2pts galore

[Snakeriver10]

They do have permits for two points, people just have to be willing to change from a rifle to something else and actually look at the rule book to find out where they are. 

[boneaddict]

I think those two points hanging out with six buddies, are older and wiser 3 points the following season. They are just plain better at hiding and hard to hunt. Every year in the Blues we hunt dang hard to find a 3 point. We head back up during the deer rut, and find some really nice bucks to look at. They were there all season...we only found the 2 points.

That's essentially why I am adamant(personal) about this.  I don't get too involved with things, but this is the ONE good thing if any the WDFW did right.   To me its most evident with our elk and methow herd.  Its easy to tell the elk.  Before regulation there were very few branch antlered bulls.  Now they are plentiful.  For a guy who spends a lot of time out there following these critters year after year, I almost take offense against someone making a casual observation that intends to muck things up.   

[JLS]

It's like this, if a farmer shot every white faced cow on a ranch year after year, the white face gene will be eliminated.

Except that you're forgetting two things here:

1)  Half of the genetics for antlers comes from the does, and is not visibly expressed

and

2)  Genetics doesn't have a whole lot of influence as to whether a deer is ever a 2 point.  Age and nutrition will play a much larger role in how many points a deer has.

You're simply seeing a larger population in that age class because they are protected.

[rtspring]

It's like this, if a farmer shot every white faced cow on a ranch year after year, the white face gene will be eliminated.

Except that you're forgetting two things here:

1)  Half of the genetics for antlers comes from the does, and is not visibly expressed

and

2)  Genetics doesn't have a whole lot of influence as to whether a deer is ever a 2 point.  Age and nutrition will play a much larger role in how many points a deer has.

You're simply seeing a larger population in that age class because they are protected.

I agree, we should be seeing alot of two points.  Thats the reason for the 3 pt minimum.  Let them eat and they will grow..

[buckfvr]

SOme would have you believe that the big 2x is a deer that has evolved for the sake of survival into an animal that only grows 2x............and that the white-tail herd will soon become a herd of 3x's in units 117/121 .