Howdy, I’ve been questioning myself for a long time about what the state and specific counties legally specify as a legal buck. In the county I hunt, this is the verbiage used:

“A legal buck deer is defined as a buck deer with: at least one unbranched antler; OR an inside spread of 13 inches or greater (does not apply to a buck that has an unbranched antler).”

Help me read this right. If I’m reading this correctly, you can take a buck with a spread 13 inches or greater, or he must have one unbranched antler? So if I came across a buck that has TWO unbranched antlers but they are not greater than 13 inches, then it’s a no go? But if a spike buck walked out, he’d be good? Not saying I’d shoot a young buck like that, just trying to understand the law.

You are correct. I strongly disagree with the rule but that’s for another thread and has been covered a bunch on here.

Not sure where the confusion is. Please look at this graphic and tell me how it applies to your question.

You're reading it incorrectly, "at least one unbranched antler or inside spread greater than 13", also says if has an unbranched antler, "13 in spread is non-applicable" which means either one or two unbranched antlers, traditional spike or otherwise

What DQ said.
Also I am thinking 2 Unbranched antlers IS a Spike. I have heard them called Cow Horn Spikes and they definitely need to be removed from the herd I'm my opinion.

I don’t know, cow horn spikes are a trophy in their own right.

If an antler isn't branched it is a spike antler. 2 unbranched antlers is a spike buck regardless of size or age. That is the way I see it.


"at least one unbranched antler" at least means you need a minimum of one unbranched antler but two would still be legal.

I think they have it covered pretty well. One (or more) unbranched antlers, OR an inside spread of 13" or greater.

I contacted GW about a buck that had a bunch of spikes growing from his base, almost like a puff ball went off and grew spikes.
The GW said that did not constitute an unbranched antler since all the spikes were coming from the base, it was considered a bunch of branches.

An unbranched antler is one which has zero branches the whole way. A spike buck fits that criteria. A legal branch is 1' for scoring purposes, but if there is any branch to a antler, scoreable or not, it is a branched antler. So do not get confused with scoreable antler points vs branched. Two different things.

I don't believe that is true, TB. I think the branch has to be >1" to count.

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

The kid from Tech is correct. I see one around that I'm gonna offer up to the TWA adult learn-to-hunt attendees this weekend. I'll put the unbranched antler MLD tag on it.

Gotta be very careful with the verbiage used. The legal definition is at least one unbranched antler. There is no definition anywhere in the regs that say an unbranched antler is one with only one legal point (the tip). It uses different words to describe (what I feel are) different things.

A very legalistic view of this would say:

IF TPWD wanted to differentiate between legal points and non-legal points, they would define a legal buck as one greater than 13" inside, and/or at least one antler with only one legal point.

They defined it as unbranched.



Very different in my mind. I may be wrong, but why risk it. And are you gonna trust your eyes to differentiate between a sub 1' branch and a greater than 1" branch if the "point" definition is correct? I am not sure I would even trust my eyes to make that distinction at 15-20 yards in a bow hunting situation, let alone 100+ yards for a rifle situation.

I gotta believe that the Game Wardens have bigger fish to fry.

I agree, until one stops you.

Not saying it is likely, but I hear stories all the time of people getting busted by GW at popular processing sites.

Brings up a good thought, if you are going to skirt the laws or ride real close to the limit, then learn to process deer yourself.