place I was hunting in Montague county, which ever one presented the best shot opportunity.

From your post and the picture, I am guessing that the one from Caldwell in 96', would not be legal now, looks narrow.

The 8 point from Marion county is a legal buck, so it is at least 13 inches, because hasn't Marion been under the antler regs for about 3 years now?

I would pass on both to close to call.

All these pro eyes. come on, i need more input. HWY will pass. they dont make the grade? a good buck here isnt A shooter there? (EYE OF THE BEHOLDER BUBBA) CHC Marion county got the new 13 rule this year.

If that's a 4x4 post, then it looks like both are 13+. But in Cass, next to Marion, the 10 pt. would not have walked. I would have to hoof age the 8.

I have a skull of a 12" buck in my study (bleached and displayed for decoration). These bucks are easily 2-4 inches wider than the 12" skull.

Wes

First off, i ain't your Bubba, you asked for input and you got it. I don't shoot deer that small, i only take mature bucks, might be the reason I've only taken 2 bucks in the last 9 years. If you want to shoot immature deer, knock your self out, i don't give a rat's hairy hinie what you do on your place, or with your time.

(they don't make the grade?)
Not on my place, the quickest way to not ever get invited to hunt on my place again, is to shoot my 2 1/2 to 3 1/2 year old bucks.

(a good buck here isn't A shooter there?)
If that buck will score in the 140's and above or is at least a 4 1/2 year old minimum, then I'd say he's a shooter. But i also know other ranches that would rather not take him.


Now with all sarcasm aside, I've already said on this forum, i disagree with the antler restrictions. I've seen very few situations in my life, where things got better once the state or any type governing body got involved. I'm not to sure what the answer is for your area, but i can assure you of one thing, what ever the answer is, you'll always have people that disagree or feel as though they've been disenfranchised.

They both look pretty close to 13", however, without the ears present, I couldnt say. Its easy on the hoof as to the ears is 13, outside the ears is 15 (inside spread). If I only had 8 seconds, i wouldnt shoot either one. I wouldnt want to make a mistake and shoot a young deer. And looking at them, they would walk anyway. But, I am glad you got two bucks that you are proud of. I dont like people knocking my deer, and I wouldnt knock anyone elses. Good luck this year!

(I don't like people knocking my deer, and I wouldn't knock anyone else's.)


I agree, and not one person on this thread has done that. Simply saying you'd pass or let them walk is in no way knocking the quality of some one's deer.

All these pro eyes.
HWY will pass.
they dont make the grade?
a good buck here isnt A shooter there?
(EYE OF THE BEHOLDER BUBBA)

I recieved all that simply for saying i'd let them walk and nothing more.

Okay, if you are refering to me as eye of the beholder Bubba, then okay, why don't you educate us and tell us how big those bucks are. If you are trying to prove some point about people not being able to guess the width on a buck in eight seconds, then I guess you proved your point.

The only thing is, from what I am seeing from the other posts, people were giving you their honest opinion of what they would do, on the place they normally hunt, then you take pot shots at them for their answers.

Nowhere, other than your original post, and then you only gave number of points, have you said how wide those racks are.

One of these day's, I'd like to buy you a beer. If you ever come through Big Spring on your way to Fort Stockton, give me a holler.

I'll take the 8point. You'd have been disappointed had I not......T8P....get it ! I don't really care about spread too much, i just like the rack. heavy, tall..

I wouldn't have shot either one of em, cause I woulda already shot the doe as soon as she stepped out. Providing taking does was legal in that county.

Are we talking inside spread or outside spread? I wouldn't take either buck on my place. But if I was hunting on your place, I'd shoot the 8pt. He might measure 13".

Looks like both will make the 13" rule to me. The 10 pt looks like he will go 14-15 inches and the 8 pt looks just over 13". It is harder to judge without the ears present. Good shooter bucks though

Quote:

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Are we talking inside spread or outside spread?

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For antler restrictions, we're talking inside spread. I think both will make it, but as mentioned, it's tough to know for sure without the ears present.

At my lease pass! In Marion cnty I would have shot. Now thats the good think about the new rule they cant shoot him across the fence either. East Texas woill be so much netter in a few year.

I SAID IT BEFORE THEY PUT TO MANY HUNTER PER 100 ACRES IN EAST TEXAS. 2,000 ACRES WITH 30 HUNTERS.

(all these pro eyes) I wanted views from others. I noted: that HWY would pass on them, then posed 2 questions, not pop shots.
As for BUBBA: Im sorry i assumed to much about the good ole boy nature of this forum. a mod/or member once told me that a MEANING can be misconstured no matter your intent.
My point
My woods are thick and the good bucks dont stand around at the feeder. their allways skirting the edge. the 8 point wasnt the only good buck i saw in 3 years. he was the only one i could get a shot at. If i had a half an hour to size up a buck, it would seem more like picking than hunting. the days of see it, shoot it and know how big he is when you put your hands on him are over for us 13 inch county guys.
the bucks in the pictures are both under 13". the 10 point is 12-1/4" inside and the 8 is 12-15/16" inside.
maybe the TP&W can color code them for me. 12"red 13"yellow 14"green. 4X4

In the thick brush it going to be hard to judge unless the buck is just standing and looking at you. I total disagree with the 13" rule. I think there is going to be alot of buck shot and left to rot because they dont have 13" inside spread.

Sig,

Your right there's not that many deer per acre in East Texas as say the Hill Country or South Texas but they want to put more hunters per acre. Something does sound right.

I would like to see more big bucks in East Texas. I'm all for it. In the mean time I will hunt hogs behind my house and deer on my lease in Kimble/Mason.

Thanks! I like to hunt hogs too! We eat more hog and deer today than ever before. Supplement that with a few turkeys and a bunch of dove, must be good for us!