Not to say it came from the horses mouth but I am just passing along info I was told from a reliable source. Hunters and landowners were complaining and have been about all the young deer being killed on public and private property and wanted something done about it. The public wanted some type of restrictions on buck deer. TPWD did a survey and held many public meetings to get responses from landowners and hunters alike. It was like a 83% majority for the new antler resrictions. Here is a statistic , 10 years of data showed that 77% of all deer killed statewide would not be considered a legal buck this season. What do yall think? I am just telling yall what I was told. Good luck this year to all and safe hunting.

I love the 13in. rule. Wished the entire state would go too it. This post will make many people mad, but hey it is what it is. Contrary to what most think, deer hunting in Texas will become better if you just give it a chance.

Are you just trying to stir things back up or are you being serious. I know, you have been on here long enough to know better. This issue is going on, on about 3 different threads, do we REALLY need another one.

Welcome to The Forum. The 13 inch rule is not needed or practical statewide, and I am one of the nice ones on this issue.

Well from the way I see it, on another thread we are harvesting more does for an overall better deer herd? Yet we are all up in arms because we can't harvest 1.5 to 2.5 year old bucks that are less than 13 inches? Just looking for a little help on justification.

I think the 13 inch rule is a good thing, however I dont believe that 77% of the deer shot in previous years would not have passed to be leagal deer, 77 percent is alot, and it dont take much of a deer to make it past 13 inches.

matt

Not trying to stir it up crazyhorse. I've been here for a while and I don't like to stir things up. I just have alot of fun on here reading everyones posts and learning new things. This one time I had a little info whether it was worth it or not and thought I would throw it out there. I keep reading all the posts on this subject and never saw any info like this. Take it for what its worth. We'll talk to you on another post crazyhorse,later.

Hold on OPC, don't get your knickers in a twist and cut a trail.

I said what I did, because you have been on here about as long as I have.

The business about the 13 inch regs, were hashed out last year and they are being hashed out on 2 or 3 threads right now.

If you are going to get upset over what I said, then you need to grow a thicker hide.

If you posted it without knowing that the issue was a sore spot on here, than I apologise for jumping on you. If you posted it being funny than either apologise to me for getting caught at it, or admit to it. Real simple.

If all you ever look at, is what is posted in the hog hunting section, then it might be a good idea to see what is going on, on the rest of The Forum.

I apologise if I offended you, but I felt like your post was just stirring an already boiling pot.

this has been on here ALOT. its been around for a while. i love that i am in a 5 deer county without the 13 inch rule.

amen, hard to cull them spikes...

Lets beat the horse again. I do see how there is anything else to be said on the 13" so called rule.

Did not figure I would get much of a response to my question. The question was, "what is the justification of harvesting more does and complaining because you can't shoot a 1.5 or a 2.5 year old 13 or less inch deer?" I don't care what part of the state you are in. Give me one negative impact that this would have on a deer herd. I'm not talking of "trophy" animals, but of overall deer herd.

I hear of East Texas not being able to harvest does other than a few select days of November, yet someone is wanting to take the first buck that walks out? Could the reason be a limited huntable population of deer in this area? So someone tell me how regulating deer harvest for both bucks and does is going to hurt this region of Texas. Does it mean you may go a season without deer meat? It's very possible, but are we hunting or killing? Does it mean you may have wasted $500.00-$1000.00? I certainly hope not, but if the meat and money is that hard to come by, it might be best to hunt public land or buy a steer to feed your family and sit out a year.

For the Hill Country and Southwest Texas, how would a 13 inch rule hurt this region? From what I see many are interested in the control of does in this region. I also gather that many are not "trophy" hunters and don't care if the deer has horns or not. So why would someone harvest a 13 inch or less deer when taking a doe, 2 or 3 for meat would be better for the herd? Wouldn't it make sense to let that young buck go? If you are a "trophy" hunter you would not be looking at a 13 inch deer anyway.

Why is South Texas and Mexico such a hot bed for "true trophy" whitetails? They don't harvest young bucks and they control the doe population.

Most are going to say next, that the people in South Texas and Mexico pay 3 times what I pay at my lease to hunt those big deer. You are correct. What difference does it make what you pay for a deer lease? Conservation is priceless.

I beg someone to tell me how a 13 inch rule is going to have a negative impact on the overall deer herd in Texas. My only complaint to this rule is that it took The State of Texas to tell us how to control our deer herd. Regulation of too much or too little should be common sense.

