4-point rule 117/121

[Jonathan_S]

WTF is a big 3pt ???That would be ten times harder to find than a huge 4pt........

    

That's what I was getting at.

[deaner]

WTF is a big 3pt ???That would be ten times harder to find than a huge 4pt........

    

That's what I was getting at.

i agree with you guys that it would be hard to mistake a 3x3 whitetail for a 4x4.  much easier to screw up moose antler restrictions.  but just an example (though i do agree with what you two are saying, and im all for the restriction)  this guy here appears to have only one little browtine on his right side that i dont think would make an inch when the velvet comes off, and that crab claw wouldnt cut it either.  i think this guy would legally be a 3x3 with the velvet off, though i can see how somebody could mistake him for a legal buck.  he is mature, just bad genetics not having browtines. 

[deaner]

and in addition, you guys were probably saying "whats a big 3pt whitetail" referring to a large fork horn with browtines?  would probably look something like this, although a fork horn is pretty obviously a fork horn, couldnt mistake it for a legal buck unless you wanted to or you were drunk.

[Jonathan_S]

I hear you deaner.  It's possible for there to be a "large 3 pt" like the first buck you showed.  Those fellas are pretty rare though, I see very few of them that size without browtines. 

I suppose the chances of somebody willing to take the chance on a not-obviously legal buck running into one of those anachronisms are low enough to not be concern to me.

Thanks for posting those weird bucks.

[deaner]

yeah the ones like that without browtines are rare. could just be bad genetics, could maybe be they have a mule deer for a great grandpa or something, who knows.  but i think a really easy way to avoid even that rare chance at a screw up would be for the rule not to be 4x but for the rule to be 3x and browtines do not count.  pretty easy to see when a buck has a g3 but the browtines can be tricky to spot sometimes.  either way i think its still a pretty off chance that somebody could mistake an illegal whitetail with our current regulations.

[pwaldee]

I think that this is great, between the number of deer and the genetics that we have here i don't see any problem for someone to harvest a buck. i do see why the old timers and kids could be upset but this is how you grow a great population of bucks. stay out a little longer and get out the truck.

[PA BEN]

50 deer out in this one field. only 5 small bucks. Tons of does this year and looks like a good fawn crop too. I will say it again. It's not going to heart the deer/buck population for kids seniors and disabled to shoot anything.

[Jonathan_S]

50 deer out in this one field. only 5 small bucks. Tons of does this year and looks like a good fawn crop too. I will say it again. It's not going to heart the deer/buck population for kids seniors and disabled to shoot anything.

This is a great year for fawns, I've been seeing that all over the NE.   

Those 5 small bucks are probably not a good indicator of overall buck numbers and size.  I drove past a field last weekend with 100+ deer in it and I didn't see a single buck.  However, on trail cameras a few miles away, there are dozens of bucks.  A few spikes, a few forkhorns, one three pt and the rest are four or better.

I really disagree that letting kids, seniors, and disabled hunters "shoot anything" won't hurt anything.  Just because there is a successful fawn crop we should make them open season?   

[buckfvr]

Right now, in 117/121, they have shifted the focus on " helping " the herd.......killing any deer you see will by no means help the units.  The units are still a ways from where they should be,  and with wolves in the huckleberries, we cant afford to loose does and fawns.

I still say, there needs to be doe permits for the meat hunters......once things get to that point.  Catch is, I believe they should ONLY be able to take a doe.  No more of this have a doe permit but kill a pecker head buck just so you can say you got your buck.  Its not hard to take a doe that weighs more than a pecker head............

[Jonathan_S]

I agree.  I think the "any deer" is silly for any area that there is an effort to manage and increase deer herd quality/numbers.  The youth hunt currently scheduled for late season has it right, "4 pt min or antlerless"

[buckfvr]

I agree.  I think the "any deer" is silly for any area that there is an effort to manage and increase deer herd quality/numbers.  The youth hunt currently scheduled for late season has it right, "4 pt min or antlerless"

 

[dscubame]

Right now, in 117/121, they have shifted the focus on " helping " the herd.......killing any deer you see will by no means help the units.  The units are still a ways from where they should be,  and with wolves in the huckleberries, we cant afford to loose does and fawns.

I still say, there needs to be doe permits for the meat hunters......once things get to that point.  Catch is, I believe they should ONLY be able to take a doe.  No more of this have a doe permit but kill a pecker head buck just so you can say you got your buck.  Its not hard to take a doe that weighs more than a pecker head............

Exactly what you said.   

[dscubame]

I agree.  I think the "any deer" is silly for any area that there is an effort to manage and increase deer herd quality/numbers.  The youth hunt currently scheduled for late season has it right, "4 pt min or antlerless"

Yep.  Right on.

[PA BEN]

I agree.  I think the "any deer" is silly for any area that there is an effort to manage and increase deer herd quality/numbers.  The youth hunt currently scheduled for late season has it right, "4 pt min or antlerless"

Yep.  Right on.

In my opinion they are managing for bigger bucks. I've lived in and hunted the same areas in 121 for the better part of 38 years. The numbers are on the rise. When I say I'm seeing more does now, that has nothing to do w/a 4 point rule. What we need to look at is not our own desire to shoot the big one. Most hunters who know how to hunt can fill there tag. It's sounds like to me, (In My Opinion) that there is an attitude out there of ME, ME, ME and more ME. "I WANT BIG BUCKS WHERE I HUNT, SCREW THE REST. Kids our our future for hunting, we are all getting old. Someday I might not be able to hunt like I use too. I might want to put meat in the frizzier. We've been killing any buck for a 100 years or more in 121, I had no problem filling my tag, there has been years when the numbers were up and years when they were down. Back in the day the night before deer season opener you would see a string of head lights on 395, all hunters. Why do I say all hunters? Because back then you didn't see many head lights on 395. Everybody wants an OUTDOOR CHANNEL place to hunt. Where you pass on bucks most hunters would shoot. The reality is those people have there own land that they spend tons of money on to manage their own honey hole's. Others spend tons of money to hunt those land. No BIG DEER KILLS ON FILM ON MONEY.    Ok, I'm done for now have at me.

[dscubame]