Rookie Question

I'm new to public hunting, wondering what the general consensus is on this question. I was drawn to hunt Lake Fairfield "Antlerless/Spike", and wondering if i see a small doe if it's worth taking the shot, or should i wait for a bigger deer doe/buck/spike. I'm new to deer hunting, so apologize in advance for my ignorance on.

Also, if i see a hog, would most of you guys take the shot on, or wait for the deer kill to show up?

If you see a doe go ahead and take it if its on a spike/antlerless hunt. The hog would be up to you. Shooting could scare off any deer. But you could also not see anything else as well.

Depends on how many deer show up. The success rate on that hunt was only 24% last year. I would drop the first legal critter I saw. Be VERY careful though when you are shooting a spike. Get a really good look at it through some binoculars and make sure it is indeed a spike. There will very likely be a game warden at the check station. If it isn't exactly legal, you will lose your deer and probably be given a strong financial incentive to not do that again.

Good luck!

Palehorse, just so i know what qualifies as a Spike, as to your understanding on? don't the point have to be at least an inch or something like that?

Shoot away. If you see a pig and want to shoot it, shoot away. Be legal of course.

A spike is considered to any "unbranched antler".

I highly suggest you spend time reading the hunting regs and committing them to heart before heading out for this hunt...
http://tpwd.texas.gov/regulations/outdoor-annual/hunting/general-regulations/

The staff for this hunt will go over everything you will need to know during the orientation. If still unsure, just ask them and they will be glad to explain it again.

For your hunt, the first two deer on the left of the picture will be legal for you to shoot.

They will go over this with you at the site, but unless you are specifically given permission to shoot a hog prior to the hunt, TPWD will not be pleased with you if you shoot a hog. When I was on a drawn hunt earlier this year we were told not to shoot anything that wasn't specifically authorized in the hunt, even rattlesnakes.

What Harrier said + 1...but I've never heard a TPW bio guy or Hunt Mgr ever say not to shoot a hog, of any size ...or not to shoot all of 'em if possible...but have heard a hunter get "Visited With" about NOT shooting the hog's the hunter had seen 'cause he didn't want to be responsible for them.
Ron

They're not going to be upset with you if you shoot a hog, they want every one of them killed that can be feral hogs are an non-native invasive species. However shooting other critters like reptiles, birds, even coyotes will get you in trouble on these hunts, they will go over all the rules in the orientation the first morning of the hunt.

I went on this youth hunt last year. Guys are great. They will explain everything.

If I saw a yearling (which we did), I would let it walk (which we did). Its an ethical question to me and I would rather go home empty handed (which we did) before I took a yearling.

If deer is small and antlerless, please keep in mind it could be a button buck. Hard to tell with young ones so I'd make sure it was a mature doe or spike.

ta THF... Admire the letting walk part... Yet, my son's first deer was a yearling & the shot was ethical & their are plenty of others.... on your post & no disrespect ment.... Maybe they need ta rewrite the laws...Legal is legal... Close ta half of the fawns, some years more, some less never make it threw the first year because of other preditors other than hunters...