Our concern is the overall deer herd of Texas right?

Nope. Not gonna bite. Not this time.

I don't know if it's 70% or not, but one thing i do know is, how amazed i was, when i took my buck to the processors last year. There was at least 40 bucks hanging in there, with about 5 that were over the 13 inch rule. And this is a 5 deer county.

Well!!!!!

I am glad to see your rapier wit and humor gracing the screen again.

Decided to crawl out of the woodwork ands squelch rumors of your demise.

Glad to see you posting Ron.

Does anyone have the instructions for "Beating a Dead Horse". Great joke/paper. Would love to have it if someone has a copy.

Try checking out the following threads, they should answer some of your questions.

Under Open Hunting Discussion:
Controlling your doe population.
13" rule in my county.

Under Deer Hunting:
12",13",14" rule.

Last year there were just as many or more going on about this same time.

Please take the time to go thru those threads, because everything you have asked is covered in those 3 threads, plus they are still active threads.

Found it!


1. Buy a stronger whip.

2. Change riders.

3. Say things like, "This is the way we've always ridden this horse."

4. Arrange to visit other sites to see how they ride their dead horses.

5. Increase the standards to ride dead horses.

6. Appoint a Tiger Team to revive the dead horse.

7. Create a training session to increase riding ability.

8. Pass legislation that declares, " The horse is not dead."

9. Harness several Dead Horses together for increased speed.

10. Declare with a policy directive and operating instruction that no dead horse is too dead to beat.

11. Do a cost analysis to determine if contractors can ride the dead horse cheaper.

12. Buy a commercial off-the-shelf dead horse.

13. Declare that the horse is better, faster, and cheaper dead.

14. Form an IPT to find uses for dead horses.

15. Revisit the key performance parameters (KPPs) for dead horses.

16. Say the horse was procured making CAIV-based decisions.

17. BRAC the horse farm on which the dead horse was born.

18. Promote the dead horse to a supervisory position.

19. Name the dead horse "Paradigm Shift" and keep riding it.

20. Ride the dead horse "smarter," not harder.

21. Call the dead horse "joint" and let others ride it.

22. Ride the dead horse "outside the box."

23. Kill all the other horses.

Or as Eathan Edwards said in the "Searchers", "A White man will ride a horse till it dies, and then take off on foot. A Comanch will come along, get that same horse up, ride it another 30 miles then eat it."

I am sorry, there just ain't no way that anyone that participates on The Forum at all, could have not been aware of all the static that has been raised on here over the past 2 years about the Antler regs and how everyone feels about them. JMO.

The 13" rule is the state's way of trying to control the killing of 1.5 and 2.5 year old bucks! Is it the perfect way to do it? Of course not, but if anyone has a better way to do it post it here and by all means write to your state rep. I do not hunt in any of these counties but I can see how some people would be upset. I also know what would upset me about it is not the fact that I couldn't shoot a pretty little 2.5 year old 8pt but that if a 4.5 year old 6 point walked out, I wouldn't legally be able to help the gene pool by smoking his A$$! I'm not taking up for the TP&W Dept but I will give credit where it is due and at least they're trying to do something about the over-harvest of young bucks.

This law is similar to the size limits on all of the game fish in Texas' waters. I've heard mostly positive feed back from hunters where this law has been effect so maybe in a couple of years we will be seeing some very positive posts on this matter???

MLP permits are used for the sole purpose of control and management of a deer herd on a particlar ranch. Ranches with these permits also have extended seasons and do not have to abide by state laws that govern ranches not in this program.

Holy smokes crazyhorse do you just want to start crap with anybody. It doesn't take much for you to get your panties in a whad. I wasn't cutting a trail anywhere. I have never been negative to anyone on this forum since I started over 2 years ago. Beating a dead horse or not then just skip my thread and go to the next. I am sorry that I don't have the time to sit on the computer all day and read all the posts. I am not retired, I have a family of 4 and try to catch up on all thats going on here so just let up. Holy sh** I can't believe what you said to me I am steaming. You must be an old disturbed man with a one track mind. Your way or the highway. I have never been like this but you just hit a nerve. I will be looking for your so wise response.

OPC is right...you need to back off and tone it down a notch CHC.You're not the forum police/nazi although you seem to have self-appointed yourself as such.Nobody likes to be fussed at and brow-beatin.Take your meds and relax!