Three point or better laws

[boneaddict]

I was wondering what the rest of you thought about three point or better regulations for hunting in this state as they are now.  Would anyone else like to see something different and why.

I personally think the three point or better law has improved hunting in Eastern Washington, especially in the Methow where there is tons of pressure.  I usually am after a trophy deer, but on occasion on the last day have filled the tag for meat with a spike.  When on the winter range, its nice to see some escapement for the younger stupid bucks that most likely would be in someones freezer.

[Muleyslyr]

Love it......hope they don't ever go back!

[Jerome]

I love it.  I am not for the any buck units because there is too much temptation for me.  I like to trophy hunt these blacktails but when i see a legal buck its hard for me to turn them down. 

[jackelope]

I like it a lot. i am going to push my hunting partners to have a 4 point rule where we hunt this year. it'll be tough because the old guys are hard core meat hunters, but maybe we'll make them shoot does.
my home state of new york where i grew up just changed to a 3 pt minimum in a lot of the state.

[WDFW-SUX]

Im am huge fan of the 3pt rule I wish all deer in the state were 3pt white, black, and mule.

[billythekidrock]

I like it for muley's, but would like to see a two point restriction on blacktail.

[PolarBear]

I love the 3pt+ rule on muleys!  It really has helped the muley population rebound in Ferry county.  I would like to see a one point up restriction for blacktails.  If it is currently an any buck unit, move it up to 2 pt or better.  If it is already 2 pt+, make it 3 pt+.  I live by the Vail tree farm and have said for years that if they were to put a point restriction in place and that it could be one hell of a trophy area.  The problem is that every yayhoo from the city comes down and shoots anything that has antlers (and far too many does) and the bucks have no chance to mature a little.  Somewhere around 85-90% of all deer taken out of Vail are 1 1/2 year old bucks or does.  The percentage might actually be higher but that is the figure that I got from a buddy that works the check station up there and had done it for many years.

[WDFW-SUX]

The world record blackie did come from Lewis county back in the day. Id sure love to see a little age on some of the bucks as opposed to milk on the lip.  I've talked with some of the Bio's about the 3-pt deal on the west side and they said they were thinking about it but who the hell really knows with those guys.

[billythekidrock]

I would like to see a one point up restriction for blacktails.  If it is currently an any buck unit, move it up to 2 pt or better.  If it is already 2 pt+, make it 3 pt+.  I live by the Vail tree farm and have said for years that if they were to put a point restriction in place and that it could be one hell of a trophy area. 

I haven't hunted out that way in years, but I have to agree with you. The terrain and varied timber/cuts can really produce the deer and if given the chance they could actually put some meat on their bones and some bones on their head.

Maybe they could keep spikes for youth hunts.

[sisu]

Along with the three point rule I'd like to see a three choice season at no extra cost. By this I mean being able to hunt bow, black powder and modern as long as your license remains unfilled. Other states allow this but not ours and I personally would love to see this change happen before I am too damn old to hunt.

[Chessie_Guy]

Along with the three point rule I'd like to see a three choice season at no extra cost. By this I mean being able to hunt bow, black powder and modern as long as your license remains unfilled. Other states allow this but not ours and I personally would love to see this change happen before I am too damn old to hunt.

I don't agree.  I think this actually increases hunting pressure.  The State of Oregon currently allows this. 

[Ridgerunner]

Ok, I will disagree, I do not like the 3 point rule.  I personnally have a 3 point rule but with deer you are putting the pressure on the more mature bucks BEFORE they are doing the breeding.  With spike only for elk you are taking out the immature bulls AFTER the breeding has been done.  The reason the big ones are coming back is becuase the season has been shortened considerably from when it used to run back till the 8th or 10th of November.  From a biological standpoint it makes no sense.

[boneaddict]

They'll never go back to the all season thing now that this tag is out there.  thats alot of income.  I'm not sure that would be a good idea anyway.  It would be awesome to participate in, and I would be one to do it, but I think there are just too darn many people in Washington for the wildlife to support it.  Montana still supports it, but their wildlife has a much broader base.  Its OK to disagree Ridge!  I agree with you on the season being shortened out of November.  Thats disasterous, and we will feel the ramifications of the season the year before that was lenghthened and got into the migration/rut, for a year or two.

[boneaddict]

Spike only deer for youth hunts is an interesting thought, and might even things out a bit with age class.

[bobcat]

With the seasons the way they are now, and the number of hunters, I think the 3 point minimum is a good thing, because it does reduce harvest. But I would rather see a limit on the number of hunters per unit, with an any buck season. Most biologists do not agree with having a minimum point restriction either, and the WDFW wanted to eliminate the restriction a couple of years back, but most hunters wanted it, so they kept it. But like I said, as long as we're going to have over-the-counter tags with no limit whatsoever on the number of hunters, then I support the 3 point minimum. It probably even reduces the harvest of legal bucks by quite a bit because a guy can't just shoot first and count points later.

Last year I was sitting at the edge of a clearcut over in the Teanaway, and had a nice buck bedded at 252 yards, according to the rangefinder. He had to have been at least 25 inches wide, and just as high, with nice long tines, and I sat there with my Pentax 8x42 binos on him for over a half hour, but with me facing into the sun while it was just coming up over the hill, and making for very poor visibility, I never could be sure that he was a legal buck, although I would be very surprised if he didn't have 4 points per side.

As far as letting everybody hunt archery, rifle, and muzzleloader seasons, that will never happen. It would be too much pressure and would be too crowded for my taste. Oregon does not allow this either. Montana, Idaho, and Wyoming do but those states have a lot less people than we do here.